Saints running back Alvin Kamara is feeling healthy again, and that goes beyond recovering from a knee injury.
Via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Kamara said shifting toward a plant-based diet has him feeling better as he entered training camp.
“I got with my chef and just put together a plan and stuck to it and am still sticking to it,” Kamara said. “I think that changed my body a little bit, look a little bit different, but all in all still good, still positive.”
He said he weighs 211 pounds now, which is right at the 212-215 range he’s usually in during the offseason. He also cut out a lot of sodium and some sugars, in his quest to fuel himself more efficiently.
Kamara’s not the only Saints player to make such changes, as quarterback Jameis Winston said he went to a modified vegan diet, allowing himself one day a week to eat meat.
While there are some old stereotypes that are slowly fading away, the fact a few high-profile players have taken up either plant-based or mostly plant-based diets suggest it won’t affect performance. Between Tom Brady and Tyrann Mathieu and Cam Newton, it’s clear that it can work for top-level athletes.