Lewis Hamilton says going vegan ‘eradicates’ energy dips

Formula One driver stresses that ‘your gut is your second brain’

Lewis Hamilton has explained how following a plant-based diet has benefited his life, emphasising how being vegan has impacted his energy for the better.

Speaking in the latest issue of GQ Hype, the Formula One driver stated that while it is ideal for your energy “to be consistent”, sometimes you may have “big oscillations and highs and lows in your energy levels”.

However, in his experience, deciding to adopt a plant-based diet in 2017 rid him of this issue.

“Veganism has eradicated that,” Hamiltbeganon said. “When I was 22, it was raw talent. You’ve got an abundance of energy, you’re fit, there are no aches and pains.”

The 35-year-old outlined how he is always on the lookout for ways that he can improve himself during training, such as by refining his reflexes.

“There’s a multitude of things and I’m always trying to raise the bar. One of the things was my sleeping pattern and not feeling right in the stomach,” he said.

“Your gut is your second brain. We’re taught to drink milk and eat meat for protein and I started looking into other areas of research around this.”

Hamilton stated that he had two main motivations for going vegan – addressing animal welfare and taking into account how a plant-based diet affects his body.

“That’s a free advantage I’m going to take,” he added. “If no one else wants it, well that’s their loss.”

In August 2019, it was announced that Hamilton was to be involved in the launch of a new plant-based burger chain.

The restaurant, named Neat Burger, was described as being the “first plant-based sustainable burger chain of its kind”.

In October, Hamilton stated in an Instagram post that embracing veganism is the "only way to truly save our planet".

The race car driver received some criticism for his comments, as several people pointed out the environmentally-unfriendly nature of his sport.

It was recently reported that almost a quarter of all new food products launched in the UK last year were labelled vegan, with nearly two-thirds of Britons opting to eat meat substitutes.