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Home / Entertainment

This Netflix documentary is turning people vegan

By Stephanie Bedo
news.com.au·
28 Nov, 2019 05:58 AM3 mins to read

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The Game Changers: Official trailer. Video / Netflix

If ever there was a title that was apt for a documentary it is The Game Changers.

The film, in fact, has changed the game for many, inspiring them to switch to a vegan diet.

But unlike Dominion, which sets out to expose the horrific side of the animal cruelty industry, The Game Changers shows the benefits of veganism — which the doco claims enhances the athletic powers of those following the strict diet.

The likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan are behind the film, which shows people they can achieve muscle mass on a plant-based diet.

The celebrity backed diet now has the food world in a spin, with athletes claiming to have stronger, leaner bodies thanks to the diet, news.com.au reports.

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In the film, Schwarzenegger said he used to sell the idea that real men ate meat.

"But you've got to understand that's marketing, that's not based on reality," he said.

The documentary, currently streaming on Netflix, explains that one of the biggest misconceptions in sports nutrition is that you have to have animal protein to perform at a high level.

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The film traces the diets of the Roman gladiators who mostly ate only plants and follows everyone to Olympic athletes.

It even claims the diet gives you better sex.

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan slammed the documentary as "nonsense" when retired English professional mixed martial artist James Wilks and the man dubbed the world's strongest vegan, Patrik Baboumian, appeared on the show.

Wilks defended the documentary from the haters.

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"We knew it was going to be big but we didn't know it would be that big," he told Metro UK.

"We knew there was going to be backlash and the biggest has come from the ketogenic and carnivore diet folks and people who are funded by the meat industry when you look into it. "That's where the attempted debunks have come from, but it doesn't matter what you do or how many studies you put in, plant-based eating has been stigmatised and people are tied to their habits."

Wilks claims the diet has improved his erectile dysfunction.

In one scene in the film three college athletes have their erections measured over two nights after being fed a meat burrito on the first night and a plant-based version on the second night.

Proponents say the vegan diet makes you stronger. Photo / Supplied
Proponents say the vegan diet makes you stronger. Photo / Supplied

Their erections were harder, occurred significantly more often, and lasted longer when they had a plant-based meal.

"It seems to be the favourite scene in the film, I'm sure it's a motivating factor for a lot of guys," Wilks told Metro.

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Critics say the documentary cherrypicks data to make its points

Nevertheless, it has inspired many to make the switch.

"It pretty much happened overnight, Graham Hutson told The Telegraph reflecting on his decision last month to go vegan.

"I have a lot more energy. I feel more alert, more awake. Especially with boxing, after five rounds of sparring I notice how much energy I've got."

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