Summary of this blog
Since its premiere in September, the film "The Game Changers" has stirred attention by challenging common beliefs about healthy nutrition, protein, and meat. With a high-profile production team including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, and James Cameron, along with an impressive cast of world-class athletes and renowned scientists, the film aims to debunk myths surrounding nutrition and muscle building.
The plot follows James Wilks, a UFC fighter and military close combat instructor, who delves into optimal nutrition for athletic performance and rapid recovery following an injury. His research leads him to vegan athletes like Scott Jurek and Dotsie Bausch, who share experiences of increased performance and recovery through plant-based diets. The film refutes common assumptions about plant-based proteins, demonstrating their effectiveness for athletes.
The film addresses studies on vegan nutrition, compares meat and plant eaters, and discusses topics such as Vitamin B12 supplementation and plant-based protein sources. The assertion that a plant-based diet is more natural and healthier is supported by physical characteristics, color perception ability, and associations with modern diseases.
The film critically examines the influence of the food industry on nutritional studies. The conclusion is that despite clear evidence, scientific consensus is often at odds due to the interests of food manufacturers.
Enhanced by appealing visuals and a motivating soundtrack, the film creates a positive atmosphere that encourages viewers to reconsider their nutrition choices. Despite its controversial theme, the film conveys the message that small changes can have positive effects. The recommendation for viewers considering a vegan lifestyle is to approach it gradually, explore alternatives, and get creative.
"The Game Changers" not only provides new perspectives on vegan nutrition but also inspires a more conscious approach to personal nutrition and a shift toward a healthier lifestyle.
End of summary
Since time immemorial, meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs have been considered essential components of a balanced diet. Additionally, meals such as quinoa with chicken breast and cauliflower, as well as plant-based protein powder, have been promoted as timeless favorites for promoting muscle growth and athletic performance. In contrast, a conscientious or even purely plant-based way of eating has often been portrayed as inadequate, with individuals who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet being merely ridiculed.
Until now. The film "The Game Changers" has been causing significant attention since its premiere in September, threatening to challenge everything we thought we knew about healthy nutrition, protein intake, and the consumption of meat. With a production team consisting of luminaries such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, and James Cameron (the film director of works like Avatar), along with an impressive array of world-class athletes and respected scientists, the film could hardly be more prominently cast.
Starting from October 16, 2019, "The Game Changers" is now also available on Netflix and has the potential to debunk common myths surrounding nutrition, muscle building, meat avoidance, and veganism. The film's main statement is that animal products are not only unnecessary but even counterproductive to health, athletic performance, rapid recovery, and muscle mass development. Where does this seemingly abrupt shift in perspective come from regarding conventional knowledge, and what arguments support this thesis?
The plot of The Game Changers
In the plot of "The Game Changers," James Wilks, a British UFC fighter and instructor in military close combat, delves deeply into the question of optimal nutrition for outstanding athletic performance and rapid recovery. During an extended injury hiatus, which he uses to explore this topic more closely, he finds himself, like many of us, in the habit of consuming meat. By chance, during his research, he comes across scientific studies that substantiate the advantages of a plant-based diet for health and performance. Understandably, this discovery surprises him, as it contradicts what he thought he knew about nutrition. Subsequently, he embarks on a quest to learn about the motivations and experiences of successful vegan athletes.
During his investigation, he encounters endurance athletes such as the ultramarathon record holder, Scott Jurek, and Dotsie Bausch, the American champion and vice Olympic champion in track cycling. Both have been successful for years with a vegan diet, reporting significant improvements in their performance and recovery through the transition to purely plant-based foods. For Wilks, this sounds quite plausible, especially considering that a vegan diet inherently relies on carbohydrates, the essential fuel for endurance performances.
Is a vegan diet complete?
Wilks, on the other hand, remains skeptical regarding protein. What about athletes in strength sports who require large amounts of protein for muscle building? In discussions with the strongman and record holder Patrik Baboumian, the American weightlifting record holder Kendrick Farris, heavyweight boxer Bryant Jennings, and several professional vegan bodybuilders, he learns that they, too, have observed significant performance improvements when transitioning to a vegan diet. Even the master of strength sports himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, surprisingly reports that reducing his meat consumption by 80% had extremely positive effects on his health, performance, and overall well-being.
Vegan protein sources
Common assumptions that a high protein requirement cannot be met solely through a plant-based diet and that plant-based protein is less digestible than animal-derived protein are refuted by Dr. James Loomis, the chief physician and team doctor of a U.S. football team. He explains that ultimately, all protein is of plant origin and is not inferior in its amino acid composition to the protein consumed from chickens, pigs, or cattle. This explanation is also supported by numerous anthropologists who have found that our early ancestors predominantly followed a vegetarian diet – a stark contrast to the assumptions on which the Paleo diet is based. Researchers even managed to examine the bones of Roman gladiator fighters, discovering that these ancient warriors were healthy and strong thanks to intense training and good nutrition. Interestingly, gladiators, often derogatorily called "grain eaters," were primarily vegetarians, as their diet consisted of grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes such as beans. Whether this was by choice or due to their slave status remains unclear.
Vitamin B12 supply
Even the alleged knockout argument that Vitamin B12 is exclusively found in animal products proves to be not particularly compelling upon closer inspection: Animals, like us, must obtain B12 through food. Vitamin B12 is produced by microorganisms in the soil and is typically taken in through soil residues adhering to plants. However, pesticides in our modern agriculture kill bacteria in the soil. This means that even livestock must have B12 supplements mixed into their feed. Studies mentioned in the film also found that over a third of the tested participants – whether meat-eaters or vegetarians – had low B12 levels. Therefore, B12 levels should be periodically checked regardless of dietary habits and supplemented if necessary.
Is a plant-based diet more natural and healthier?
Is a meatless diet more natural and beneficial for health? When analyzing physical characteristics of meat-eaters and plant-eaters, scientists in the film observe that typical features such as a short digestive tract and canine teeth are absent in humans. The argument suggesting that human canine teeth indicate a meat-based diet is refuted upon closer examination by looking at our closest relatives: Gorillas are pure plant-eaters and possess conspicuously large canine teeth, which, however, serve as intimidation tools against fellow members.
The ability to see colors, unlike carnivores, supports the thesis that the human body is designed for a predominantly plant-based diet. This conclusion is affirmed by leading genetic researchers, cardiologists, and oncologists in the film, explaining modern diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and even cancer – common causes of death in our Western society. Studies indicate that the risk of cancer nearly proportionally increases with the consumption of meat and dairy products. There are also studies suggesting that a plant-based diet has the capability to reverse existing damage, such as clogged arteries.
Where does this knowledge come from so suddenly?
It is widely accepted that excessive consumption of processed meat is unhealthy. However, when it comes to nutrition in general, there seems to be little consensus. Foods are arbitrarily labeled as healthy or unhealthy, and the research landscape appears too complex to draw clear conclusions. If the evidence is as unequivocal as portrayed in the film, why is there disagreement in the scientific community, and why is the truth known to so few? This question also occupied James Wilks after his discoveries. The explanation comes from Dr. David Katz, the founder of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Centers at Yale University:
"This system works wonderfully for the people who sell these foods. It works excellently for those who sell the medications to treat the diseases caused by these foods, and it also works wonderfully for the media that can serve us a new nutrition story every day."
Thinking back to the early days of the tobacco industry, the image was conveyed that smoking was not dangerous but even beneficial to health. Manufacturers heavily relied on appealing sports-related advertising and funded fake studies to create an unclear evidence situation – until the dangers of smoking were recognized, and tobacco advertising in sports was banned.
In a similar fashion, representatives of the food industry finance studies that endorse the consumption of meat and dairy products. They create enough confusion to give the impression that the research situation is unclear and controversial. These findings are not new: If one excludes all research results financed by companies or associations of the meat and dairy industry, science agrees on the adverse effects of animal products. The film speaks candidly about decades of strategic marketing and targeted lobbying.
Conclusion: Watch and be inspired
Admittedly, for someone new to this field, the "new" insights presented in the film can be quite surprising. The idea of potentially being exposed to misleading advertising throughout one's entire life is uncomfortable and not easy to accept. However, it is certain that The Game Changers presents compelling arguments and relies on scientifically recognized studies that have collectively examined more than half a million people.
Furthermore, the film creates an extremely positive and uplifting atmosphere through appealing visuals and a successful soundtrack. This encourages viewers to contemplate and almost playfully motivates them to reconsider their own nutrition and try out some of the suggestions themselves. At no point does the viewer feel that strict abstinence is being imposed with a wagging finger. On the contrary, Arnold Schwarzenegger himself is not a complete vegetarian, and other athletes and experts interviewed emphasize the positive effects of small changes.
All in all, it is an excellently produced film with a credible message that surprisingly presents many possibilities, inspires, and genuinely instills a desire for change.
For those who ultimately decide to live a vegetarian or even vegan lifestyle, it is advisable to approach it gradually and not act hastily. Simply cutting out meat is not sufficient, as the menu can quickly be reduced to fries and a sad side salad. It is more advisable to actively seek alternatives and get creative by starting to replace meat with plant-based alternatives in some favorite dishes. Tips and ideas for this can also be found on The Game Changers website.
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