“The Game Changers,” a documentary directed by James Cameron, follows a group of elite vegan athletes as they train for and compete in major sporting events. Aside from being pushed to their limits, vegetarianism and meat consumption are the points of interest throughout the film. Foods containing meat, even lean meats such as chicken and fish, are widely regarded as harmful to one’s health. Additionally, the documentary investigates research findings into the possible health benefits of vegetarianism. Regarding cardiovascular health, inflammation reduction, cancer risk reduction, and physical performance, vegetarian diets outperform their omnivorous counterparts, among other health measures. Even though the documentary presents an inaccurate picture of veganism, its primary goal was most likely to persuade non-vegans to give it a try for the very first time. In their reviews, film critics have expressed dissatisfaction with the documentary’s single-minded focus on one side and its use of controversial sources. Whether athletes can achieve better performance on plant-based diets or achieve the same results on animal-based diets is the subject of this documentary film.
The documentary follows James Wilks, a former mixed martial arts fighter, transitioning from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet. Wilks attempts to read and analyze nutrition as much as possible following his injury to accelerate his recovery. According to a long-held belief, people who consumed animal products were thought to be more robust and more intelligent. He decided to eat a lot of meat to win fights and build muscles. As a result of his injury, he spends his spare time researching the various options available to him for a speedy recovery from his condition. As a result of his investigation, he discovered that the Roman gladiators’ diet consisted primarily of plant-based foods (The Game Changers, 0:05:40-0:06:47). Wilks is taken aback by the revelation because gladiators are solid and masculine creatures, and he finds it challenging to comprehend how they could be vegan. His interest in plant-based diets has prompted him to read more academic articles on the topic.
According to popular belief, Dr. James Loomis, interviewed for the documentary, claims that athletes do not use energy gained from protein consumption. Later in the film, he explains that carbohydrates in glycogen provide energy to most athletes who participate in sports. He details how glycogen depletes when carbohydrates get replaced with protein calories (The Game Changers, 0:10:22-0:11:01). Studies have shown that glycogen depletion can impair athletic performance, maintaining a consistent training regimen over time. According to the documentary, vegans should consume various legumes to ensure that they get adequate amounts of essential amino acids in their diet. According to the documentary, plant-based foods may be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease and certain cancers. The theory in question thus emphasizes the critical importance of veganism in today’s society, which the evidence tends to support. Vegetarian products may also have the potential to aid in the prevention of certain types of cancer.
Patrick Baboumian, a well-known vegetarian athlete, makes an appearance in the documentary. While some are perplexed about maintaining such physical fitness while abstaining from meat, others are impressed. He cites oxen as an example because they are large, powerful animals that do not consume meat, as most animals do (The Game Changers, 0:17:36-0:18:29). Wilks’ research established that a plant-based diet helps maintain an athlete’s strength. Through experiments, science has established that Wilk’s theory is correct. The film depicts several such experiments, including one conducted on three football players to demonstrate the effects of animal protein on the body. All three athletes ate burritos made with animal or plant-based protein as their preferences dictated. After two hours, blood samples from participants who consumed animal-protein burritos had coagulated plasma, whereas those who did not consume animal-protein burritos had fluid plasma (The Game Changers, 0:21:00-0:25:30). According to the study’s findings, eating meat has a detrimental effect on the body’s functions, which the researchers discovered.
Critics have questioned the small studies and research to support the film’s claim that veganism is healthy. Its conclusions are mainly from dubious sources and inaccurate information. According to the documentary, exhumed gladiators from Ephesus and the claim that they were vegan are baseless on the findings of a single research project. As a result of these claims, the documentary’s sources are questionable, as is whether the numerous interviews with athletes and doctors are stage-managed to fit into the grand scheme of vegan diets. Gladiators, as depicted in this documentary, ate primarily plant-based diets. Based on the nitrogen levels in the foods, gladiators also ate some animal products. Other burial sites with higher nitrogen content indicate higher protein consumption. As a result, the Sulphur content of gladiator seafood diet samples is higher than other meats. Additional research findings call into question the documentary’s information sources.
The documentary implies that gladiators mainly ate anything available, which makes sense given that the vast majority of them were slaves who ate whatever was available and put it in front of them at the time of the fights. Because vegan diets were relatively cheap at the time, feeding gladiators plant-based food was a viable option. Rather than emphasizing this critical detail, the film focuses on the fact that gladiators were vegetarians during combat. It is also possible that the filmmakers withheld the information on purpose or could not learn more about the research’s origins. This film demonstrates the filmmakers’ incompetence and bias toward only what they believe to be the truth, regardless of the outcome. An interview with one of the paper’s authors, Dr. David Katz, can be seen on screen as part of a documentary (The Game Changers, 1:05:30-1:06:30). The purpose of the interview, however, is clear: to demonstrate that animal proteins hurt athletes’ ability to perform at their peak.
The film portrays most people as believing that protein is a source of energy, which is outdated and misguided. The notion that protein is a source of energy for physical activity has been unfounded over the years. Protein foods are emphasized as an energy source in the documentary even though it is no longer a widely practiced nutritional method because people no longer depend on them for energy. There is a cameo appearance by Scott Jurk, a vegan ultra-runner who also happens to be one of the film’s stars. When it comes to providing him with energy, carbohydrates high in energy density outperform protein. Rather than carbohydrates, athletes who want to gain lean muscle mass and recover more quickly after competition include protein in their diets to achieve this goal.
Dr. James Loomis asserts that increasing protein consumption depletes muscle glycogen and impairs performance in his research. When carbohydrate intake is less than 20 percent of total caloric intake, a scientific study misinterpretation occurs only in deficient carbohydrate diets. According to research, people who begin a ketogenic, low-carb diet have a pre-keto level of 57 percent within the first few weeks of following the diet. Nevertheless, after 42 days, glycogen levels have returned to 69 percent, demonstrating that low-carbohydrate diets do not necessarily maximize or deplete muscle glycogen stores. According to research, combining proteins and carbohydrates results in glycogen responses equal to or greater than before. Moreover, protein consumed after exercise and consumed in conjunction with carbohydrate diets improves daily exercise performance.
The film includes interviews with top-level vegan athletes. Then the audience is shown video clips of their outstanding track performances. As opposed to demonstrating that someone can be vegan and still perform admirably, this documentary is solely concerned with how vegetarianism has improved athletes’ endurance. Using Diaz as an example, the film implies that Diaz is superior to Conor McGregor, a vegan athlete who consumes animal products (The Game Changers, 0:07:37-0:08:29). That Conor is not as good as Diaz in this situation is demonstrated by consuming steak. Due to the absence of mention of their training and the vast differences between their fighting styles (Diaz is a good boxer, whereas Conor is an excellent stand-up fighter). The documentary falls short of achieving an overall feeling of harmony by selecting athletes in bias based on their achievements, which they all support as highly influenced by the fact that they are vegetarian.
Apart from being historically accurate in some sections, the documentary has been chastised for cherry-picking data to suit its agenda, drawing broad conclusions from small or vulnerable studies, and having an overall bias against meat consumption. It gives the impression that the film identifies all of the benefits of being a vegan. Although this is true, it does not address how strictly a vegan diet must be practiced to achieve the desired results. It is important to note that the athletes featured in the documentary receive financial support even though their diet is controlled and regulated by a dietician. They also have excellent cooks who ensure that the diet is strictly followed to achieve even better results than before. Even though animal products contain essential nutrients, they may not be in the same concentrations as those found in vegan meals, necessitating the use of nutritional supplements. As a result, it is clear how skewed the film is, with a large portion of it focusing on the advantages of being a vegetarian.
Despite the negative feedback the documentary has received, the message it conveys is apparent: everyone should pay attention to what they eat to live a healthier lifestyle and make informed decisions about their food choices. The last campaign specifically aims to dispel the myth that meat consumption is the only way for athletes to achieve excellence at the highest levels of competition. The documentary does an excellent job of demystifying what has been a long-standing urban legend straightforwardly and straightforwardly. Even though they are aware of other sources of food that could assist athletes in maintaining their athletic bodies, they make every effort to demonstrate that meat is not the only meal that athletes require to perform at their highest level. They also acknowledge the existence of other food sources that could aid athletes in maintaining their athletic bodies during their training sessions.
Work Cited
“The Game Changers, Full Documentary” YouTube, uploaded by Lin, 2019, Web.