Arnold Schwarzenegger, a UFC fighter, and a bunch of Olympic medalists walk into a plant-based diet…and come out stronger?
Sarah Louise Kaney and Mary Bliss first pointed it out, and Jared Brick moved it up in our queue.
Trailer for “The Game Changers”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- A jacked German strongman named Patrik Baboumian flips a car and carries over 1,200 pounds on a yoke. Then says he built all that brute strength on a totally plant-based diet.
- Three college athletes eat burritos with different protein sources. Then see graphic test results showing that one meat-heavy meal can tank their overnight erections.
- The film digs up evidence that Roman gladiators ate mostly vegetarian diets. Then it cuts to Arnold Schwarzenegger admitting he was wrong his whole career about needing meat for muscle.
Watch “The Game Changers”
You can watch “The Game Changers” on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 92/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 99/100 (Users); 67/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Directed by Louie Psihoyos (who also did “The Cove” — my colleague Rob Kelly rated this one 99/100).
Release Date: Premiered at Sundance on January 19, 2018. Widely released on Netflix in 2019. Currently streaming on other platforms.
My Review of “The Game Changers”
The Setup
This is a full-blown takedown of the “real men eat meat” myth. A fighter gets hurt, starts researching recovery, and accidentally unearths the surprising truth: meat may actually hurt performance.
The doc blends high-level science with locker-room energy. It’s built for skeptics, athletes, and bros still eating triple bacon burgers because they think it makes them tough.
More Highlights from the Doc
- James Wilks, a UFC fighter and self-defense instructor, gets injured. He spends his rehab researching plant-based nutrition. That curiosity launches the whole doc.
- Team USA Olympics Physician Dr. Scott Stoll (says meat-based proteins increase inflammation and slow recovery. He claims plant proteins do the opposite. Less inflammation, better gut diversity, faster healing.
- Plant-based elite athletes featured include ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, NFL linebacker Derrick Morgan, boxer Bryant Jennings, and strongman Patrik Baboumian.
- Dr. Walter Willett (Harvard) talks about dairy protein being linked to increased prostate cancer risk—and says the science is getting harder to ignore.
Cameos
- Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, and Chris Paul all show up, each crediting plant-based eating for extending their careers.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Roman gladiators were nicknamed “barley men” due to their vegetarian diets. This came from bone analysis, not just ancient texts.
- The erection test was designed by Dr. Aaron Spitz, a urologist who’s also a stand-up comic on the side. His line: “Meat may be manly, but it’s not helping your manhood.”
- Patrik Baboumian holds several world records and says being plant-based improved his recovery between events.
- Schwarzenegger filmed his segments at home while recovering from open-heart surgery. This is another reason he says he changed his diet.
Wrap Up
If you still think plant-based eating is weak, this doc drop-kicks that idea into next week. It’s part science, part muscle flex, and totally worth watching.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc