The Game Changers Review: A Science-Based Fact Check of the Documentary

“The Game Changers” has become one of the most talked-about nutrition documentaries on Netflix, sparking intense debates about plant-based diets and athletic performance. The film follows elite vegan athletes and makes bold claims about the superiority of plant-based eating for health and performance.

But does the science support these claims? This comprehensive, evidence-based review examines the facts behind “The Game Changers” to help you separate scientific truth from promotional messaging.

Overview of The Game Changers Documentary

“The Game Changers” is a documentary film that advocates for vegan diets, particularly for athletes and those seeking optimal physical performance. The film features several elite athletes who follow plant-based eating patterns, including UFC fighter James Wilks, who serves as the film’s primary narrator.

The documentary makes sweeping claims about the benefits of veganism while portraying meat consumption—including chicken, fish, and lean meats—as detrimental to health and athletic performance. Throughout the film, viewers are presented with various studies and testimonials supporting plant-based nutrition.

The core message suggests that vegan diets are superior to omnivorous diets for heart health, inflammation reduction, cancer prevention, and physical performance enhancement.

What The Game Changers Gets Right

Despite criticism, the documentary does present some accurate information about plant-based nutrition that deserves acknowledgment.

Protein Adequacy on Vegan Diets

The film correctly states that well-planned vegan diets can provide sufficient protein and all nine essential amino acids necessary for human health. While individual plant proteins may be incomplete, combining various plant sources throughout the day—such as legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains—ensures adequate intake of all essential amino acids.

Nutrient Availability

With proper planning, vegans can obtain most necessary nutrients, including vitamin B12 and iron, which are sometimes challenging to get from plant sources alone. Nutritional yeast, fortified foods, and strategic supplementation can help vegans meet their nutritional requirements.

Cardiovascular and Cancer Benefits

Research does support that plant-based diets may offer protective effects against certain cardiovascular conditions and some types of cancer when compared to diets high in processed meats and refined foods. This is one area where the documentary’s claims align with scientific consensus.

Critical Limitations and Bias in The Film

While “The Game Changers” presents some valid points, several significant limitations compromise its credibility and objectivity.

Selective Research Presentation

The documentary exhibits clear confirmation bias by cherry-picking studies that support veganism while completely ignoring peer-reviewed research demonstrating benefits of moderate animal product consumption. This one-sided approach undermines the film’s scientific credibility.

The two “studies” conducted during filming—measuring blood cloudiness in NFL players and nighttime erections in college athletes after meat consumption—were informal demonstrations lacking scientific rigor, control groups, or peer review. Presenting these as legitimate research is misleading.

Unbalanced Perspective

The film takes an extreme stance by vilifying all animal products equally, suggesting that chicken, fish, and eggs are as harmful as processed meats. This claim contradicts substantial scientific evidence showing health benefits of lean poultry, fatty fish rich in omega-3s, and eggs as part of balanced diets.

Unrealistic Portrayal

The elite athletes featured in the documentary have access to personal chefs, nutritionists, trainers, and substantial financial resources to optimize their vegan diets. For average individuals, following a nutritionally complete vegan diet requires significant planning, education, and often supplementation—challenges the film glosses over.

Fact-Checking Major Claims: What Does Science Actually Say?

Let’s examine the documentary’s primary assertions against current scientific evidence.

Heart Health Claims

The film emphasizes vegan diets’ positive effects on cholesterol and cardiovascular health. While research confirms that plant-based diets can lower total and LDL cholesterol, they also tend to decrease HDL (beneficial) cholesterol and show minimal effect on triglycerides.

Importantly, the documentary fails to mention that excessive sugar intake—which can be high in some vegan diets, particularly those including processed vegan foods—may pose greater cardiovascular risks than lean animal proteins.

Diets that include moderate amounts of lean meats, fish, and dairy can also support heart health when combined with abundant vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Inflammation Claims

The documentary asserts that all animal products, including chicken and fish, are inflammatory. This claim is scientifically inaccurate.

Inflammation results from various dietary factors, including:

• Excessive added sugars
• Highly processed foods (both plant-based and animal-based)
• Refined vegetable and seed oils
• Trans fats
• Insufficient intake of anti-inflammatory compounds

Conversely, many foods are anti-inflammatory regardless of whether they’re plant or animal-based. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are among the most potent anti-inflammatory compounds available.

Both plant-based and omnivorous dietary patterns can be pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory depending on food quality, processing level, and overall dietary composition.

Cancer Risk Assertions

Research indicates that vegan diets may reduce overall cancer risk by approximately 15%, which supports the film’s claims to some extent. However, the documentary incorrectly suggests that unprocessed red meat directly causes cancer.

Scientific literature often combines red meat with processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meats) in studies. While processed meats show clear associations with increased cancer risk, particularly colorectal cancer, unprocessed red meat consumed in moderate amounts does not demonstrate the same risk when examined independently.

Cancer development involves multiple factors including genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and overall dietary patterns—not simply the presence or absence of meat.

Ancestral Diet Arguments

“The Game Changers” suggests humans are naturally suited for plant-based diets based on our teeth and digestive systems, claiming all ancestral populations ate primarily plants. This assertion contradicts anthropological evidence.

Humans have consumed animal products for millennia across diverse cultures. Archaeological evidence shows that hunting and meat consumption played significant roles in human evolution and brain development.

Healthy traditional diets vary dramatically worldwide:

• The Maasai people of East Africa consume diets extremely high in animal products and saturated fats yet maintain low rates of chronic disease
• Traditional Okinawan diets are predominantly plant-based, centered on sweet potatoes with minimal meat
• Mediterranean populations consume moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy alongside abundant plant foods
• Inuit populations historically thrived on diets almost exclusively from animal sources

These diverse populations all exhibit low rates of chronic illnesses, demonstrating human adaptability to various dietary patterns.

Athletic Performance Claims

Perhaps the most prominent claim in “The Game Changers” is that vegan diets enhance athletic performance. However, the film relies heavily on personal testimonials rather than controlled scientific studies.

Current research shows that when calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients are matched, plant-based and omnivorous diets produce equivalent athletic performance outcomes. No evidence demonstrates that either pattern is inherently superior for strength, endurance, or recovery when properly planned.

Athletic success depends on numerous factors including training protocols, genetics, sleep quality, stress management, total caloric intake, nutrient timing, and hydration—not simply whether one consumes animal products.

Is a Vegan Diet Appropriate for Everyone?

While the documentary enthusiastically promotes veganism for all, certain populations require extra consideration.

Nutrients of Concern

Vegan diets require careful planning to ensure adequate intake of several nutrients:

• Complete Protein: Requires consuming varied plant protein sources to obtain all essential amino acids
• Vitamin B12: Found almost exclusively in animal products; supplementation is typically necessary
• Vitamin D: May require supplementation, especially in northern latitudes
• Vitamin K2: Predominantly found in animal foods; supplementation often recommended
• Iron: Plant-based iron (non-heme) is less bioavailable than animal-based iron (heme)
• Zinc: More readily absorbed from animal sources; plant sources require strategic consumption
• Calcium: Requires attention to fortified foods and high-calcium plant sources
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: EPA and DHA from algae supplements recommended, as conversion from ALA is inefficient

Infants, Children, and Adolescents

Growing children have heightened nutritional needs that can be challenging to meet on vegan diets. Infants should not be fed vegan diets due to critical requirements for adequate protein, fat, and various micronutrients essential for proper development.

Older children and teenagers can follow plant-based diets with meticulous planning and appropriate supplementation, ideally under guidance from a qualified pediatric nutritionist or healthcare provider.

Older Adults and Special Health Conditions

Properly planned vegan diets can be suitable for older adults and may help prevent age-related weight gain. Some evidence suggests plant-based eating patterns may benefit certain conditions, including chronic kidney disease when protein modification is necessary.

However, older adults should pay particular attention to protein intake, vitamin B12 status, and bone health nutrients to prevent muscle loss and osteoporosis.

Anyone considering significant dietary changes should consult with healthcare providers, especially those with existing health conditions or taking medications.

Evidence-Based Healthy Eating: Beyond the Plant-Based Debate

Despite passionate advocacy from both vegan proponents and carnivore diet enthusiasts, scientific evidence supports multiple dietary approaches for optimal health.

Common Characteristics of Healthy Diets

Regardless of animal product inclusion, healthy dietary patterns share fundamental features:

• Whole, Minimally Processed Foods: Emphasis on foods in their natural state rather than ultra-processed alternatives
• Adequate Protein: Sufficient intake from plant or animal sources to support tissue maintenance and repair
• Healthy Fats: From sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish
• Abundant Vegetables and Fruits: Providing fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients
• Whole Grains and Starches: Unrefined sources of carbohydrates
• Limited Added Sugars: Minimal intake of refined sugars and sweetened beverages
• Restricted Ultra-Processed Foods: Avoiding foods with extensive ingredient lists and artificial additives

Sustainable Eating Patterns

The most effective dietary approach is one you can maintain long-term while meeting your nutritional needs and supporting your health goals. This may be vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or omnivorous—what matters most is food quality, portion control, and overall pattern rather than rigid adherence to any single philosophy.

Practical Takeaways

After reviewing the scientific evidence behind “The Game Changers,” several key points emerge:

What to Consider

• Well-planned vegan diets can be healthy and nutritionally adequate for most adults
• Plant-based eating offers certain health benefits, particularly when replacing processed meats and refined foods
• Animal products are not inherently harmful; unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, and dairy can be part of healthy diets
• Both plant-based and omnivorous patterns can support athletic performance when properly optimized
• Individual responses to different dietary patterns vary based on genetics, health status, and lifestyle factors
• The quality of foods consumed matters more than whether they’re plant or animal-based

Questions to Ask

Rather than accepting absolute claims from any documentary or diet advocate, consider:

• Does this eating pattern provide all nutrients I need?
• Can I maintain this approach long-term?
• Does it support my health goals and athletic performance?
• Am I getting adequate protein, vitamins, and minerals?
• Do I have access to necessary foods and supplements?
• Does this align with my values, preferences, and lifestyle?

The Bottom Line

“The Game Changers” successfully highlights that plant-based diets can support health and athletic performance, challenging stereotypes about veganism and protein needs. However, the documentary significantly overstates its case by presenting a biased, incomplete view of nutritional science.

The film’s claims about meat consumption, inflammation, and performance superiority don’t withstand rigorous scientific scrutiny. While vegan diets offer certain benefits, they’re not the only healthy dietary approach, nor are they superior to all other patterns.

The most honest assessment is that humans can thrive on various dietary patterns—from predominantly plant-based to omnivorous—when those diets emphasize whole foods, adequate protein, healthy fats, abundant produce, and minimal processed foods and added sugars.

Rather than viewing nutrition through an all-or-nothing lens, consider what dietary approach best supports your individual health, performance goals, values, and sustainability while meeting your nutritional requirements. This personalized approach, grounded in sound science rather than ideology, offers the best path to long-term health and wellbeing.

If you’re considering significant dietary changes, especially adopting a vegan diet, consult with a registered dietitian or healthcare provider to ensure you’re meeting all nutritional needs and monitoring relevant health markers.

Sources:

• National Center for Biotechnology Information – Plant-based diets and cardiovascular health
• PubMed – Vegetarian diets and cancer risk
• American Heart Association Journals – Dietary patterns and heart health
• National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements
• USDA FoodData Central – Nutrient database
• PubMed – Effects of plant-based diets on cholesterol levels
• PubMed – Plant-based diets and athletic performance