The Game Changers Fact Check: An Evidence-Based Review of Claims

Netflix’s documentary “The Game Changers” has sparked intense debate in the nutrition community since its release. While the film presents compelling stories of elite athletes thriving on plant-based diets, questions have emerged about the accuracy of its scientific claims and whether it presents a balanced view of nutrition science.

This comprehensive review examines the documentary’s key assertions through the lens of current scientific evidence, providing an objective analysis that goes beyond the film’s narrative.

What Is “The Game Changers” About?

“The Game Changers” follows former UFC fighter James Wilks on a journey exploring plant-based nutrition for athletic performance. The documentary features several elite vegan athletes, including weightlifters, strongmen, cyclists, and football players, who credit their success to eliminating animal products from their diets.

The film’s central thesis is that plant-based diets are superior to omnivorous diets for human health and athletic performance. It makes bold claims about meat consumption, heart disease, inflammation, and physical capabilities that deserve closer examination.

Valid Points the Documentary Makes

Despite criticisms, “The Game Changers” does present several scientifically sound arguments worth acknowledging.

Plant-Based Diets Can Be Complete

The film correctly demonstrates that well-planned vegan diets can provide adequate protein and all essential amino acids. While individual plant proteins may be incomplete, combining various plant sources throughout the day ensures comprehensive amino acid intake.

Legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and soy products collectively offer the full spectrum of amino acids needed for muscle building and recovery.

Cardiovascular Benefits Are Real

Research consistently shows that plant-predominant diets are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. The documentary’s emphasis on this connection aligns with numerous large-scale epidemiological studies.

Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes while low in saturated fats do show protective effects against heart disease and stroke.

Environmental Considerations

While not the main focus, the film touches on the environmental impact of animal agriculture. The scientific consensus supports that plant-based diets generally have a lower environmental footprint in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land requirements.

Critical Analysis of Key Claims

Several assertions in “The Game Changers” require closer scrutiny and context that the film doesn’t provide.

The Blood Cloudiness Experiment

One of the documentary’s most memorable segments shows three NFL players having their blood analyzed after eating different meals. The blood appears visibly cloudy after a meat-based meal, which the film attributes to “endotoxemia.”

However, this informal demonstration lacks scientific rigor. The cloudiness observed is likely postprandial lipemia, a normal physiological response to eating any high-fat meal—whether from animal or plant sources. The experiment wasn’t controlled, peer-reviewed, or published in a scientific journal.

The Erection Study Claims

The film presents an overnight study measuring erections in college athletes after eating meat versus plant-based burritos. The results supposedly show superior erectile function after the plant-based meal.

This “study” has never been published or peer-reviewed. Without proper controls, statistical analysis, or replication, such informal demonstrations cannot be considered scientific evidence. Multiple factors affect nocturnal erections, and a single-night comparison cannot establish causation.

All Meat Is Not Created Equal

Perhaps the documentary’s most problematic assertion is treating all animal products as equally harmful. The film suggests that chicken, fish, and eggs are just as detrimental to health as processed meats.

Scientific literature makes important distinctions between food categories:

• Processed meats (bacon, sausages, hot dogs) are consistently linked to increased disease risk
• Red meat shows mixed results depending on processing and preparation
• Poultry and fish are generally associated with neutral or positive health outcomes
• Eggs have been largely exonerated in recent research regarding cardiovascular risk

By lumping all animal proteins together, the film oversimplifies complex nutritional science.

Protein and Athletic Performance

The documentary showcases impressive vegan athletes but doesn’t acknowledge that elite athletes of all dietary preferences exist. The presence of successful vegan athletes doesn’t prove superiority—it demonstrates adequacy.

When protein intake and total calories are matched, research shows no significant difference in athletic performance between plant-based and omnivorous diets. What matters most is total protein intake, training regimen, sleep, and overall nutrition quality.

The athletes featured in the film have access to personal chefs, nutritionists, and supplements—resources that make optimizing any dietary pattern much easier.

What the Research Actually Shows

Heart Health: A Nuanced Picture

Vegan diets do lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol). However, they also tend to lower HDL (good cholesterol), which plays a protective role in cardiovascular health.

Other dietary patterns, including Mediterranean diets that include fish and moderate amounts of other animal products, show equally strong cardiovascular benefits. The protective effects appear to come more from what these diets include (fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients) than strictly from what they exclude.

Additionally, factors like sugar intake, processed food consumption, exercise, stress management, and sleep quality significantly impact heart health—aspects the documentary largely ignores.

Inflammation: It’s Complicated

The film’s claim that animal products are inherently inflammatory while plants are anti-inflammatory is overly simplistic.

Inflammation is influenced by numerous factors:

• Overall diet quality and calorie balance
• Types of fats consumed (trans fats and excessive omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation)
• Added sugar and refined carbohydrate intake
• Presence of anti-inflammatory compounds like omega-3 fatty acids
• Physical activity levels
• Sleep quality and stress management

Fatty fish like salmon and sardines are among the most anti-inflammatory foods due to their omega-3 content. Conversely, vegan diets high in processed foods, vegetable oils high in omega-6 fatty acids, and refined carbohydrates can be highly inflammatory.

Cancer Risk: Correlation vs. Causation

Studies do show that vegans have approximately 15% lower cancer risk overall compared to meat-eaters. However, this association doesn’t prove that meat causes cancer.

People who follow vegan diets often engage in other health-conscious behaviors: they’re more likely to exercise regularly, avoid smoking, limit alcohol, and maintain healthier body weights. Disentangling these variables is challenging.

When examining specific cancer types, the data becomes more nuanced. Processed meats are clearly linked to colorectal cancer risk, but unprocessed red meat shows weak or no association when studied independently. Fish and poultry consumption are not associated with increased cancer risk.

Human Evolutionary Diet

The documentary claims humans are naturally herbivorous, pointing to our teeth and digestive systems. This assertion contradicts anthropological evidence.

Humans are omnivores who have consumed both plant and animal foods throughout evolutionary history. Our ability to digest meat, our nutritional requirements for certain nutrients more readily available in animal products (like vitamin B12), and archaeological evidence of hunting all support human omnivorousness.

Different populations have thrived on vastly different dietary patterns—from the high-fat, animal-based diets of Arctic populations to the carbohydrate-rich, plant-based diets of certain agricultural societies.

Nutritional Challenges of Vegan Diets

While vegan diets can be nutritionally complete, they require more careful planning than the documentary suggests.

Nutrients That Require Attention

Vitamin B12: This essential nutrient is naturally found almost exclusively in animal products. Vegans must obtain it through fortified foods or supplements. Deficiency can lead to anemia and neurological problems.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: While plant sources like flaxseeds and walnuts contain ALA, the conversion to EPA and DHA (the forms most beneficial for brain and heart health) is inefficient in humans. Many vegans benefit from algae-based omega-3 supplements.

Iron: Plant-based iron (non-heme iron) is less bioavailable than iron from animal sources (heme iron). Vegans need to consume more total iron and pair it with vitamin C to enhance absorption.

Zinc: Similar to iron, zinc from plant sources is less readily absorbed. Adequate intake requires careful food selection.

Vitamin D: Few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and vegans who avoid fortified dairy alternatives may need supplements, especially in northern climates.

Calcium: Without dairy products, vegans need to prioritize calcium-rich plant foods or fortified alternatives.

Iodine: This thyroid-essential nutrient is primarily found in seafood and iodized salt. Vegans should ensure adequate iodine intake.

Practical Considerations

The athletes in “The Game Changers” have resources unavailable to most people: personal nutritionists, meal prep services, and the time to carefully plan every meal. For average individuals, maintaining a nutritionally complete vegan diet requires significant effort and knowledge.

Social situations, travel, and dining out can present challenges. Food deserts and economic constraints may make accessing diverse plant foods difficult for some populations.

Is Veganism Right for You?

The question isn’t whether vegan diets are healthy—they can be. The question is whether a vegan diet is the best or only healthy option, as the documentary implies.

Who May Thrive on Vegan Diets

• Individuals with ethical or environmental motivations
• People with access to diverse plant foods and ability to plan meals carefully
• Those willing to supplement key nutrients
• Individuals who feel better subjectively on plant-based diets

Who Should Exercise Caution

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women (requires very careful planning and supplementation)
• Infants and young children (vegan diets for children require professional guidance)
• People with certain health conditions or nutrient absorption issues
• Those with limited food access or resources
• Individuals with eating disorder history (restrictive diets may trigger unhealthy patterns)

Anyone considering a major dietary change should consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian, especially if they have existing health conditions.

What Constitutes a Healthy Diet?

Rather than dogmatically advocating for one dietary approach, evidence supports several principles that apply across healthy eating patterns:

Universal Principles

Emphasize Whole Foods: Whether plant-based or omnivorous, diets centered on minimally processed foods support better health outcomes.

Prioritize Vegetables and Fruits: These provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds regardless of whether you also eat animal products.

Choose Quality Protein Sources: Whether from plants, fish, poultry, or other sources, adequate protein intake supports muscle maintenance, satiety, and metabolic health.

Include Healthy Fats: Sources like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins.

Limit Processed Foods and Added Sugars: Ultra-processed foods, whether vegan or not, are consistently associated with negative health outcomes.

Stay Hydrated: Water should be the primary beverage, with limited consumption of sugary drinks.

Practice Portion Awareness: Even healthy foods can contribute to weight gain and metabolic issues when consumed in excessive amounts.

Dietary Patterns That Work

Multiple eating patterns show strong evidence for health promotion:

• Mediterranean Diet: Rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil, with moderate fish and poultry
• DASH Diet: Designed for blood pressure management, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins
• Whole Food Plant-Based: Centered on unprocessed plant foods with or without small amounts of animal products
• Traditional Asian Diets: Based on rice, vegetables, legumes, with fish and small amounts of meat
• Nordic Diet: Features berries, root vegetables, whole grains, fish, and rapeseed oil

Notice that these successful dietary patterns share common elements while differing in their inclusion of animal products.

The Problem with Documentary Advocacy

“The Game Changers” exemplifies a growing trend of nutrition documentaries that prioritize persuasion over education.

Cherry-Picking Evidence

The film selectively presents research supporting its thesis while ignoring contradictory or nuanced findings. This approach misleads viewers who trust the documentary format to provide balanced information.

Misrepresenting Complexity

Nutrition science is inherently complex, involving interactions between genetics, environment, food quality, lifestyle factors, and individual variability. Reducing this complexity to “plants good, animals bad” distorts reality.

Creating Unnecessary Fear

By suggesting that any animal product consumption is harmful, the film may cause anxiety in people eating balanced, health-promoting diets that include some animal foods.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

While the documentary criticizes meat industry funding of research, it doesn’t disclose that some of its featured experts and the film’s producers have financial interests in plant-based food companies and products.

Making Informed Dietary Decisions

Rather than accepting any documentary’s claims at face value, consider these steps for making dietary choices:

Evaluate Your Individual Needs

Consider your health status, activity level, food preferences, cultural background, budget, and lifestyle when choosing an eating pattern.

Prioritize Food Quality

Whether you eat animal products or not, emphasizing whole, minimally processed foods will serve you better than focusing solely on excluding certain food groups.

Monitor How You Feel

Pay attention to your energy levels, digestion, mood, sleep quality, and athletic performance. Your body provides valuable feedback about whether your diet is working for you.

Get Regular Check-ups

Blood work can reveal nutrient deficiencies or health markers that need attention, regardless of your dietary approach.

Be Willing to Adjust

Dietary needs change with age, activity level, health status, and life circumstances. Be flexible and willing to modify your approach based on evidence and experience.

Seek Professional Guidance

Registered dietitians can provide personalized advice based on your specific situation, helping you optimize any dietary pattern you choose.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond the debate about plant versus animal foods, broader factors profoundly impact health:

• Physical Activity: Regular exercise may be more important for health than specific dietary choices
• Sleep Quality: Inadequate sleep undermines health regardless of diet quality
• Stress Management: Chronic stress negatively affects metabolism, immune function, and disease risk
• Social Connection: Strong relationships and community ties influence longevity and wellbeing
• Environmental Toxin Exposure: Pollution, chemicals, and other environmental factors affect health
• Healthcare Access: Preventive care and early intervention matter significantly

Obsessing over dietary perfection while neglecting these other crucial factors represents a misplaced emphasis.

The Verdict on “The Game Changers”

“The Game Changers” succeeds as an advocacy film for veganism but fails as an objective examination of nutrition science. The documentary’s greatest disservice is presenting a false dichotomy—suggesting that viewers must choose between a strict vegan diet and poor health.

The truth is more nuanced and ultimately more empowering: multiple dietary approaches can support excellent health, athletic performance, and longevity. The optimal diet for you depends on your individual circumstances, preferences, and goals.

Well-planned vegan diets can absolutely be healthy. So can well-planned vegetarian diets, Mediterranean diets, and other patterns that may include some animal products. The key word is “well-planned”—any eating pattern requires attention to nutrition quality, balance, and adequacy.

Conclusion

While “The Game Changers” raises important questions about diet quality and may inspire viewers to eat more plants—a positive outcome for most people—its rigid advocacy and selective use of science undermine its credibility.

The documentary’s lasting contribution should be encouraging people to examine their dietary choices more carefully, eat more whole plant foods, and reduce consumption of processed foods. However, viewers should resist its message that animal products categorically harm health.

The most important takeaway isn’t about choosing between plant and animal foods—it’s about emphasizing whole food quality, eating patterns that you can sustain long-term, and making choices that align with your personal health needs, values, and circumstances.

Rather than following any documentary’s prescriptions blindly, use critical thinking, consider the totality of scientific evidence, and work with qualified professionals to design a dietary approach that truly supports your individual health and wellbeing.

Sources:

• National Institutes of Health – Plant-Based Diets and Health Outcomes
• PubMed Central – Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets
• American Heart Association – Nutrition Basics
• National Institutes of Health – Vegan Diets: Practical Advice for Athletes and Exercisers
• National Institutes of Health – Health Information
• U.S. Department of Agriculture – Nutrition.gov
• PubMed Central – Health Effects of Vegan Diets
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – Healthy Eating Plate
• National Institutes of Health – Dietary Patterns and Health Outcomes
• World Health Organization – Healthy Diet