Rip Esselstyn, 56, Sets a Masters World Record in the 55-59 200m Backstroke

Rip Esselstyn has set a world record at 56. The vegan former firefighter swam the 200m backstroke in 2:21.72 at the Summer Sizzler LC Masters Meet in Houston, Texas on Sunday, a new national and world record for men aged 55 to 59.

Esselstyn raced as a triathlete for about a decade before he became a firefighter in Austin, and he's best known for founding the plant-based Engine 2 program and hosting the Plant-Strong podcast. He's the son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, whose research on reversing heart disease with a plant-based diet has influenced a generation of doctors.

He's in no doubt about what got him to the record:

Eating a vegan diet based on plants is crucial for my athletic performance. Plants propelled me to my world record in the 200-meter backstroke for a number of reasons.

He calls a plant-based diet a fountain of youth that keeps him at his best racing weight and lets him train harder and recover faster. His explanation is all about blood flow:

Plants allow the 65,000 miles of my vessels to bind with nitric oxide, one of the best vasodilators. This equates to more blood flow to all my working muscles when I am putting forth maximum effort. Plants are a smart, clean, and strong fuel.

He's also one of the executive producers of The Game Changers, the plant-based sports documentary due in cinemas worldwide later this year.

We've seen plenty of older athletes do this. Pat Reeves broke her own world deadlift record in the 70-74 category last year, and in 2017 vegan athletes set world records and won a huge medal haul. If you want to eat the way Rip does, this guide to going whole food plant-based is a good place to start.

Faster at 56 than most of us at 26. Powered by plants.