The Vertical Diet: Everything You Need to Know

This diet prioritizes digestion and micronutrient-rich foods to optimize athletic performance. But is it for everyone?

Even if you’re mixing up one of the best protein powders each morning, adjusting your diet can still be necessary to build muscle mass. To gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus — consuming more calories than you burn. For some, though, beefing up your meals can take a toll on your digestive system. World-renowned bodybuilder, powerlifter, and nutrition coach Stan Efferding believes he’s developed a solution to this problem: the Vertical Diet. 

Efferding’s approach aims to aid in food digestion and correct micronutrient deficiencies. The Vertical Diet has begun to trickle into the mainstream, attracting attention from outside the bodybuilding community. But is the Vertical Diet right for the average gymgoer? Read on to see what our team of registered dietitians and nutrition coaches have to say about this popular regimen.

The vertical in Vertical Diet simply refers to how it’s laid out — like an upside-down T. As our expert reviewer Kathleen Benson lays out, the plan itself serves two main purposes. “The Vertical Diet is a nutritional plan focused on reducing negative digestive health symptoms, while enhancing sports performance,” she says.

This diet prioritizes digestion and micronutrient-rich foods to optimize athletic performance. But is it for everyone?

Even if you’re mixing up one of the best protein powders each morning, adjusting your diet can still be necessary to build muscle mass. To gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus — consuming more calories than you burn. For some, though, beefing up your meals can take a toll on your digestive system. World-renowned bodybuilder, powerlifter, and nutrition coach Stan Efferding believes he’s developed a solution to this problem: the Vertical Diet. 

Efferding’s approach aims to aid in food digestion and correct micronutrient deficiencies. The Vertical Diet has begun to trickle into the mainstream, attracting attention from outside the bodybuilding community. But is the Vertical Diet right for the average gymgoer? Read on to see what our team of registered dietitians and nutrition coaches have to say about this popular regimen.

The vertical in Vertical Diet simply refers to how it’s laid out — like an upside-down T. As our expert reviewer Kathleen Benson lays out, the plan itself serves two main purposes. “The Vertical Diet is a nutritional plan focused on reducing negative digestive health symptoms, while enhancing sports performance,” she says.