Veggie or not to veggie: Can athlete’s really be vegetarian?
Posted November 24th, 2006 at 4:00 PM by Jenna Sumara
Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism, Health & Fitness, Exercise
When I hit my pre-teen years, I wanted to rebel, as most teens do, but by then I was already an active runner and soccer player, so I wasn’t looking to do anything that would be detrimental to my health. I decided to become a vegetarian. I figured it would be a pain for my mother to cook for me and it would at the same time be healthier for my body.
At first, I felt great. I had more energy and I just felt healthier all around. According to Enette Larson-Meyers, Ph.D.,R.D. and author of Vegetarian Sports Nutrition, that initial increase in energy is normal for many new vegetarians due to the fact they have decreased their fat intake and that digesting a plant-based diet is easier for their digestive systems to handle. But soon after my initial increase of energy, I started to feel the opposite effects. I was sluggish and noticed I didn’t have the same speed on the soccer fields any more. This side effect is, sometimes common for vegetarians, specifically vegetarians who are endurance athletes, can easily be avoided.
Many nutritionists and athletes believe that living a purely plant-based lifestyle is not conducive to being a professional athlete. However, that nothing but a myth. It is very possible to maintain a vegetarian or even vegan lifestyle and still perform your best (if not better), as long as you follow specific guidelines and take a great deal of care to make sure you get enough protein.
Athletes need more protein than other non-active individuals in order to repair small, exercise-induced tears in the muscle fibers. The protein recommendation for athletes is .5 to .7 grams per pound of body weight (so a 150-pound runner should consume about 75 to 105 grams a day). Most new vegetarians are not aware of the several different ways they can get protein (and their daily dose of essential vitamins) in their diet.
The first way is by make sure to drink milk (preferably skim or soy milk if you are a vegan). Even if you have not given up on dairy, a simple switch to soy milk can provide you with extra protein, as well as, calcium, vitamin D and B12. The next item is what many people consider the staple of most vegetarian diets: Tofu.
Tofu has a fantastic array of benefits, including essential protein, calcium and iron. It can be a challenge to learn to use tofu in your dishes, but it really is much easier than you would expect. Through it into your favorite soup, grill it up with vegetables and beans for a Mexican dinner, use it on sandwiches or even add it to your favorite stir-fry recipe. You can even find ground tofu that is almost indistinguishable from actual ground beef. You can also try tempeh, even egg whites (if you are just a vegetarian) and supplements as extra sources of protein.
Next we have your vegetables. While it may seem obvious to eat vegetables as a vegetarian, not all vegetables are created equally. All runners, especially vegans, should have one to two servings of dark-green leafy vegetables a day. This will provide you with beta carotene, iron, folic acid and calcium. One-half cup of beans provides the protein equivalent of one ounce of meat, complex carbohydrates, fiber, zinc and iron, and lentils also provide protein, fiber, zinc, iron and folic acid. Even something as simple a peanut butter on your toast in the morning can give you an extra boost for your day.
For more information, check out “Thrive”, an excellent new book by premier vegan athlete Brendan Brazier. Brendan is a prime example of how one can perform, even at the highest levels of athletic competition, without consuming animal products.
Sources and for further reading: [Runner’s World], [Running Times], [Running Planet], [Brendan Brazier], [Vega]
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: beans, brendan brazier, iron, legumes, meat less, protein, soy, thrive, tofu, vega, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian supplements
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The Final Sprint