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Lead Stories: Monday, October 13, 2008

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. Read the rest of this entry »

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