Vegetarianism:
A Winning Formula for Athletes
Source: GoVeg.com
 From
Olympic arenas to NFL stadiums, vegetarian athletes
are dominating their meat-eating competitors. Meat-free
mavericks include Sports Illustrated "Olympian
of the Century" Carl Lewis, top ultra-marathon
runner Scott Jurek, tennis legend Chris Evert, football
star Ricky Williams, Ultimate
Fighting champ Mac Danzig, NBA standouts Raja
Bell and Salim Stoudamire, and boxing champion Keith
Holmes.
- A vegetarian diet provides athletes with all the
protein, complex carbohydrates, and other nutrients
they need to get stronger and faster—without
the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fats
found in meat, eggs, and dairy products.
- According to the American Dietetic Association
and the Dieticians of Canada, vegetarians have lower
rates of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and various
types of cancer than meat-eaters.
Read
about how a vegan diet has helped Ultimate Fighting
champion Mac Danzig take his skills to a new level.
Top Tips for High-Performance Vegetarian Athletes
A sensible, well-rounded vegetarian diet will give
you the essential nutrients you need to excel. Here
are a few key things to remember:
- Nutritionists recommend that most of the calories
athletes consume come from complex carbohydrates.
While refined carbohydrates like sugar and white
bread should be avoided, complex carbs are critical
for fueling your muscles with energy in a sustained
way. Great choices are whole-wheat breads and pastas,
cereals, brown rice, quinoa, and fruits and vegetables.
- Protein can be found in abundance
in foods like beans, nuts, tofu, whole grains, veggie
burgers, Gardenburger's meatless barbecue ribs, Boca's
Chik'n Nuggets, and other meat substitutes. Although
vegetarians can easily get plenty of protein through
these foods, if you're looking for a post-workout
boost, put some frozen fruit and a vegan
protein supplement into a blender for a delicious
smoothie, mix up a Vega
drink, or grab a tasty Clif "builder
bar" (weighing in at 20 grams of protein)
from your local supermarket.
- A bit of fat in your diet is important, and the
fats in plant foods like avocados, vegetable and
olive oils, nuts, and seeds tend to be much healthier
than the artery-clogging fats found in most animal
products. Take a pass on deep-fried foods.
- Adding a multivitamin and a vitamin B12 supplement
to your daily diet is a good idea for all athletes.
- Any trainer will tell you that the more calories
you burn, the more fuel you need. Vegetarian foods
tend to be very nutrient-dense, but they are somewhat
less calorie-dense than animal products. So eat plenty
of your favorite vegetarian dishes.
+
Read Full Article at GoVeg.com
<<
Back to Archive |
