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Vegetarians today are still met with some surprise and misunderstanding from their opponents in the “meat” issue. What can we say then about vegetarian athletes – they can probably make up the top questions from meat-eaters who have already set their teeth on edge: where to get protein? Is there enough energy? Can muscle mass grow? How to combine, for example, bodybuilding and the rejection of animal protein?
It turns out that vegetarianism is not such a rare phenomenon among athletes, including those whose names are known throughout the world. Bodybuilders Bill Pearl, Roy Halligen, powerlifter Patrick Babumyan, tennis player Martina Navratilova, basketball players Robert Parish and John Sully, legendary football player Joe Namath, boxer Mike Tyson are living proof that meat-free is not a hindrance to achieving sports heights. They have outstanding awards and worldwide recognition behind them. And all of them, some earlier, some later, came to various forms of vegetarianism.
Vegetarianism and sports: a way of life and a way of thinking
Sports activities contribute to the fact that a person develops willpower, resistance to stress, endurance and patience. After all, sport is not only “the gym three times a week from 7 to 9”. In order to keep your body in shape, of course, you can limit yourself to only six to seven hours a week, when the trainer makes you work out the chocolate buns you have eaten before. However, those people who are seriously concerned not only with their appearance and figure, but also with their own health, well-being, the state of their internal organs, or, moreover, significant sports achievements, approach this topic more comprehensively. For them, sport becomes a way of life, a kind of philosophy that resonates with everything they do. The same can be said about vegetarianism: for some it is just a rejection of meat food, while other people look at the problem as a protest against violence and cruelty, as an opportunity to find harmony within and in relations with the outside world.
The correct transition to vegetarianism is recommended not to be carried out abruptly at one moment, but gradually. There are several varieties of vegetarianism that correspond to the stages of transition. There are no clear requirements and restrictions – the athlete needs to monitor his own feelings in order to understand at what level it will be comfortable for him to stop.
Stages of transition to plant foods:
- rejection of the meat of warm-blooded animals;
- refusal of a bird;
- refusal of seafood and fish;
- rejection of eggs;
- refusal of dairy products.
Each next level includes the achievements of the previous one. Vegetarianism is the strictest type of plant-based diet, in which no animal products are eaten. Some vegetarian athletes even refuse honey.
What is the relationship between meat-free eating and exercise?
Scientists and biologists have not yet given an unequivocal answer to the question of whether all varieties of vegetarianism are compatible with sports. Obviously, a diet that includes meat and animal products is still familiar to most people from childhood, and a vegetarian diet, especially at first, is perceived as stressful in about 98% of cases of transition to it (unless, of course, we are talking not talking about those children who are taught by parents to a plant-based diet from infancy).
Some doctors point out that strict vegetarianism and a raw food diet do not go well with heavy strength training and training, as they cause a deficiency not only in protein, but also in vitamins B12 and D, calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Deficiency in the body of these substances leads to a decrease in immunity, an increase in the risk of developing inflammatory processes in tissues.
It is fair to say that among marathon athletes whose achievements are based on endurance, there are many vegetarians, but among sprinters there are fewer.
Bodybuilders whose diet should be more than 40% protein, the lack of meat should be compensated by a large amount of nuts, legumes, mushrooms, soy. However, they need to be consumed in much larger quantities than animal protein would have to be eaten, because the digestibility of plant products is 50-60%, while, for example, egg yolk is absorbed by the body by 100%. Another problem in this case is fiber, which enters the body of a vegetarian athlete a lot – of course, it helps to improve bowel function, but at the same time absorbs some of the essential amino acids.
Creatine, a type of nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid, which is found in the body of vertebrates, is extremely important for muscle mass and strength indicators. Creatine is involved in energy metabolism in muscle and nerve cells. Vegetarians do not receive this substance with food, so they need to pay attention to special sports supplements.
Possible Challenges and Coping Tips for Vegetarian Athletes
Indeed, athletes whose diets lack animal products (meat, milk, fish, eggs) are subject to more risks and difficulties than their non-vegetarian counterparts. However, all these points can be taken into account and calculated. Proper analysis of problems allows you to choose the appropriate solutions.
What should vegetarians who exercise regularly do to prevent protein deficiency by eating a meat-free diet? The required amount of proteins for athletes is approximately 1,4-1,8 g per 1 kilogram of weight. For those who allow eggs and dairy products in their diet, the issue is not critical: the body receives the necessary portions of protein from these products if they are consumed in sufficient quantities.
Dietitians recommend that strict vegetarians combine different foods in order to get the necessary amino acids and other substances. For example, dishes prepared from a combination of cereals and legumes provide good protein saturation, although pure cereals lack lysine-containing amino acids, and legumes lack sulfur-containing ones. It is also recommended to combine nuts and seeds with cereals and legumes. For those who allow themselves milk, the choice is even wider – you can combine milk with cereals and legumes for a complete protein. By the way, the amount of protein consumed in these cases should be greater than 1,8 g per 1 kilogram of body weight due to the reduced digestibility of vegetable proteins.
People who have eliminated meat from their diet are often feared to be deficient in vitamin B12. Vegans are at the highest risk. They definitely need to include foods rich in this substance in their diet, as well as take special nutritional supplements with it in the composition. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:
- weakness;
- fatigue;
- numbness of limbs;
- memory impairment, disorientation, impaired coordination.
Drinking alcohol and smoking disrupt the absorption of the substance, therefore, increase the risk of its shortage.
Among other things, red meat is a valuable source of easily digestible iron – a substance involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, myoglobin and collagen, as well as in the transport of oxygen to various tissues and organs. Those who refuse to eat meat, but do not want to earn an iron deficiency, should include more spinach and legumes in their diet.
Seafood, meat and dairy are a storehouse of zinc, an extremely important participant in the processes of creating protein in the body, an element without which the formation of insulin molecules is impossible. Depriving yourself of these products, the athlete may face the problem of zinc deficiency also because active training contributes to its removal. Those who still did not deprive themselves of the opportunity to eat seafood should lean on oysters, shrimp and crabs, the rest – on legumes, wheat germ, nuts. Recommendations from nutritionists and trainers say that you need to take additional zinc-containing nutritional supplements.
Lack of dairy products in the diet can lead to calcium deficiency. In addition, the reason for the deficiency is the large amount of fiber consumed by vegetarians, phytates and oxalates – these substances reduce its absorption. To prevent calcium deficiency, be sure to eat dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli), calcium-fortified foods (bread, bars, juices, breakfast cereals, bean curd).
9 foods that should be on the diet of a vegetarian athlete
Despite the differences even among the vegetarians themselves (for example, someone eats dairy products, but does not eat eggs, someone does not accept any food of animal origin at all), there are foods that are highly undesirable to refuse on the way to sports achievements. Among them:
- Dried fruits: a valuable source of glucose and carbohydrates needed for energy. They can be eaten right during a workout, if its duration is more than an hour.
- Bananas: after a workout, you can and should eat one fruit to saturate the body with valuable elements and minerals necessary for building muscle mass.
- Blueberries: A berry rich in antioxidants, lutein and vitamins. Low-calorie blueberries are great for energy shakes and smoothies.
- Tomatoes: contain vitamin B6, which is necessary for the body to fully recover after a workout.
- Whole grain pasta: replenishes muscle glycogen stores, provides a slow release of sugar into the blood. This product is a great option to eat 2-2,5 hours before your workout.
- Green tea: increases physical endurance, stimulates the nervous system and reduces muscle damage during exercise.
- Coconut water: helps to restore the water-salt balance in the body.
- So-called “superfoods”: quinoa, black rice, teff, avocado, broccoli, tempeh, sesame seed and oil, coconut flakes. All these products are able to charge the body with useful protein and vitamins, and, moreover, they bring a pleasant variety to the daily menu.
- Oatmeal: a storehouse of slow carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Recommendations for compiling a diet
The greatest amount of energy needed for sports, that is, glycogen, a person receives from carbohydrates. Depletion of glycogen stores reduces the effectiveness of training and leads to chronic fatigue. That is why food rich in slow carbohydrates should take from 30 to 40% in the diet.
It is important to carefully familiarize yourself with all the possible deficiencies of nutrients and minerals that may occur in vegetarian athletes, and correctly compose your diet, further enriching it with nutritional supplements containing these substances valuable for health.
Female athletes who have switched to a vegetarian diet need to be especially careful to ensure that their calcium levels in their bodies are sufficient. A plant-based diet for them often causes menstrual irregularities and the appearance of brittle bones.
Adolescence and childhood is not the best time to experiment with a combination of sports and vegetarianism. At this time, the body grows intensively, and the consumption of nutrients, respectively, is higher than in adults.
Also, nutritionists advise to reduce the amount of fatty and sweet foods in the diet; eat whole grains rather than refined and refined; add more fruits and vegetables to your diet; Take extra vitamins B12 and D.
It is better to introduce any food experiments only after consulting with a trainer and a nutritionist.
Today, the statement “I am a vegetarian” no longer causes such a violent mixture of surprise and misunderstanding, as, for example, in the last century. Many famous athletes, such as Mike Tyson or Martina Navratilova, show by their own example that giving up meat is not a reason to give up training and awards. Today, doctors, nutritionists, sports coaches and scientists say that it is perfectly acceptable to combine sports and vegetarianism. Like any athlete, vegetarians also have a certain range of risks and nuances that need to be remembered. Indeed, they face more difficulties than meat-eating athletes, but this does not affect their determination and will to win. The key to success is a properly composed diet, additional intake of proteins and vitamins, self-confidence and a desire to achieve results.