Go Vegetarian? As an athlete? ?!
I am seriously considering going vegetarian!.
I figure it wouldn't be too hard since I have already given up all meat except chicken and fish but as a competative swimmer can I do without the meat!?
Fish is a big staple in my diet!.!. and I don't want to make up for it in carbs!. So I'm not sure If it is worth going the extra mile and I don't want to hinder my athletic performance in any way!.!.!.
I would be doing it mostly for health reasons and now that I am living on my own (not in my parents house) this is possible!. I'm am not putting one animal above another it terms of treatment but where do you draw the line!?!?
That and I haven't grown to like Tofu quite yet :P!.
any suggestions or opinions!? Any vegetarian athletes out there!?
Thx!!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
You can be vegetarian and still eat fish or even eat chicken!. Chicken eating veggies are called semi vegetarian and Fish eating ones are Pesco vegetarian!. If you want to cut out all meat, just make sure you are eating enough beans, try to incoorporate tofu or edamame into your diet to maintain protein!. If you aren't going vegan you can eat a lot of eggs too!. Things like rice and beans are complete proteins and are excellent for you, egg whites are perfect proteins and are absorbed immdidately into the body without having to be broken down!. As long as you are making sure you have some sort of protein in each meal you should have no alteration in your athletic abilities!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
You absolutely can, however you must make sure that you're making up for the loss of animal protein by eating protein rich non-animal products (nuts, seeds, beans, peanut butter!.!.etc)!. This will prevent your muscles from breaking down!. After all, you've spent so much time and effort building them up!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
honey is mandatory for any athlete
honey is a great energy source =)Www@FoodAQ@Com
honey is a great energy source =)Www@FoodAQ@Com
I am a vegan, but perhaps the only sports I could somewhat compete in would be cycling and maybe table tennis!. I could never be a world class athlete regardless of what diet I choose!. However, Carl Lewis (track & field olympic champion of the 80's) said that his best year in track was when his trainer put him on a vegan diet!.
There have been some studies done that suggest that a vegan diet is better for muscle endurance!. (sorry I don't remember the source) Your digestive track will have less of a burden because animal-based foods require more energy to digest!. So, more energy may be expended for physical activity!. (source: Fit For Life, it is a book written in the 80's or 70's)
also, if you cut out fish, you will also cut out some omega 3 fatty acids!. It is rumored that omega 3 fatty acids are important, but ground flax seeds and some types of nuts are plant-based and good sources of omega 3s!.
Tofu is not very tasty on its own, but it does absorb flavors that surround it!. There are also other forms of soy like miso and tempeh that might be tastier if prepared properly!. I am still a novice vegan cook, but I hope to become better at it!. It should be a fun challenge!.
There are many vegan nutrition websites which explain more about this topic!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
There have been some studies done that suggest that a vegan diet is better for muscle endurance!. (sorry I don't remember the source) Your digestive track will have less of a burden because animal-based foods require more energy to digest!. So, more energy may be expended for physical activity!. (source: Fit For Life, it is a book written in the 80's or 70's)
also, if you cut out fish, you will also cut out some omega 3 fatty acids!. It is rumored that omega 3 fatty acids are important, but ground flax seeds and some types of nuts are plant-based and good sources of omega 3s!.
Tofu is not very tasty on its own, but it does absorb flavors that surround it!. There are also other forms of soy like miso and tempeh that might be tastier if prepared properly!. I am still a novice vegan cook, but I hope to become better at it!. It should be a fun challenge!.
There are many vegan nutrition websites which explain more about this topic!.Www@FoodAQ@Com