How to be a PerformanceGaines Vegetarian Athlete

INTRODUCTION

“Vegetarianism” is a term that encompasses many versions of a animal-restricted diet. Some specific types of vegetarianism include fruitarian, macrobiotic, vegan, lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and near vegetarian. For simplicity purposes, when we refer to vegetarian, we will be referring to the lacto-ovo-vegetarian, which is the most common type, an individual who does not consume any animal meat, but does consume dairy products such as milk and eggs.

Why do people decide to become vegan or vegetarian? Is it for moral reasons, health concerns, religious or cultural expectations or simply because they do not like the taste, smell or appearance of meat or animal products? It could be due to any one or several reasons outlined above, in addition to a few performance benefits, which we will discuss later. Regardless of the reason, the restrictions of the “vegetarian” diet pose concerns when compared to general American health recommendations and performance expectations.

CONCERNS

The concerns surrounding the vegetarian diet center around the vitamin and nutrient deficiencies that can occur if nutritional balance is not properly considered. We will discuss each in length and how to accommodate for your nutritional needs using whole, minimally processed foods.

When assessing the needs of an active athlete, the recommendations that promote adequate health and performance must increase to accommodate for the demands of training and the sport. Historically, there has been a lot of controversy and skepticism surrounding the ability of a vegetarian to adequately fuel all of one’s energy and nutritional needs. Unfortunately, much of the skepticism has been based upon assumption without adequate research being conducted to verify the information being presented to the masses. I have, however, researched and found verifiable information outlining the health and performance benefits of the vegetarian diet.

HEALTH BENEFITS

When someone decides to become a vegetarian for health reasons, it is usually to lower one’s risk of death from cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, lower rates of Type 2 Diabetes, lower BMI or to lower one’s cancer risk.

It is important to note that the avoidance of animal foods alone will not necessarily promote these health benefits. A nutritarian-style vegetarian diet is critical for optimal lifestyle and performance. This type of vegetarian diet is focused on the nutritional density of foods and therefore promotes the increased consumption of plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans. These foods contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals not found in animal products. Often times, the increase in consumption of these foods leads to a decrease in the consumption of processed foods, which currently account for 90% of the typical American diet. These processed foods are devoid of any nutrition and have contributed to the growing American obesity epidemic.

PERFORMANCE BENEFITS

There are two main determinants of performance enhancement when it comes to vegetarianism; physical performance and nutritional support. The physical performance benefits of the vegetarian diet are currently not well known or documented. For endurance athletes, the advantages to adopting this type of diet lie in the increased carbohydrate intake, which assists in meeting the fueling demands of one’s sport, as well as an athlete’s increased reliance on vegetables to maintain caloric intake, which can assist in weight control. Weight management allows endurance athletes to control their movement efficiency. Vegetarian success has been documented in athletic performance since as early as the 1980s, when vegetarian endurance athletes from the U.S. and Great Britain performed as well or better than their counterparts in international meets. There have been numerous studies since the 1970s analyzing the thigh muscle, the pulmonary function and endurance of the arms and legs, the limb circumferences and the strength measures of vegetarian versus omnivorous athletes. When total caloric intake and carbohydrate intake are accounted for, there are no performance differences between vegetarian and omnivore athletes.

The nutritional support provided to vegetarian athletes is extensive and extremely beneficial for performance enhancement. High levels of athletic training intensity or volume lead to chronic stresses placed upon your body, which temporarily inhibit immune function and lead to higher susceptibility to microbial and other infections. The improvement in immunocompetence, which is your body’s ability to produce a normal immune response, benefits your athletic performance by reducing the instances of missed training and competitive events because of illness, etc. In addition, excess animal oil intake and poor nutritional habits can exacerbate exercise-induced immunosuppression. Eating healthy foods, which focus on nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, will help to maintain your body’s immune response.

MACRONUTRIENT AND MICRONUTRIENT ISSUES

A healthy American diet includes nutrients such as folate, carotenoids, B6, B12, zinc, copper, iron, selenium and vitamins C and E, among others. Research has shown a significant difference between the supplementation of these nutrients and the consumption of these nutrients through whole foods. The supplementation of antioxidants can actually lead to the slowing of recovery because of the excessively high concentration of antioxidant levels. When consumed in food and food combinations, these vitamins and minerals are accompanied by over 5,000 additional immunosupportive nutrients that magnify the benefits of the primary nutrients. Foods that are high and balanced in their antioxidant levels include black currants, blackberries, artichokes, goji berries, kale, sour cherries, blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate, strawberries, spinach, bell peppers (orange, red, yellow, green), sun-dried tomatoes, guava, orange, kiwi, black sesame seeds and pistachio nuts.

Essential fats, like Omega-3, are needed for nervous system communication, immunocompetence and inflammation reduction. These fats are supplied by seeds such as flax, hemp, chia, pumpkin and sunflower.

As mentioned earlier, there are benefits that come from consuming high-density fruits and vegetables. Many of these types of foods, known as high antioxidant foods, help lessen the oxidative stress in skeletal muscle and blood. This aids in speeding recovery, allowing for more training opportunities and less overall strain on your body from training.

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES AND FOOD PROVIDERS

One of the biggest drawbacks for vegetarianism, both for the general population and for athletes, is that there are numerous nutritional deficits that one is at risk for.

Protein is the essential macronutrient that your body uses to rebuild muscle tissue and aid in recovery. The daily protein requirement for athletes is higher than that of sedentary individuals. Protein has a high bioavailability when coming from animal products. This means that the protein you consume is more readily absorbed by your body. Protein coming from plant products has a lower bioavailability. As a result, more thought and planning needs to be placed on a vegetarian athlete’s diet in order to ensure the proper essential amino acids are consumed. By consuming a wide variety of foods, a vegetarian athlete can meet all of their protein and essential amino acid needs to promote recovery. Some of these foods include peanut/almond butter, tofu, yogurt, cheese, milk, legumes, nuts and soybean products.

Vitamin B12 is necessary for central nervous system function, proper metabolism function and DNA synthesis. This is found exclusively in animal products in its active form. For vegans, it is important to either supplement with B12 daily or consume foods fortified in B12, such as soymilk or otherwise. If you are a vegetarian, you can get your necessary B12 from eggs, cheese, milk or yogurt.

Iodine is essential for the normal metabolism of cells and thyroid function as well as the production of thyroid hormones. Iodine is usually naturally found in seafood and iodized salt, but vegetarians can consume it through kelp or other seaweeds.

Zinc is vital for healthy respiratory and digestive function. The absorption of zinc is much lower because of the higher fiber content typical of a nutritionally dense vegetarian diet. Foods that contain zinc are pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds.

Calcium is necessary for muscle firing and for the mineralization of bone. While predominantly thought to be supplied only by animal products, calcium can also be found in other foods such as nuts, seeds, greens such as bok choy and kale, tofu, sesame seeds, white beans, watercress, chia seeds, almonds, arugula and kidney beans.

Iron is important for muscle building and endurance. Athletic training induces a loss of iron and vegetarian diets are typically found to be deficient in iron because of its reduced absorption rate and inadequate nutritional planning. The iron deficiency has not been shown to correlate with a decrease in performance. The Vegetarian Resource Group has stated that “dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, even better on a per-calorie basis than meat.” Foods such as spinach, swiss chard, lentils, broccoli, bok choy, kale, pumpkin seeds, edamame, tofu, lima beans, snowpeas/snap peas, asparagus, sesame seeds, whole-grain cereals, figs, and blackstrap molasses. Foods that interfere with iron absorption and therefore be consumed apart from meals include coffee, whole grains, bran, legumes and spinach.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids contribute to brain and heart health. Studies have shown that athletes who supplement with Omega-3 Fatty Acids for 12 weeks show enhanced lung function during training. Certain foods, such as flax, hemp and chia seeds are high in Omega-3s.

Vitamin C protects the body against oxidative stress and aids in recovery. It is vital to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to consume adequate amounts of Vitamin C.

Vitamin D plays a functional role in skeletal muscle regulating calcium transport. It is important to get sunlight to allow your body to make adequate amounts of Vitamin D. Besides UV or sunlight, the only vegetarian and vegan sources of Vitamin D are whole eggs and mushrooms, respectively.

Taurine is an amino acid that is concentrated in skeletal muscle tissue and benefits insulin sensitivity and the storage of muscle glycogen (energy stores). Even though vegetarians do not consume animal products (which are the sources of taurine), but your body typically synthesizes enough taurine in the body to avoid a nutritional deficiency.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (or BCAAs) are used up primarily during endurance exercise. The benefits of BCAAs in your body are that they reduce your exercise-induced muscle damage and increase your body’s synthesis of muscle proteins. Foods that provide BCAAs are sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as well as tofu.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ONESELF BEFORE DETERMINING TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN

• Why am I choosing this nutritional lifestyle (cultural, religious, moral, health, environmental)?
• What style of diet am I going to choose? What might be the limiting nutrients associated with this diet?
• Is my daily energy intake the same as it was before? What has been my weight difference
• What are my sources of protein at each meal?
• What are my calcium sources?
• What are my sources of B12?
• Am I eating a variety of food choices at each meal?

CLOSING REMARKS

While there are differences in the dietary consumption of certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals, with adequate planning a vegetarian athlete can consume a diet rich in calories and nutrients to provide adequate fuel and meet requirements to sustain a healthy athletic lifestyle. If you aren’t too sure about how successful someone can be as a vegetarian athlete, all you need to do is take note of a few noteworthy vegetarian athletes like Joe Namath, Robert Parish, Tony Gonzalez, Martina Novratilova and Carl Lewis.

References:

Furhman, M.D., Joel. “Fueling the Vegan Athlete.” Healthy Times No. 42 July/Aug. 2010: 1.

Furhman, M.D., Joel. “Advantages of Nutritarian Diet for Athletic Performance.” Healthy Times No. 42
July/Aug. 2010: 2-3.

Furhman, M.D., Joel. “Special Considerations for Athletes.” Healthy Times No. 42
July/Aug. 2010: 3-5.

Cox, Greg. ‘Special needs: the vegetarian athlete.’ Greg Cox, Chapter 21 http://www.ausport.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0003/199029/CSN_Chapter_21_Special_needs_-_the_vegetarian_athlete.pdf (pp. 656-671)

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/special_diets2/vegetarian_eating
AIS Sports Nutrition, August 2009 © Australian Sports Commission

Forbes-Ewan, Chris. ‘Effect of Vegetarian Diets on Performance in Strength Sports.’ Sportscience 6, Defence Nutrition Research Centre, Defence Science and Technology Organization. sportsci.org/jour/0201/cf-e.htm, 2002.

Larson-Meyer Ph.D, RD, FACSM, D. Enette. ‘Vegetarian Sports Nutrition: Food choices and eating plans for fitness and performance.’ Human Kinetics, 2007.

Britton, Sasha. “A Vegan Athlete’s Nutritional Basics.” www.vegancooking.com/random-stuff/a-vegan-athlete’s-nutritional-basics/ Gym Source. Nov. 11, 2010.

McKean, Ruth. The Vegetarian Athlete. ScottishSport.co.uk © 2002

Nisevich MS, RD, LD, Pamela M. ‘Plant Power: Fueling Athletes Right Through Balanced Vegetarian Nutrition,’ Today’s Dietician Vol. 11 No. 1 p. 38. Jan 2009

Albergotti, Reed. “The 247 lb. Vegan.” The Wall Street Journal: Weekend Journal. Jan. 25 2008