Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [153]
Powerful vegan protein for performance
The World Health Organization has stated that a vegan diet can provide all the protein humans need during every phase of life. And that’s a good thing, because our bodies use protein to do all sorts of things, including making muscle, repairing tissues damaged during training, and building healthy hair and nails. Protein, of course, also is used as energy.
Vegan athletes need extra protein to keep up with their active lifestyles. These increased protein needs can easily be met, however, by adding more of the same great protein-containing vegan foods already found in the normal vegan diet.
Meeting these daily amounts is easy, and exceeding them for muscle building and more strenuous workouts isn’t a problem. Following are some recommendations, depending on your level of workout:
Standard: 1.0–1.2g/kg
Endurance 1.2–1.7 g/kg
Power/speed 1.2–2.0 g/kg
Early training 2–2.3g/kg
By choosing larger portions of protein-rich meals, vegan athletes can meet their needs. Eating a protein-rich snack every few hours can help the body recover from regular, strenuous workouts.
Natural vegan foods that are rich in protein include the following:
Bean burgers
Black bean chili
Hemp seed butter
Hummus on whole-rye crackers
Mashed potatoes smothered with vegan baked beans
Mixed nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
Peanut butter and jelly on whole-grain bread
Seitan kabobs grilled or baked with vegetables
Soy or hemp milk
Tempeh burgers
Tempeh cubes in vegetable stew
Vegan baked beans on whole-grain toast
Fueling your muscles with fat
Vegan athletes need to include high-quality plant sources of fat in their diets. The body uses fat to cushion organs, lubricate joint movement, and carry out the thousands of operations needed to jump a hurdle or throw a ball. Eating too little fat while training can lead to muscle fatigue, and fat is needed to utilize certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
One of the ways the body uses fat during exercise is to save carbohydrates, which are used up as energy first, in longer workouts. Endurance sports or long training exercises actually increase the ability of muscles to use fat for fuel. This doesn’t mean that a vegan athlete needs to pile on the oil to increase fat intake; even leaner athletes have enough fat stored in their tissues to meet their needs.
To shake or not to shake: Some thoughts on protein powders and bars
Athletes of all ages use protein powders as a way to bulk up and meet their daily protein needs. You have many vegan options if you choose to add a powder to your diet. Drinking a smoothie with a scoop or two of soy, hemp, or rice protein added can ensure that your body has the protein it needs to build muscle and recover from hard workouts.
Soy powders contain more grams of protein per serving, but many people want to avoid using too much processed soy in their diet, because a vegan diet can already rely heavily on soy foods. Hemp is considered by many to offer the best plant source of protein, because it also offers a higher amount of complex carbohydrates and quality fats. Rice protein powders tend to have fewer calories per serving and can offer another choice if you want to switch things up in your morning smoothie.
Note: Although uncommon with a vegan diet, too much protein in your diet can lead to dehydration and can be converted into fat. Watch your protein intake by keeping a food diary.
Eating a high-fat diet can result in the burning of more fat during exercise. However, this diet would ultimately limit the amount of carbohydrates the body can store and use. Because carbohydrates are the easiest form of fuel for the body to use for energy, a high-fat diet can end up limiting an athlete’s endurance.
Vegan athletes should stick close to the normal recommended daily