Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [156]
Chromium
Chromium is used by the body to regulate insulin, metabolism, and blood sugar levels. Athletes need slightly more chromium on a daily basis during training. Table 23-1 shows the recommendations for chromium.
Table 23-1 Recommended Levels of Chromium
Age
Males (mcg/day)
Females (mcg/day)
9–13 years
25
21
14–18 years
35
24
19–50 years
35
25
50 years and older
30
20
Source: National Institutes of Health
Broccoli, grape juice, whole grains, potatoes, and fortified nutritional yeast flakes are good vegan sources of chromium.
Copper
Copper is an athlete’s ally, as this mineral creates cellular energy and strong connective tissue. Copper also allows the body to metabolize iron better, so be sure to get your recommended daily allowance from cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, lentils, mushrooms, and even vegan chocolate. Table 23-2 lists the various copper recommendations.
Table 23-2 Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Copper
Age
Males (mcg/day)
Females (mcg/day)
4–8 years
440
440
9–13 years
700
700
14–18 years
890
890
19 years and older
900
900
Zinc
Zinc levels may be lower in athletes, and it’s needed for healthy skin and wound repair. You can easily meet the daily requirements of 8–10 milligrams a day with good food choices. Vegan sources of zinc include fortified cereals, fortified nutritional yeast flakes, wheat germ, legumes, nuts, tofu, and miso.
Eating for Excellence in Your Sport of Choice
Choosing nutritious, whole foods on a regular basis during athletic training is the best way to prepare for the main event. Eating well consistently every day ensures a better outcome for your future athletic goals. Hundreds of professional athletes have used a plant-based diet to increase their intake of truly energizing foods.
Preparing your diet before an athletic event
Getting ready for a physical competition requires both mental and physical focus. Choose your foods for physical focus as wisely as you choose your thoughts to get psyched up for your event.
Beware of the naturally high fiber content in vegan foods. Too much soluble fiber can lead some athletes to experience stomach cramps or other digestive problems like diarrhea. You don’t want the runs while you’re running!
If you know you have a more sensitive stomach (or a nervous stomach before competitions), reduce your fiber intake 24 to 48 hours before the big game or meet. Instead, try choosing other high-calorie foods, such as potatoes and whole-grain pasta, that will fuel your energy needs. A larger meal of about 800 to 1,000 calories can be eaten about four or five hours before the start of an event, and a smaller, high-quality snack of 150 to 200 calories, such as cereal and soymilk, can be eaten an hour or two before. You want to give your digestive system time to absorb the nutrients and energy from the meal, while giving the stomach time to empty out.
The most important aspect of nutrition that athletes need to consider is their water intake. Staying hydrated before and during training and competitions can make or break your record. Some athletes rely on artificially flavored and sweetened sports energy drinks. These drinks provide electrolytes, or salts, that the body sweats out during exercise. The artificially flavored drinks have too many chemicals and too much unneeded sugar.
Looking for a natural electrolyte drink to guzzle during your next game or meet? Try R.W. Knudsen’s Recharge sports drink, made with natural fruit juices, or electroBlast’s Power Concentrates, which come naturally flavored with essential oils and stevia. Young coconut water, naturally rich in electrolytes, can also be found in delis, health food stores or on the Internet.
Looking at long-term nutrition goals
The success of many vegan athletes in the professional sports arena proves that a plant-based diet can lead to goal-setting performances. Brendan Brazier, a vegan professional triathlete, and 2003’s Ultra Marathon National Champion, has proven that this diet works well for even the hardest-working