Vegan for Life - Jack Norris [76]
SPORTS NUTRITION
There is no question that vegan diets are suitable for competitive sports. Some of the most talented athletes in the world—like ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, world champion boxer Keith Holmes, and professional football star and Heisman Trophy–winner Desmond Howard—have enjoyed successful careers as vegans.
Most of us aren’t in their league, of course. If you’re hitting the gym two or three times a week to work out, you probably don’t need to change a thing about your vegan diet (assuming you’re already following our guidelines for healthy eating). It may be that those who train competitively don’t need to change much either. Athletes who eat enough to satisfy their appetite will often meet their protein needs without even trying, and they will get a boost in iron intake too. But since vegan diets are typically lower in calories, protein, well-absorbed iron, creatine, and carnitine, it’s worth giving these issues some added attention. We’ll also discuss carnosine because there has been interest in the relationship of this amino acid to athletic performance.
MEETING ENERGY NEEDS
Exercise efficiency, gender, non-exercise habits, and genetics all affect calorie requirements. And because needs vary with every individual, there is no set formula for determining your energy requirements; it’s a matter of experimentation.
For weight lifters, inadequate calorie intake can inhibit muscle growth. Consuming adequate calories preserves muscle protein that would otherwise be used for energy. Pay attention to hunger signals to know whether you are eating enough. For a ballpark figure, one study found that novice male weight lifters lowered body fat while increasing muscle mass and size when they consumed about 18 calories per pound of body weight per day (3,240 calories per day for a 180-pound person).1 In another study, highly trained male bodybuilders ate 22.7 calories per pound (4,086 calories per day for a 180-pound person).2
Teen athletes and others with high calorie needs may find it a challenge to eat enough, but a few simple additions to your diet can help boost calories:
• Include more refined grains in meals. While whole grains are normally the best choice for optimal health, athletes who eat a large quantity of food can afford to eat more processed foods than non-athletes. Because of their lower fiber content, processed foods are less filling. Spaghetti is a good option since its carbohydrate is more slowly released into the bloodstream compared with other processed grains.
• Use moderate amounts of olive oil on salads and for sautéing vegetables.
• Snack on nuts or trail mix, and add avocado to sandwiches to boost fat and calorie intake.
• Add tofu or tempeh to salads or mix it into grain dishes to increase calorie, fat, and protein content of meals.
• Add silken tofu to fruit smoothies.
PROTEIN
Although current government recommendations don’t include a separate protein RDA for athletes, opinions about protein needs of athletes vary considerably. And needs may be quite different depending on whether you are engaged in endurance or strength training.
Strength Athletes
Whether the protein needs of strength athletes are any greater than the general population is a subject of debate. There is a legitimate argument for needs ranging anywhere from 0.8 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram (0.36 to 0.77 per pound) of healthy body weight. Higher protein intake might be more important for people who are starting a strength routine, and needs might decrease in those who have already fulfilled most of their muscle mass potential.
In a 2009 joint position paper on nutrition and athletic perormance, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), and Dietitians of Canada suggested that vegetarian athletes need 1.3 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which translates to 0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound.3
Here are some practical tips for strength athletes:
• If you are beginning a workout regimen to build muscle mass, make sure to eat