Think a vegetarian diet and being an athlete don’t mix? Think again
October 6, 2008 by Susan Watiker
Filed under Fitness
It’s a common belief that many of my friends share–if you follow a vegetarian diet, you won’t be able to get as far with strength training and athletic pursuits.
Wrong. True, it is going to be a bit more complex to attain the level of protein in your diet that your body looks for when you’re undertaking a strength traning regimen. But it isn’t impossible.
Many experts recommend 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.73 grams per pound). There are ways for you to get enough protein to reach this recommended amount with low-fat dairy products and protein rich plant sources.
Try working these non-meat protein sources into your diet for your daily dose:
-Milk, 8 ounces=8 grams
-Tofu, 3 ounces=15 grams
-Yogurt, 8 ounces=8 grams
-Cheese, 3 ounces=21 grams
-Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons=8 grams
An even stickier issue, especially for female athletes who are vegetarians, is how to get much-needed iron into your diets. The truth is, our bodies just don’t absorb the iron found in non-animal proteins as easily as they do from animal proteins. Good sources of non-animal based iron include leafy green vegetables, whole grain cereals, figs, lentils, kidney beans and some dried fruits. If you do eat fish or chicken, you should be able to get plenty of iron in your diet.
Because your body will need a little extra help absorbing the iron from non-animal sources, you need to be sure you are getting enough vitamin C. Try to work vitamin C into meals where you’re consuming significant amounts of iron from non-meat sources. For example, if you’re eating a breakfast loaded with whole grains, don’t forget to drink your juice! It will help your body absorb the iron found in your cereal.
One of the most common nutrients missing from the vegetarian athlete’s diet is B-12. Found only in animal products, B-12 can be tricky to control. You should be able to get enough B-12 from eggs, cheese, milk and yogurt. But another great way to supplement is by replacing cow’s milk on your cereal with soymilk.
So going green with your diet doesn’t have to diminish your returns when it comes to strength training. With a little planning and education, you should be able to achieve your goals and maintain your vegetarian lifestyle, beautifully.
Peace.
People seem to have this strange idea that we needneedneed protein all the time. But my RD had told me that because of how much we eat and the kinds of food we eat, most of North American society is overloading on protein.
I like all of these alternative sources of protein- especially useful when you’re on a budget:) Meat is so darn expensive!
I agree that we probably don’t need as much protein as everyone thinks. But I think everybody’s different, so while one person might feel great being a vegetarian athlete, another person might feel totally wiped.
I’ve seen recent research that has said that too much milk and cheese consumption (don’t ask me how much is too much, I don’t remember) can be a factor is raising the risk of breast cancer (because of the hormones from the cows).