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Nutrition and training for the vegetarian athlete: tips and tricks. Vegan Meals for Gaining Muscle Mass Meals for Athletes Lacto Vegetarians

The fashion for vegetarianism periodically reaches its peak in popularity and a fairly wide audience begins to follow it. But the adoption of this philosophy under the trend of fashion is fleeting and after a year or two, the former meat-eaters stop feeling sorry for the cows and piglets and again begin to eat sausages, steaks and cutlets. But there are people for whom these beliefs are really important and they adhere to the ideas of vegetarianism all their lives. At the same time, they can do absolutely different kinds activities, including. But whether a vegetarian diet is suitable for athletes, let's try to figure it out. But first, let's go over the terms.

What is vegetarianism?

The fact is that a vegetarian is a vegetarian. Especially I had to leave behind the scenes ethical moments about leather and fur clothes - then too long a conversation will come out. But you can talk about the differences in power systems. It turns out that there are several types of these currents, and each has its own characteristics:

Lacto-vegetarianism - means the refusal of meat, fish and eggs, the adoption of dairy products. One of the most common types of vegetarianism;
Ovovegetarianism - involves the rejection of meat and fish dishes, as well as from all types of dairy products, but allows you to eat eggs. Also a fairly common view;
Lacto-Vegetarianism is a mix of the previous two types. Excludes meat and fish only. The most common type, since it is much easier to carry and less "ripped off" from it;
Classic vegetarianism - everything is possible except meat, fish and seafood;
Sandy vegetarianism - allows you to eat fish, the rest is like a classic system;
Veganism - so to speak, one of the extreme degrees of vegetarianism, prohibits all animal products, and in some variations even honey;
A raw food diet - not quite from this opera, but also relevant, suggests a vegan menu, but exclusively everything without heat treatment and fermentation.

In principle, an athlete can still survive on lacto, lacto, sand, and classical vegetarianism, but with the rest of the systems it is a big question.

What is missing from the vegan and vegetarian athlete?

Those who want to say "brains" - calm down, these systems are not so bad. Such a diet is much healthier, rich in vitamins, is able to provide enough energy from fruits, vegetables and grains, plus nuts, which can generally be called natural mineral complexes. In addition, such food contains less solid fats (those who do not eat eggs and milk do not have them at all), the risk of intoxication is lower, the intestines and the digestive system as a whole work more actively. The only sticking point is protein and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Even experts do not have an unambiguous opinion about the latter. But everyone is used to getting protein from meat and fish. What to do to those who, for whatever reasons, do not want to eat them? Those who eat milk and / or eggs will not have any difficulties at all - cottage cheese is almost equal to chicken breast in terms of protein content. With this approach, it will even be possible to gain weight. Egg white will also provide the body with the necessary amino acids, and in the most easily digestible forms.

But vegans and raw foodists will have a rather difficult time - they have much less protein sources, and it is absorbed much worse. Their main suppliers of amino acids will be nuts and legumes. In principle, there is not so little protein in them - up to 18%, but in addition to it goes still and a lot of carbohydrates, so it is not so easy to "dry" on such a diet. The fact is that the fat burning stage (this is what they do when drying) involves a maximum of protein and a minimum of carbohydrates. Moreover, carbohydrates should mainly come from vegetables - so they are absorbed much more slowly. And bean dishes contain them in abundance due to the high starch content. Nuts, in the overwhelming majority, contain a lot of fat, which can also cause an imbalance in the diet and disrupt the recommended diet in terms of the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Instead of an afterword

But the above does not mean the impossibility effective classes sports while observing vegetarian. There are a few guidelines for vegan athletes to keep exercising and be ethical:

First of all, plan protein in the diet, and only then finish off fats and carbohydrates from other products;
Do not neglect vitamin complexes prepared in accordance with ethical standards and without toxic additives;
Consider the possibility of using soy protein and preparations based on it, which meet ethical and medical standards;
Do not forget about such sources of protein as nuts, lentils, soybeans;
If persuasion allows, use more in food. fermented milk products and eggs.

Some of the world's sports celebrities are also committed to ethical nutrition. Among them are: Mike Tyson (boxer, absolute world champion, vegan), Venus and Serena Williams (golden rackets of the world, tennis, vegetarianism), Mac Danzig (ultimate fighting, world champion, vegan), Olga Kapranova (artistic gymnastics, ten-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics, vegetarian), Denis Rodman (basketball legend, vegan), Mohammed Ali (boxing legend, author of the rule "fly like a butterfly, sorry like a bee", vegetarian). And this is a very short list. It can be supplemented by actors and artists, politicians and other successful personalities. It is enough for any person to simply set a goal, and a way can always be found.

Vegetarians today still meet with some surprise and misunderstanding on the part of their opponents in the “meat” issue. What can we say then about vegetarian athletes - they can probably make up the top questions from meat eaters who have already set their teeth on edge: where to get it? Is there enough energy? Can muscle mass grow? How to combine, for example, bodybuilding and avoiding animal protein?

It turns out that vegetarianism is not such a rare phenomenon among athletes, including among those whose names are known all over the world. Bodybuilders Bill Pearl, Roy Halligen, powerlifter Patrick Babumyan, tennis player Martina Navratilova, basketball players Robert Parish and John Sally, legendary footballer Joe Namat, boxer Mike Tyson are living proof that giving up meat is not a hindrance to achieving athletic heights. They have outstanding awards and worldwide recognition behind them. And all of them, some earlier, some later, came to various forms of vegetarianism.

Vegetarianism and Sports: Lifestyle and Mindset

Sports activities contribute to the fact that a person develops willpower, resistance to stress, endurance and patience. After all, sport is not only a “gym three times a week from 7 to 9”. In order to keep your body in shape, of course, you can limit yourself to only six to seven hours a week, when the trainer makes you work out the buns eaten before. However, those people who are seriously concerned about not only appearance and figure, but also their own health, well-being, the state of their internal organs, or, even more so, significant sports achievements, approach this topic in a more comprehensive way. For them, sport becomes a way of life, a kind of philosophy that echoes everything they do. The same can be said about vegetarianism: for some it is just a refusal to eat meat, while other people look at the problem as a protest against violence and cruelty, as an opportunity to find harmony within and in relations with the outside world.

The correct transition to vegetarianism is recommended not to be carried out in a jerk at one moment, but gradually. There are several varieties of vegetarianism that correspond to the stages of transition. There are no clear requirements and restrictions - an athlete needs to monitor his own feelings in order to understand at what level he will be comfortable to stop.

Steps to transition to plant foods:

rejection of the meat of warm-blooded animals;
refusal of poultry;
refusal of seafood and fish;
refusal of eggs;
refusal from dairy products.

Each next level includes the achievements of the previous one. Veganism is the strictest type of plant-based diet that does not consume any animal products. Some vegan athletes even give up.

How Meat-Free Eating and Sports Training Compared

Scientists and biologists do not yet give an unequivocal answer to the question of whether all varieties of vegetarianism are compatible with sports. Obviously, a diet that includes meat and animal products is still familiar from childhood for most people, and a vegetarian diet, especially at first, is perceived as stress in about 98% of cases of transition to it (if, of course, speech not about those children whom parents teach to plant nutrition from infancy).

Some doctors point out that strict veganism and a raw food diet are poorly combined with heavy strength loads and training, as they cause a deficiency not only in protein, but also,. The lack of these substances in the body leads to a decrease in immunity, an increase in the risk of developing inflammatory processes in the tissues.

It is fair to say that there are many vegetarians among marathon athletes whose achievements are based on endurance, but there are fewer among sprinters.

Bodybuilders, whose diet should consist of more than 40% protein, the lack of meat must be compensated for by a large amount of nuts, legumes, mushrooms,. However, they need to be used wherever large quantities than it would be necessary to eat animal protein, because the digestibility of plant products is 50-60%, while, for example, the body is absorbed by 100%. Another problem in this case is that a lot of the athlete-vegetarian enters the body - it, of course, helps to improve the functioning of the intestines, but at the same time absorbs some of the irreplaceable ones.

For muscle mass and strength, creatine is extremely important - a type of nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid found in the body of vertebrates. Creatine is involved in energy metabolism in muscle and nerve cells. Vegetarians do not get this substance from food, so they need to pay attention to special sports supplements.

Indeed, athletes who do not have animal products (meat, fish, eggs) in their diets face more risks and hardships than their non-vegetarian counterparts. However, all these points can be taken into account and calculated. The correct analysis of the problems allows you to select the appropriate solutions.

What should vegetarians who exercise regularly do to prevent protein deficiency by eating meat-free foods? The required amount of protein for athletes is approximately 1.4-1.8 g per 1 kilogram of body weight. For those who allow eggs and dairy products in their diet, the question is not critical: the body receives the necessary portions of protein from these products, if they are consumed in sufficient quantities.

For strict vegetarians, dietitians recommend combining various products to get the amino acids and other nutrients you need. For example, meals made from a combination of cereals and legumes provide a good protein satiation, although in cereals in pure form there is a lack of lysine-containing amino acids, and in legumes - sulfur-containing ones. It is also recommended to combine nuts and seeds with cereals and legumes. Those who allow themselves milk have an even wider choice - you can combine milk with cereals and legumes for a complete protein. By the way, the amount of protein consumed in these cases should be more than 1.8 g per 1 kilogram of body weight due to the reduced digestibility of plant proteins.

People who have given up meat in their diets are often intimidated by vitamin B12 deficiency. Strict vegans are at greatest risk. They definitely need to include foods rich in this substance in their diet, as well as take special nutritional supplements with it in the composition. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:

weakness;
fatigue;
numbness of the limbs;
memory impairment, disorientation, impaired coordination.

Alcohol intake and smoking interfere with the absorption of the substance, therefore increasing the risk of its shortage.

Among other things, red meat is a valuable source of easily digestible iron - a substance involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, myoglobin and collagen, as well as in the transport of oxygen to various tissues and organs. Those who have given up eating meat food, but do not want to earn a deficit, need to include in their diet more and legumes.

Seafood, meat and milk are a storehouse of an extremely important participant in the processes of creating protein in the body, an element without which the formation of insulin molecules is impossible. By depriving themselves of these products, the athlete may face the problem of zinc deficiency also because active training contributes to its elimination. Those who still have not deprived themselves of the opportunity to eat seafood need to lean on, and the rest - on legumes, germs, nuts. Recommendations from nutritionists and trainers say that additional zinc supplements should be taken.

Lack of dairy products in the diet can lead to calcium deficiency. In addition, the reason for the deficiency is the large amount of fiber, phytates and oxalates consumed by vegetarians - these substances reduce its absorption. To prevent calcium deficiency, be sure to eat dark green leafy vegetables (spinach,), calcium-fortified foods (breads, bars, juices, breakfast cereals, bean curd).

9 foods you should have on a vegetarian athlete's menu

Despite the differences even among vegetarians themselves (for example, someone eats dairy products but does not eat eggs, someone does not accept any food of animal origin at all), there are foods that are highly undesirable to give up on the way to sports achievements. Among them:

: a valuable source and necessary to obtain energy. They can be eaten right during the workout if it lasts more than an hour.
: After training, you can and should eat one fruit to saturate the body with valuable elements and minerals necessary for building muscle mass.
: berry rich in lutein and vitamins. Low-calorie blueberries are great for energy shakes and smoothies.
and oil, coconut flakes... All these products are able to charge the body with useful proteins and vitamins, and, moreover, bring a pleasant variety to the daily menu.
Oatmeal: A treasure trove of slow carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

The greatest amount of energy needed for sports, that is, glycogen, is obtained from carbohydrates. Depletion of glycogen stores reduces training performance and leads to chronic fatigue. That is why food rich in slow carbohydrates should occupy from 30 to 40% in the diet.

It is important to carefully read all possible deficiencies. nutrients and minerals that can occur in vegetarian athletes, and correctly formulate your diet, additionally enriching it with food additives containing these valuable substances for health.

Women athletes who have switched to vegetarianism need to be especially careful to ensure that their calcium levels are adequate. A plant-based diet for them often causes menstrual irregularities and fragility of bones.

Teenage and childhood- not the best time to experiment with a combination of sports and vegetarianism. At this time, the body grows intensively, and the expenditure of nutrients, respectively, is higher than in adults.

Also, nutritionists advise to reduce the amount of fatty and sweet foods in the diet; eat whole grains, not refined and refined foods; add more various fruits and vegetables to your diet; take additionally at least vitamins B12 and D.

Any food experiments are best implemented only after consulting a trainer and nutritionist.

Today the statement “I am a vegetarian” no longer causes such a stormy mixture of surprise and misunderstanding as, for example, in the last century. Many famous athletes, for example, Mike Tyson or Martina Navratilova, show by their own example that giving up meat is not a reason to give up training and awards. Today, doctors, nutritionists, sports trainers and scientists are talking about the fact that it is perfectly acceptable to combine sports and vegetarianism. Like any athlete, vegetarians also have a certain range of risks and nuances that need to be kept in mind. Indeed, they face more difficulties than meat-eating athletes, but this does not affect their determination and will to win. The key to success is a properly composed diet, additional intake of proteins and vitamins, self-confidence and desire to achieve results.

“I switched to vegetarian / vegan… How do I go in for sports now? AND WHAT IS? " Many people ask themselves such questions. For a start, as they say, don’tpanic is it’sorganic! - this famous English-language veggie joke in Russian sounds like this: don't panic - it's organic! Or loosely translated: if you eat organic herbal products then there is nothing to worry about! If the body was initially conditionally healthy (absolutely healthy people are astronauts), then on a vegan diet you will not have problems with sports! And on the other hand, sports are not a problem for a healthy vegan. This is, of course, provided that your nutrition is balanced, complete and in line with increased sports loads! If you just put a bowl of salad in front of you, and on this you calm down in the issue of vegetable sports nutrition- you can't run far.

The issues of creatine and vitamin B12 consumption have not arisen today, and, for sure, many knowledgeable vegans and vegetarians who play sports or fitness have already heard about it. But let's try again to "dig" the question a little deeper than "eat more different vegetables" - for the benefit of all those who are not sure that they already have complete information.

For performance in sports or fitness, it is not so important whether you cut meat and other “killer” foods for ethical reasons, or for health reasons. In sports, the main thing is the result, and for health - the state of the body. These are very objective factors. So the conversation today is not about Bhakti yoga and spiritual values, but about food. Fortunately, the vegan athletes' win statistics are on our side, and it is solid proof that you can become world champion in most sports by eating a plant-based diet. The fact that you can only set records by eating meat is a myth that has long been debunked! And it is also much easier - on a plant-based diet to achieve more mundane, everyday results - which are primarily necessary for us, non-professionals: to improve health, start and continue to run, "pump up", increase endurance, etc.

But for starters - "bad news".
Possible problems unbalanced vegan / vegetarian diet in athletes pretty serious:

· This and anemia, and decrease in muscle creatine levels(which interferes with gaining dense muscle mass and is important for short distance runners),

· and decreased carnosine levels in the muscles (again, also very bad for sprinters),

· and lack of vitamin B12(yes, yes, again about him: it leads to a number of physical and nervous ailments that can put an end to sports).

But, of course, this is not a reason to run after chicken breasts or eat "0.7 cows a year", as one famous sports businessman convinces.

If you once clearly understand the issue of good nutrition, then, as we have already said, there will be no problems. Only one thing is worth emphasizing: if you are a vegan, or a vegetarian-athlete - you HAVE to understand the issues in detail healthy eating ! But don't worry: do it necessary and those vegans who not go in for sports: run, do not run, and with a lack of knowledge about a full-fledged diet, problems will still be ... And, perhaps, even more - for meat-eaters: after all, the statistics of their mortality in developed countries is cleaner than any horror movie! (They have different problems than ours, vitamin B-12 is fine - but information on nutrition would be of great help, too!)

What do scientists think about sports and veganism / vegetarianism?? These days, the question of the relationship between veganism and the achievement of athletic performance is very often researched and considered (and what is even more important to us - iron health!). This is not only in line with the current trend: when the general public's interest in veganism and its effects on the health of the average person (see the same "China report") is growing - it is also reflected in scientific works relating specifically to sports.

According to the results of a number of scientific studies, doctors are doing such OBJECTIVE scientific findings :

1) a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet is able to support the athlete's efficient performance (we are now talking more about fitness and athletics... Bodybuilding on veganism / vegetarianism is a separate, also very interesting topic);

2) provided that if protein intake is sufficient to meet the need for nitrogen and essential amino acids (and they, as we know, are found in many vegan foods), as well as plant (this is a fairly large range of products - see at the end of the material) and animals (they are found in milk and dairy products) proteins - it is adequate nutrition for the athlete even during the competition;

3) vegetarians (especially women) are at increased risk for anemia(iron deficiency), which can limit the performance and endurance of an athlete, and generally undermine health - and this must be taken into account. But iron deficiency and fatigue are not "purely vegetarian problems" at all! Difficulties with endurance also occur among meat-eating athletes - for example, Venus Williams specifically switched to veganism - and Serena took it "for the company" - just to cope with the problem of fatigue !;

4) vegetarians and vegans have lower muscle creatine concentrations on average than meat eaters and this can affect performance under extreme loads. If you play sports seriously, it is advisable to take creatine in a sports supplement (it is 100% vegan). It has been scientifically proven that creatine supplementation in non-meat eaters leads to significant increases in athletic performance as well as improved brain function. Interestingly, the gains in performance after adding creatine to the diet in vegan athletes are greater than those in meat-eating athletes!

Creatine is stored in the muscles... Our body (mainly the liver and kidneys) can produce creatine, but only in amounts of about 1 gram per day. Another 1 gram per day can be absorbed from food. This ratio, 1: 1 (1 gram acquired, 1 - produced) is optimal and necessary for athletes. Unfortunately, "in nature" creatine is found only in meat products. But this question is easily solved for vegans and vegetarians with the help of a sports supplement.

5) Many athletes use the transition to a vegetarian diet precisely as a way to reduce weight (this is necessary for runners, boxers, etc.). But keep in mind that excessive weight loss does not always improve results. Therefore, athletes (or rather, their trainer and doctor) should track weight loss when switching to vegan / vegetarianism. And since we - non-professionals - do not have a trainer and a doctor, we are responsible for the "calories"... If you are rapidly losing normal weight, this may not be good, and you need to reconsider your diet with a calculator in hand. Fortunately, vegan and even raw food diets have no problem with sources of ethical, plant-based protein (see food list below)!

Thus, on a non-killing and, even on a purely plant-based diet, it is quite possible to go in for sports, fitness, and, moreover, just lead an active lifestyle without any restrictions and problems.

For a snack several practicaladvice :

1. I don't eat meat, so where can I get vitamin B12? Solution: yes, this is a problem for the athlete, because It is almost impossible to consume enough B12 on a plant-based diet. The question is even more radical for women, because they lose blood during the monthly cycle. The only simple solution is to take a vegan dietary supplement that contains vitamin B12.

2. How to meet the body's protein needs? Solution: You need to consume enough protein after training, plus read materials on the Internet on the issue of the carbohydrate and protein window and take this information into account. The main rule of recovery after any workout is consumption enough squirrel. Ovo-lacto vegetarians can afford eggs or yogurt. Vegans will have to be content with vegetable protein - but it is not "worse", and there are many sources of protein (protein)!

Hemp seed or flour;
Tofu;
Beans;
Legumes;
Soy Protein Powder (Sports Supplement)
Unsweetened soy milk.

3. Constant hunger, especially on training days! Solution: 1) Consume protein. Lack of protein in the diet can lead to sudden insulin spikes and falls. If you are active, exercise, you need MORE protein than sedentary people. Eat enough protein and carbohydrates at every meal; together they will be absorbed evenly, and you will avoid sudden changes in alertness and lethargy, which can otherwise exhaust you and prevent you from exercising at full strength. 2) Avoiding trans fats, do not neglect quality fats - with an active lifestyle and, moreover, in the case of sports, this is categorically not useful.

Vegan Sources of Healthy Fat:

Extravirgin olive oil;
Linseed oil;
Hemp oil;
Avocado fruits;
Unroasted seeds and nuts.

4. Tense, "clogged" muscles? Solution: Pay attention to getting adequate sodium and calcium intake, especially if you sweat a lot while exercising. Consume sodium in your food and add sea salt to your food.

Good Vegan Sources of Calcium:

Almonds;
Beans;
Spinach, collard greens, and other dark green leafy vegetables
Sesame seed;
Sunflower seed.

5. Fatigue, lethargy, difficult to exercise... Solution: Get a blood test to make sure you are not at risk for anemia. (And this isn't just for vegans and vegetarians.) Iron comes out in sweat, as does sodium and calcium. The more intense your workouts, the more iron you need, and this problem is especially true for runners.

Iron-rich vegan foods:

Iron fortified breakfast cereals oatmeal;
Pea soup;
Dried peas;
Bran;
Syrup;
Soya beans;
Plum juice;
Raisin;
Any fruit juice fortified with iron;
Peanut butter;
Apricots;
Green bean;
Walnut, cashews, pecans, almonds.

Finally, the "test by deeds": these days there are more and more vegan athletes - and, moreover, professional ones too! Well, who doesn't know tennis player Serena Williams? Another outstanding athlete, runner Carl Lewis, also achieved excellent results on a vegan diet (especially one year after switching to veganism). A few more names: world famous super-endurance athlete Richie Roll, "star" triathlete Brandon Braser, world champion in parkour Tim Schiff, strongman Patrick Babumian (tell his about the lack of protein without meat in the diet!), or the outstanding MMA fighter Mac Danzig ... If you are interested, a very large and current list of famous vegan athletes can be found on a special website (in English).

Eat wholesome and healthy food - and achieve great results!

In the preparation of the article, materials were partially used: http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/vegan-athlete/

Alexey Sokolovsky

So you're a vegan, and no amount of desire to build muscle or burn fat can convince you to buy whey-based protein shakes. Your trainer, for sure, is indignant, and the administrator of the fitness bar just strives to add something protein to you in freshly squeezed juice. Calmly! You can achieve impressive gym results without giving up on your principles. The main thing is to know the rules of drawing up a vegan diet for athletes.

1. Eat the right protein after exercise

And what, in fact, did not please the athletes with soybeans, almonds, wheatgrass, sprouted peas and quinoa? That's right, the fact that they cannot be bought in the fitness bar of your center. But this problem is just easy to solve, it is enough to order a special protein cocktail on the site for vegan athletes, or make one yourself.

For example, take 200 ml of soy milk, 100 g of sprouted soybeans, half a banana, and 100 g of any sweet berries for a great protein-carbohydrate drink that will help you recover from strength training. Just whisk the ingredients in a blender, pour into a thermos and take with you.

2. Remember, you eat better, which means you can consume more carbohydrates.

In the Western fitness industry, there are concepts like "good" and "bad" food. As a true vegan, you have probably made the first group of foods your main diet - whole grain cereals, vegetables, fruits, natural nuts and seeds. And of course you don't eat industrial production chips, popcorn, chocolates, cookies, fortunately, most of these products contain animal ingredients.

Such a diet allows your body to use carbohydrate energy more completely. This is why you can allow yourself some carbs after training, or even in the evening, and not gain weight. Therefore, stop listening to people intimidating you with "weight gain due to carbohydrates."

3. Balance your diet

Beginning vegans often eat only cereals, or, conversely, only fruit. If you lift weights, your body requires protein for muscle recovery and increased doses of vitamins E, C, A, B1, B2, B6, B 12. In addition, do not forget about iron, zinc, calcium, potassium. Be sure to take a vitamin and mineral supplement for those who do not consume animal products. Try to include one of the following foods in each meal:

Sprouted soybeans, lentils, green buckwheat, barley;
Almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts;
Soy milk, tofu, natural soy cream and yogurt (with prebiotic bacteria and no starch added);
Fresh greens of all sorts and types (including in winter);
Bananas, apples, lychees, currants, oranges, pomelo, blueberries, blueberries, cherry tomatoes.

4. Consider a weekly diet plan

A weekly planned diet helps a lot. Its main goal is not to cut calories to a minimum, but to help the body recover from exercise. For a day of rest use the following power plan:

Use a diet plan like this for your workout day.

oat milk

And by the way, multiple Miss Olympia Cory Everson is vegan, so what's stopping you?

Fitness trainer Elena Selivanova - specially for.

Nikolay Alekseevich Kuliev ( https://vk.com/kuliev11) doing powerlifting.

Modern means for self-defense is an impressive list of items that differ in their principles of action. The most popular are those that do not require a license or permission to purchase and use. V online store Tesakov.com You can buy self-defense tools without a license.

Once upon a time, I considered all vegetarians to be strange, thin, weak people. The stereotype, formed over the years from programs on TV and the Internet, lived steadily in my head and still did not want to leave. I would have remained in the darkness of ignorance, if not for a couple of other kind people who dispelled the myths and legends around this food.

In fact, vegetarianism appeared first. More precisely - a raw food diet. In those distant times, when people did not know fire and were rather still animals than a reasonable man, they did not know how to hunt and ate what grows around them. Berries, fruits and the like. That is, they were pure vegetarians. And they survived quite calmly, ran, jumped and were strong.

So why is this kind of sports nutrition being questioned today? Perhaps the whole point is in taste preferences that have taken root over the millennia. Modern man can hardly imagine that it is possible to live without meat. And a huge stream of false information from the media keeps repeating the same thing.

Let's not start a discussion about who benefits from it, but let's move on to debunking the myths that have long prevented me from looking at veganism in a new light.

Chapter 2. Mythbreaker

As you know, vegetarianism is divided into many trends. But everywhere there is a common thing - you cannot eat meat. However, each trend has its own prohibitions and permissions. Somewhere you can milk, in another course you can eggs, and so on. This article will address myths that only relate directly to veganism as a strict diet without animal products. And, of course, to sports.

So let's go.

Myth one - lack of protein

If they were the top in all the myths, then this one took first place without any problems. What do we always hear when we mention veganism in sports? There is no squirrel! And how can you live without protein? This is how all those who have not spent a little time to understand the essence will ask.

I will not dilute a lot of water and will simply say - there is protein! And, moreover, in large quantities. Don't believe me? Type in "the amount of protein in plant foods" in Google and admire the result. And if you also compare with meat products, then suddenly it turns out that there is even more protein in plant foods. But why, then, the athletes didn’t all run to “mow the lawns and eat the grass”? Why isn't everyone vegan then?

The answer is simple. Vegetable protein is less digestible than an animal. Yes, this is a fact from a lot of studies. However, if you read the studies themselves carefully, it turns out that the difference in assimilation is not very big. But this can also be frightening.

Conclusion: there is protein in plant foods, but its assimilation is slightly lower than that of an animal.

Myth two - lack of protein

This myth could be combined with the first, but I decided to put it out separately. When you read many articles on the Internet on the amount of protein an athlete needs on a daily basis, it becomes somehow sad that those who write these articles did not even bother to turn to a research source in America. It was from there that the myth began that it is necessary to have 2 g per kilogram of a person's weight in order to grow, and preferably even 3 g or more.

Question: I weigh 90 kg and consume 270 g of protein per day. Will I be 270 g heavier tomorrow?

The answer is of course not. If you think logically, it turns out that I had to gain almost 2 kg of muscles in a week. God forbid this will happen in 3-4 months, and that is hard to believe. They are not growing at this rate.

Then what happens to the protein? It's simple - part of it goes to muscle recovery, part to the supply of amino acids. But in fact, according to research, where this myth came from, 1.7-1.8 grams per kilogram per day is enough for a person if he is an athlete. The number 2 was simply rounded, but quite plausible, however, this is already above the limit. And about 3 years it is worth keeping silent. Where does the leftover protein go? It turns out, like any other food, and partially slags the body.

From all of the above, there is only one conclusion - 2 g per kilogram of weight is enough for an athlete. But is a vegan getting that much? Yes, it does. Protein is found in most foods and usually vegan athletes don't really worry about it. It is present everywhere and it is not difficult to get the right amount, even if it is absorbed less. In addition, the vegan's metabolism is inhibited, which plays a plus in this case.

The third myth - vitamin B12

This myth is popular with doctors. As soon as you mention veganism, predictions of imminent death will rain down on you in the clinic. And the most interesting thing is that doctors are right in part about vitamin B12. It is not found in the vegan diet. Vitamin is taken only from meat products and some types of bacteria that live on plant foods if not washed. But who doesn't wash food in this pesticide age?

Another question - how scary is it? In fact, doctors are dramatizing and exaggerating. This is understandable, most of them did not even try to open the directory and read before such statements that they would scare any person.

Vitamin B12 is consumed very, very, very slowly. Let's just say it takes 7 to 10 years to be a vegan to reach vitamin depletion, and that's not a fact. The consumption of the vitamin is so low that it used to be catastrophic deficiency only after 10 years of a plant-based diet. But the main thing is that B12 deficiency is a terrible thing. All those stories that doctors will tell you about this are real and can happen. What to do then?

Don't give up on veganism because of this. Everything is solved much easier. Pharmacies are full of B12 in the form of injections and tablets. It is enough to carry out a small two-week course of injections or pills once a year and a half. Your vitamin, which, by the way, is stored in the liver, will be replenished and will be spent more long time and you don't have to worry.

Conclusion: it is worth monitoring the B12 level every six months and once a year and a half to carry out a short course of vitamin replenishment.

The fourth myth - all vegans are thin and frail, and it is unrealistic to pump up.

Let's remember the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi and bobsleigh. Who became the champion there? Alexey Voevoda. How much does he weigh? 110 kilograms approx. Is he pumped enough? Yes. Who is he? Vegan raw food.

Is that enough for an answer? I think so, but if not, then you can still type a request about vegan athletes in Google and get a whole list of famous athletes. But still I will clarify a couple of things.

All those vegans who are shown as a horror story on TV and you sometimes see in life, they really can be thin and weak, so also strange. The problem here is only in nutrition and in the absence physical activity... Without them, as it were, any person would become like this or even worse. Therefore, the issue of veganism and sports revolves only around nutrition, which will be discussed later.

Chapter 3. Well, why is all this?

Indeed. Why am I writing all this? Why am I vegan? Why be so perverted, so also try to go in for sports? Probably, I should have started with this article, but I decided to cram everything here.

To begin with, I have been a pure meat eater for 24 years. What to play with, I adored meat! I adore him now ... His scent is divine and the sight is intoxicating. This is what any vegan who was once a meat-eater would say, and if not, he is lying. But if it was easier for me to give up meat, then cheese, milk and eggs became a huge problem. But I got rid of them too.

The transition to a new diet was not very easy. Two weeks of adaptation of the body were the most hellish psychologically for me. And everyone who will cross, they will be remembered for a long time. But then everything went like clockwork. I lost 10 kg and 10% strength (I do powerlifting). However, something more critical did not happen. After a period of adaptation, my strengths went up the hill again.

Weight loss. Yes, no matter how big, fat and so on, the weight will drop quite significantly. For obese people, this is a great chance to get rid of fat and other nasty things inside oneself without harm to health. For the athlete, this is an easy type of drying with the advantages and unnecessary restrictions on food. And as for the rather thin athletes-ectomorphs, then they have nothing to fear. Muscles are not burned if you follow the simplest nutritional rules, which will be discussed later.
Hyperactivity and stamina. A clean body without animal waste, functions better. Athletes become more active and enduring. The first month I was very surprised at this, but then I got used to it. This allows you to train faster and easier.
Fast recovery. That was a real surprise for me. Usually, after training, I could recover 2-3 days or even longer, depending on the severity of the training process. And now, sometimes, after training in the morning in the evening, I am able to repeat it again. However, after heavy workouts, I still recover for at least 2-3 days.
Ease of mind, mind and body. Being vegan makes me feel more active, easier to lift and rarely get tired. I can sleep 4 hours and everything will be fine. Once I did an experiment and did not sleep for 3 days. On the third day it was hard, but quite bearable. And this despite the fact that I do not drink coffee, tea and other stimulants. Before, I would have passed out on the second day already. And the clarity of consciousness and mind is very helpful in creative and mental work.
Immunity and better health. This is the main point of my transition to veganism, and not beliefs about the innocence of every life, although then I came to this. Vegans get sick less often, have stronger immunity and health, and often look younger than their age.

From all this, we can conclude that veganism rid the human body of all unnecessary and unnecessary and optimizes it for a more active lifestyle.

Many who have read will probably ask the question, why is meat harmful? Everyone eats and nothing! This is an interesting question that needs to be considered in more detail.

So, let's turn first to the mortality statistics in the regions of the harsh north, where the main diet is fish and meat, as well as other animal products. The average life span is 50-60 years. This is fine? Or the vegan longevity and health statistics that can be found on the internet and in research show records every time. Of course, the statistics can be challenged by the fact that people eat few vegetables and fruits, and there may be a bad ecology and so on, or, conversely, where there are vegans, there is a good ecology and everything is fine. I do not argue. OK.

Let's turn to the theory of evolution. Since we descended from monkeys, the structure of our body clearly shows us that we are herbivores. Don't believe me? We look: the intestines are 3 times longer than that of any predator and are not adapted to meat, we do not have fangs (and those 4 that are only serve for crushing hard fruits. They are also present in monkeys), there are no claws, an unsuitable body structure for hunters are not psychologically prepared for killing and eating raw meat.
Not convinced? But how? Do you all believe in Darwin's theory? Of course, for it is correct and explains everything.

Chapter 4. How to eat and how to move smoothly

So we come to one of the main points of the entire article. It is nutrition that plays a major role in sports and life in general. Without it, you will not succeed and you can turn into exactly that skinny vegan who will scare you.

In fact, everything is simple. There are only a couple of nuances:

80% of your diet should be carbohydrates. These are all cereals except semolina, pasta, potatoes, and other variations of carbohydrates. Do you want energy? Take it from carbohydrates. And don't worry, it's hard to get fat on veganism, and even more so if you're an athlete. Only those who have a predisposition to weight gain can add, but here you just need to adjust the amount of carbohydrates.
10% fat. Roughly speaking, fats are an additional source of energy, as well as an assistant in the production of hormones. It will be very difficult without them, so they must be there. Specifically, Omega-3 fats are needed, which come from linseed oil(1-3 spoons per day) and unsaturated fats avocado (1-2 pieces per day). To this we add sunflower and olive oil on which you fry food, as well as seeds. This will be enough.
10% protein. In fact, you can forget about this point. Protein will be in almost any food you eat. This is especially true for cereals, some vegetables, avocados, seeds, and so on. Therefore, it makes no sense to follow. I have never followed.

Well, the main thing is to understand that the diet should include fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and trace elements are always a priority. Also, don't forget to drink water. Ideally, you need a liter of water per 20 kg of weight per day.

There is not much to say about the transition, except that everything must be done smoothly. Reduce animal foods in your diet and eat more vegan foods. 1-2 weeks and you're vegan. Well, it's worth keeping yourself psychologically from breakdowns. If in the first week this does not bring anything terrible, then much later it can cause complications in health. By that time, the body will get out of the habit of meat products and cleanse itself. Can you imagine what blow you will inflict by eating a piece of meat? Stuck in the toilet, you get a headache, weakness, laziness, mental clouding. Such symptoms awaited me with a breakdown in the second week. Fortunately, it only lasted a couple of days.

Chapter 5. The God of Training

There isn't much to say in this chapter. I do powerlifting. This means building strength is a priority in this type of workout. There were no particular difficulties with this after adaptation. However, it is worth at first to reduce the load for habituation of the body. At first you will feel weak and weak. Weights seem heavy and so on. Just train with reduced weights for a couple of weeks. If sports are related to endurance, then the first week should be slightly reduced, and then you can return to the normal regime and even more, because now you will have more endurance.

You should also have physical and physical activity every day, otherwise apathy and laziness will come. This is a known problem for vegans. The amount of energy from the diet must be spent, otherwise it will go nowhere and create psychological lethargy, possibly depression and weakness.

Run for 20-30 minutes in the morning, workout in the afternoon. On non-training days, you can use horizontal bars, parallel bars, push-ups and any other types of work with your own body. This will make your body active and strong every day.
Your task is to create such a daily routine in which every 2-3 hours you will drive blood through the muscles. This is how you can make muscles grow, because you will not have fat and other nasty things in your body, only clean muscles. And, therefore, the set will be dry. The main thing here is the flow of nutrients into the muscles constantly for recovery and growth. Exercise blood more often, and you will be happy.

The final chapter. Well here I am vegan

Complicated instructions for transitioning and living veganism? I do not think. Everything is simple and straightforward. Nothing is impossible. This is how I lived day after day for six months, but it was time to move on.
Veganism is definitely great, but I wanted to push my limits even further. For this, I have chosen a new stage of development, namely - a raw food diet, about which not much is known today. I will write about this in the next article. And the topic will be very interesting.

22 comments

Great article, thanks! At the first stage, I wanted to find out the list of products so as not to overeat coals. I am actively engaged in iron, easily (very) gaining fat.

Sorry, but you can't tell from your VK photos that you are involved in any kind of sports. I wanted to send your article to my friends who do not believe that it is possible to look good on veganism, but after seeing your photo, I thought that they would tell me: well, we said that vegans are drish.

Lilia))) Give as an example Alexei Voevoda, Olympic champion in bobsleigh and world armwrestling champion - I think your friends will be able to look differently at this type of nutrition!)))

Hi. Good article. Very accessible written.
The only thing that would pay attention to the smells, when I myself switched to vegetarianism 4 years ago, the guy who advised me on the transition was already a vegan for 5 years. And he warned that in 2 months my sense of smell would be exacerbated. unpleasant odors and the smell of meat will become unbearable. In general, that is what happened and so on to this day. Passing near "shawarmushki" or any other places where it smells of fried meat, I just start to feel sick, the smell is disgusting. The same is said by my friends who switched recently.
Not that I want to say that you are lying, but you say that "they are lying", and the question is actually deeper. Once, at lectures on nutrition, I heard a very interesting theory that it is much easier to change your diet with a second negative blood group, at first I did not even attach any importance to this, although I myself have this blood group. For me, let's say the transition was like clockwork, I just stopped eating what I didn't want to eat, literally in 1 day and that's it. I never had any doubts about my decision and I was not drawn to eat something that I refused.
But then I conducted several "experiments" and almost all my friends with 2 negative switched to vegetarianism very easily, and people with the first blood group always said that they felt that they and their body lacked this, that the smell was intoxicating and pulling. Many of them felt very bad after a month after the transition, and of course they returned to what they had before.
So, the question, as I already said, is deeper, for whom the transition is simple, for someone it is a whole discipline and a strict regime. But this does not mean that someone is lying.

I have the first negative one. I do not eat meat for 6-7 months. And yes, I like the smell of fried eggs. But the smell of fried eggs is not. Even boiled eggs are unpleasant. Although I sometimes use them for soup or for dough.

I, too, never counted protein, and then I did it and how surprised ... Without special protein dishes (soy meat, tofu, seitan), it turns out to eat well 30 grams of protein per day.

Thank you for the article. I was glad that the transition took you only two weeks, he gave up the milk himself four days ago, there was rapid fatigue, now it is clear what to do.

All this is only part of the truth. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years. I still rake the consequences of this rash step: hair fell out, it was gorgeous thick hair to the priests, excess weight began to grow by leaps and bounds, in 5 years +10 kg. As soon as I began to eat a bird, 4 kg of itself went away immediately in 2 months ... With the transition to veg, constant pains in the abdomen, terrible gas formation appeared, I got used to my stomach as at 6 months of pregnancy, I thought this was my peculiarity. But I persisted in my fanaticism, felt sorry for the chickens, although I suffered myself ... But then I got sick of everything, and the body just started screaming, demanding animal protein, I salivated when I saw chicken cutlets, although they used to be disgusting. I succumbed to an inner feeling, and as soon as I began to eat meat, all the problems with the gastrointestinal tract were gone, my stomach was deflated, reduced in size and gas formation disappeared. I was flying with happiness and finally found lightness in my stomach, and I still can't believe that this huge belly is in the past.
Now I have become Orthodox and I have to keep Fasting. At the post, all the same problems begin, and fasting is already vegan food, I also go "pregnant" ... but for God's sake I am ready to suffer so much, but for the sake of pigs and chickens - NO, thank you!
All these enthusiastic screams about the "miracles" of veganism, raw food and so on are annoying, and the fact that people cripple their health for some reason is silent.

The first time I see such a stupid review of veganism ...) I myself am a vegan and many friends, none of them, including me, have experienced such nonsense ...) Apparently you are some kind of "special"))
- Well, yes, stupid, really)))))
  Not only is it negative, but also not according to the template! * 0 * There is definitely an article in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation for such comments, I hope that it has already been followed (no))))))

I tried to switch to a raw food diet for the first time. And it didn't work out, I was worried about flatulence and hunger. After I learned that it is necessary to switch to a raw food diet gradually. You must immediately start drinking water before eating. Then you need to learn how to chew thoroughly. Then switch to vegetarianism - veganism, and then a raw food diet. The transition lasts for about two years. So when I abruptly began to eat raw, then nothing happened except spoiled air. On this moment from a raw food diet no longer puffs me up. I am still a vegetarian aspiring to become a vegan.

Animals die in agony, and she thinks of herself! You are a darling from the group of Orthodox Christians who only go to church on Easter, and then thump, envy their neighbor and remember God from time to time. If you are so Orthodox, then Christ did not command the flesh to eat. This is not written anywhere. And love your neighbor (and these are animals). I'm sure you don't know any spiritual practices or psalms. And fasting is not only food - it is purity of your body, your thoughts and prayer to the Lord. And if you have such aggression towards "pigs and chickens", then you have no compassion. And Jesus taught self-sacrifice, compassion and mercy. Love for all living things. Read on. Just read. Peace to you.

Oh! Yes! While Jesus walked in the wilderness, there was no food or water at all! Well, that's the ideal! And this is already powerful yoga! (ask what Jesus was doing in India). Good luck to you.

I've been vegan for over 3 years now. I am actively involved in sports, at the moment I am preparing for a powerlifting competition. Sword in MS.)) Is almost at the goal) and I started doing this 1.5 years ago, i.e. on veganism. With regards to a bloated abdomen. Yes, this can often be found among vegans, I went through it myself ... BUT! here the main thing is to study the root cause. It's not at all about how you eat, meat or plant foods. IT'S EVERYTHING IN QUANTITY! When I sat down for drying, and generally was afraid to consume carbohydrates in adequate quantities, I ate what? right! A lot of legumes, soy meat at 150 grams per day! Naturally, the stomach was swollen. But I personally do not consider a return to meat-eating for myself, I began to study this issue in detail. Look for vegans on VK and consult. So, for example, I learned that you need to eat no more than 50 grams of legumes per day so that there is no bloating. I have adjusted my diet, and for more than six months I have not known any problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Including, I actively strive to gain weight and gained 6kg in six months! What I mean. Those who deliberately come to veganism will look for methods and methods of humane nutrition, and not a little smell of fried, so immediately head into the sand. For the accuracy of my words, here is my VK page