plant based diet for athletes

If you follow a vegan (vegetable) diet, you can also exercise. Vegetarian diets are suitable for all people. A vegan diet, if you choose the right foods, will provide you with all the nutrients your body needs, but still, this diet should be well planned to prevent nutritional deficiencies and damage to you.

Vegetarian diet for athletes

Although the vegan diet is not compatible with exercise, if you do, it requires you to consume more nutrients.

Someone who follows a vegan diet may have ideological or health motivations, or they may simply decide to follow this diet because they are interested in eating this type of food. Anyway, the foods that are in the vegan diet category can be equal to other diets in terms of nutrients if they choose the right foods.

It has been said that the vegan diet is not suitable for sports and professional athletes, but nevertheless, for athletes, it should be such that it provides the needs of their body, and it is also necessary for these people to take special care to replace foods of animal origin. bring

Are there athletes who follow a vegan diet?

The answer to this question is yes! Vegan athletes are present in various types of sports, such as:

Lizzie Hawker, multi-award winning long distance runner

Edwin Musa, two-time Olympic champion in 400 meters hurdles

Dave Scott, six-time champion triathlete

Alberto Paz Serrano, track and field runner

Sergio Aguero, professional soccer player

Patrik Babumian, German heavyweight contender

William's sisters, professional tennis players

Frank Medrano, Swedish sports expert

So, what should these people do to maintain their diet and get the necessary nutrients for their bodies? To reach this answer, stay with us in the rest of the article:

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables should be the main food sources in the diet of athletes because these substances provide the necessary energy for their training.

A vegan athlete should base his diet on fresh and seasonal foods, and contrary to popular belief, these people should not only eat rice and pasta.

According to what we said in the moist nutrition and fitness section, seasonal vegetables and fruits are essential for these people because vegan athletes need certain vitamins and minerals, and athletes who are trying to lose fat should prioritize the consumption of vegetables. And athletes who are trying to gain weight and improve their performance should prioritize fruit consumption (including the foods we will mention below), because it provides more calories and carbohydrates than the previous group. do

Consumption of carbohydrates

Vegan athletes should include rice, oats, and nuts in their diet, because these substances, in addition to protein and healthy fats, provide them with many different vitamins and minerals. In addition to the main sources of protein in the vegan diet, beans and legumes are good sources of carbohydrates.

This is one of the reasons why vegan athletes avoid other nutritionally interesting grains in favor of adding more dietary options with legumes, seeds, and nuts. Instead of wheat pasta, they should choose legume flour (such as chickpea flour) or vegetable pasta (such as peas or lentil pasta).

Protein

Legumes are the main source of vegetable protein and therefore athletes should include them in their diet.

For many athletes who follow a vegan diet, protein supply is a problem. After all, when most people think of these micronutrients, only their animal sources come to mind, and even so, legumes and nuts are good sources of plant protein.

They can be used in stews, salads and foods such as hummus or butter such as peanut butter, which are rich in calories and nutrients.

Other suitable options are almond and hazelnut cream, which can be made at home by crushing nuts.

Also, mushrooms should be considered because of their high nutritional value. This valuable food item can provide you with about 12 to 15 grams of protein per meal.

Fat for a vegetarian athlete

Essential fatty acids are another common drawback of vegan diets. Fish is the best source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, however, this does not mean that they are the only foods containing fatty acids.

Vegan fat sources can be found in:

Nuts: walnuts, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios.

Seeds: including pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax and poppy.

Fatty fruits: avocado, olive, etc

Olive oil, almond oil, sesame oil, etc.

Vegetables (preferably organic)

Remember that it is the job of a certified sports nutritionist to help you follow a complete and balanced diet that will allow you to enjoy optimal health, and the tips provided in this fitness section are only one aspect. Increase your information.