Athletes and WFPB GWilkerson01/28/2015 Plant Based Nutrition
Can Athletes Perform on Plants? Most are still under the illusion that you need animal protein if you want to be strong and healthy. Despite obvious opposition the following 5 athletes are on a mission to bust the protein myth wide open and show the world that you can in fact be at the top of your game, while being fueled by plants. 5 Plant-based Athletes That Blow The Protein Myth Out of the Water Read a short background on each of them in the article linked above. 1. Patrik Baboumian (aka Germany’s Strongest Man) carried an incredible 550 kilos for over 10 meters. 2. Scott Jurek A shining example of what is possible with a plant-based diet. 3. Mac Danzig Going vegan in 2004 he went on a 12 fight winning streak. 4. Rich Roll Unable to climb his stairs at the age of 40 due to an excessive lifestyle of alcohol, drugs, poor diet and inactivity, Rich realized his health was at risk and adopted a whole foods plant-based diet and began to train. 5. Brendan Brazier credits his plant-based diet for helping him recover from a serious road accident in 2003. Afterward he went on to become the Canadian 50k champion as well as set the record for the Bigfoot Half Ironman course.
Athletes run on plants
Rich Roll contributed this article on plant-based athletes: Slaying The Protein Myth for Athletes We have been led to believe that meat and dairy products are the only source of dietary protein worthy of merit. Without copious amounts of animal protein, it’s impossible to be healthy, let alone perform as an athlete, train and race at your peak. The message is everywhere– Protein, protein, protein — generally reinforced with the adage that more is better. How much do we actually need? Proteins consist of twenty different amino acids, eleven can be synthesized by our bodies. Nine – what we call essential amino acids – must be ingested from the foods we eat. So technically, our bodies require certain amino acids, not protein per se. A well-rounded whole food plant-based diet including a colorful rotation of foods like sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and legumes will satisfy the demanding protein needs of even the hardest training athlete. Saturated fat that gives us heart disease or the casein that has been linked to a variety of congenital diseases, or whey – a low grade, highly processed discard of cheese production. Some of the top performers will say: Rather than steak, milk, eggs and whey supplements, opt instead for healthy plant-based protein sources like black, kidney and pinto beans, almonds, lentils, hemp seeds, spirulina, quinoa, spinach and broccoli.
Provided your diet contains a rotating variety of the aforementioned high protein plants, I can absolutely guarantee that you will never suffer a protein deficiency – it’s impossible. Plant-Strong Is The Way
Rip Esselstyn, a former professional athlete and a firefighter, is the author of “The Engine 2 Diet” and “My Beef With Meat.” A whole food, plant-based diet is the healthiest way for everyone to eat. Plants provide you with all the protein you need Plant proteins do not cannibalize our bones, promote cancer or increase inflammation like animal proteins do. You can also get all the iron, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals that animal addicts claim you can get only from eating meat. You get complex carbohydrates for sustained energy; healthy fats that don’t clog up your pipes; fiber to keep you as regular as a Swiss commuter train; water for hydration; antioxidants and phyto-chemicals to zap free radicals. It’s also the best way to lose weight. If you’re eating plant-based whole foods, you’re eating nutrient-dense foods that make you healthy without taking in extra calories. This is true even for children and seniors. As a former world-class triathlete, I can assure you that athletes prosper on a plant-based diet. So do the mixed martial arts fighter Mac Danzig, the Detroit Tigers home run slugger Prince Fielder, the golfer Phil Mickelson, the arm-wrestler Rob Bigwood, the tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Billy Jean King and boxer Mike Tyson, as well as the ultra-distance athletes Rich Roll and Scott Jurek. The most recent convert? My swimming and plant-strong lunch buddy, Lance Armstrong. Plant foods are health-promoting and lower in caloric density than animal foods. They are therefore thought by many to be inferior forms of fuel for athletes, especially in size and strength sports such as bodybuilding. However, the micro-nutrients in plant foods are indispensable for overall health; maximizing long-term athletic performance requires much more than protein adequacy, micro-nutrient density and adequacy are crucial as well. Dr. Joel Fuhrman addresses these issues and offers recommendations for obtaining adequate amounts of protein with whole plant foods and also discusses the potentially deleterious effects of excess protein consumption by athletes. Conclusion
I’ve seen that plant-strong can improve one’s performance and endurance. Yet still the myth remains strong that we need lots of protein, preferably from animal sources. In over 20 years I
have eaten only a few bite size pieces of Thai Orange Chicken. And the vegan ones really do taste better! There is a growing list of plant-based athletes; including pro sports players.
http://www.plant-strong-health-blog-by-gary.com/athletes-wfpb/