Links on Vegitarian and Vegan Weightlifting
[for the record: I am not now a vegitarian or vegan, although I tried it once - jlhart7]
From http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler21.htm
What To Eat To Gain Weight?
One of the biggest problems that people tell me about on a vegan diet is the difficulty in gaining muscle. They usually state that they could not find enough high calorie sources to consume to put on weight rapidly and got discouraged. The bottom line is that they were not consuming enough protein and fat. To gain weight rapidly, eat 1-1.5 grams of protein for each lb of lean bodyweight. Thus, if you weigh 200lbs and have 10% bodyfat, eat 190 to 285 grams of protein per day, every day. Start off on the lower end of the scale and work your way up.
Next, get an ample supply of quality fats in your diet. Almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pistachios, are all high quality sources and are loaded with both protein and fat. Also, add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your salads and protein shakes. Next, unlike the weight loss advice, eat several servings of rice, potatoes, and bread. The key to gaining weight rapidly is an abundance of calories. Thus, do not hold back and have 6-7 high quality meals a day. Also consider having a protein shake before and after workout as well as before bedtime. When you go shopping load up on tofu, tempeh, lentils, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, and high calorie fruits such as bananas, tropical fruits, and try adding some coconut milk to your routine as well.
What I Do?
I have tried many diets in the past that have all worked to some degree. For example, to lose weight, I once tried substituting a few meals with protein shakes and then having a few moderate meals throughout the day. Combined with an effective exercise regimen, this worked pretty well. However, I was not fond of the calorie counting and feeling like I needed to eat something every 2-3 hours. Also, to gain weight I have tried eating several moderate meals during the day, with protein shakes and bars in between meals and then a large meal at night. This worked very well for putting on size. However, again it was not convenient and I did not like having my whole day revolving around eating food.
-------
from http://www.grapplearts.com/Vegan-diet-for-size.htm
The number one thing that people always ask me is where do I get my protein. Many vegans that I have met make the mistake of thinking that you do not need much protein at all. I even had one guy tell me that only 5% of one’s diet should come from protein. Of course this guy looked like Don Knots and would be blown off like kite if a strong wind came by. I had another guy tell me that I can get protein from a cucumber and that I should not even worry about it. Of course, this guy was not in shape either and was in no position to give me nutrition advice. We have to be much more sensible than that. Especially, if we expect anyone to give up meat and adopt a vegetarian diet. Telling people that they can get all of the protein that they need from eating spinach and leafy green vegetables is impractical. Just because it works for the gorillas does not mean that it will work for us. Not getting enough protein and thinking that only 5% of your diet needs to be comprised of protein are sure-fire ways to be spindly and weak for the rest of your life.
Now I am not saying that you need two grams of protein per pound of bodyweight like the bodybuilding magazines state. That is way too much protein and a case of overkill. For athletes, 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean muscle is optimal for increasing strength and size. For example, if you weigh 180lb and have ten percent bodyfat, then you should shoot for 150-160 grams of protein to build more muscle. If you want to maintain your size, then 100-120 will probably be sufficient.
Next, vegans like anyone else need to load up on healthy sources of fat. Without enough fat in your diet, your skin will dry up, your energy will plummet, and you will look like death. Getting 20-30% of your calories from fat is a good way to go. Load up on healthy fats such as: flaxseed oil, olive oil, almonds, walnuts, almond butter, and avocadoes. Also, vegan diets are free of all saturated fats, which is great for the most part. However, some saturated fat is required for optimal health, so get some coconut oil or coconut milk in you diet as well.
Finally, make sure that you eat a variety of food to get a full array of muscle building amino acids. Some examples of good combinations include: black beans and quinoa, lentils and brown rice, almond butter sandwich, Rice protein/soy milk shake, green peas and almonds. Have some veggie burgers and other fake meat products from time to time, but make sure that the majority of your diet comes from fresh organic food.
Here is a sample of my diet:
Breakfast
3 tablespoons of Rice Protein Powder (nutribiotic brand) with 8oz of almond milk and 8oz of soy milk. I add ½ cup of frozen mango or strawberries to the mix and one tablespoon of coconut oil. I also add in two teaspoons of Vitamineral Green (www.healthforce.com)
Mid afternoon snack
½ cup of almonds and ½ cup of raisins
Late afternoon snack
Two Veggie burgers with olive oil and some sprouted bread (“Ezekial” or "Man's Bread)
Post Workout Shake
3 scoops of Rice Protein Powder with 8oz of oat or rice milk. I throw in
1 tablespoons of flaxseed oil and ½ cup of frozen fruit.
Dinner
Mixed Green Salad with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or one avocado.
One cup of lentils steamed with squash, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, and some tofu. One tablespoon of olive oil is added to the mix.
One cup of quinoa
A pear or apple
Some dark chocolate for dessert and some ginger cookies
Glass of red wine
Late Night snack
Peanut butter or almond butter sandwich and a cup of berries
---------
from http://www.musclemonthly.com/bodybuilding-vegetarian-diet.htm
There are different types of vegetarians, some will eat only vegetable, beans, lentils e.t.c, while some are lacto-ovo and will eat eggs and drink milk, pesco vegetarians will eat fish and drink milk. The biggest problem is getting enough protein into the diet when you are a vegetarian, obviously if you are a lacto-ovo veggie then you can get protein from the eggs, cheese and milk, while fish is a great source of protein for the pesco vegetarian.
One very important point to remember that while you can get protein from vegetables they are of a lower quality than those found in animal proteins; therefore you will have to be careful to take protein from as many different sources as possible. You need to make sure you take in enough protein for the strict workout you are giving your body.
Carbohydrates also help you to gain that much needed weight and are low in fat, examples of these foods are beans, Soya, coconut, hummus, oat milk and rice milk. A vitamin B supplement may also be advisable for the vegetarian because without meat in the diet you could be lacking this vital vitamin, an alternative to taking a supplement is eating seaweed in your diet.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is essential for anyone on a high intake of protein and carbohydrates; this will help to displace the substances of your diet to where your body needs them.
Example bodybuilding diet
Meal 1 - oatmeal made with rice or soya milk.
Meal 2 - soya protein drink.
Meal 3 - peanut butter sandwich.
Meal 4 - fruit.
Meal 5 - soya burger, potatoes and vegetables.
Meal 6 - soya protein drink.
Always make sure you drink plenty of water with your meals and drink 100% fruit juices, there are also plenty of meal replacement drinks available from your health store which are rich in soya protein. Soya protein is not only good for your muscles but is also good for the heart in particular; 25g of soya protein can help reduce the risk of heart disease
------
from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDE/is_4_22/ai_110805469/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1
MANY WEIGHTLIFTERS THINK A VEGAN DIET might be detrimental to their efforts because of the lower protein content of a typical vegan diet. Other weightlifters feel that a vegan diet enhances their training regimen by reducing fatigue and improving general health. Unfortunately, there are no studies looking directly at vegan weightlifters, but there is a fair amount of research that can be used to extrapolate to vegans.
While reading this article, keep in mind that weightlifting can be divided into two types:
* BODYBUILDING to achieve the most noticeable muscles.
* POWERLIFTING to produce the largest amounts of strength.
ENERGY
Related Results
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Foreign Banks in United States Since World War II: A Useful Fringe
Building Your Brand With Brand Line Extensions
The Impact of the Structure of Debt on Target Gains
Project Management Standard Program Carbohydrates, fat, protein, and alcohol all provide energy. Resistance training, exercises where muscles push or pull against some force, is used to develop and maintain muscular strength and requires an increase in energy above that of sedentary individuals. The amounts vary depending upon training regimen, as well as other factors, including exercise efficiency, gender, non-exercise habits, and genetics. Because of the variation in needs, there is no one easy formula for caloric requirements; it is a matter of experimentation.
It is important to note that not eating enough calories to meet needs will tend to reduce muscle mass. Eating adequate calories spares muscle protein that would otherwise be used for energy. Paying attention to hunger signals can be a good guide in knowing whether you are eating enough energy. For a general ballpark figure, novice male weightlifters increased muscle mass and size, and lowered body fat, on a diet of about 18 calories/lb of body weight per day (3240 calories/day for a 180-lb person). (1) In another study, highly trained male bodybuilders ate 22.7 calories/lb (4,086 calories/day for a 180-lb person). (2)
PROTEIN
Depending on the source, protein needs among weightlifters are reported at values equal to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) to values as high as four times the RDA (Table 1). During the 1800s, it was believed that protein was the main fuel used during exercise. But work in the early part of the 1900s indicated that exercise did not change protein needs and, until the 1970s, was accepted without further research. (3) Recently, there has been more research on protein requirements of athletes, with varying interpretations.
Determining how much protein a person needs is often done by using nitrogen balance studies. Nitrogen is a component of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, and can serve as a marker for protein metabolism. Positive nitrogen balance means that the person is taking in more nitrogen than he or she is excreting, and is therefore using that nitrogen to build muscle. Negative nitrogen balance means more nitrogen is being excreted than consumed, and thus muscle is breaking down. When looking solely at athletic performance, nitrogen balance is an indirect method of measuring protein needs; what really matters is whether the person increases muscle mass, strength, or speed.
Two studies are particularly relevant. Lemon et al. studied 12 men starting an intensive weight training program of 1.5 hours, six days a week. (1) They compared one month of supplementing with carbohydrates (on a diet of 1.4 g/kg of protein per day) to one month of supplementing with protein (for a total of 2.6 g/kg of protein per day) for the same people. They determined that a protein intake of 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg was needed to achieve nitrogen balance. However, muscle size and strength increased the same amount on both regimens. The authors thought that extra amino acids for the muscle-building during the carbohydrate treatment were coming from amino acid pools found in the digestive tract, kidneys, or liver. These sources are small and will eventually be depleted.
The second study was conducted by Tarnopolsky et al. on six lacto-ovo vegetarian bodybuilders who had been training intensively for at least three years. (2) The bodybuilders normally ate 2.77 g/kg of protein. Upon reducing their protein "intake to 1.05 g/kg, the group remained in nitrogen balance and changes in lean (non-fat) body mass did not occur. Two individuals, however, were found to have a negative nitrogen balance while eating 1.05 g/kg of protein. These results indicated that protein needs for the majority of advanced bodybuilders are fairly close to 1.05 g/kg but that some may have higher requirements.
Taken together, these studies on a small number of athletes imply that protein needs (per body weight) may be greater in the beginning stages of training (when muscles are making larger increases and protein is deposited) than when muscle mass has plateaued.
The Food and Nutrition Board, which sets the RDA, reviewed Lemon et al.'s study and others and concluded there is no sufficient evidence to support that resistance training increases the protein RDA of .80 g/kg for healthy adults.
Some vegan health professionals have recommended slightly higher protein intakes (.9-1.0 g/kg of body weight) than the RDA for vegans in general. (5,6) However, the Food and Nutrition Board recently said that if complementary sources of protein are used (generally mixing beans and grains throughout the day), vegetarians' protein needs are no greater than non-vegetarians. (4) It should be noted that the RDA for protein has a margin of safety such that many sedentary adults meeting the RDA will actually get more protein than they need. Considering the information reviewed above and the lack of other specific research, it seems reasonable to conclude that the protein needs of most vegan bodybuilders are somewhere between .8 and 1.5 g/kg (.36 and .68 g/lb) of body weight.
study of vegans to date shows that they consume about .9 g of protein/kg of body weight and obtain 13 percent of their energy from protein. (7) Thus, if a vegan eats 18 calories/lb, which seems to be on the lower end for serious weightlifters, he or she will naturally consume 1.3 g of protein/kg of body weight, likely meeting protein needs. However, if more carbohydrates, such as pasta, are primarily chosen to increase caloric intake, the percentage of protein may be less.
Related Results
Trust, E-innovation and Leadership in Change
Foreign Banks in United States Since World War II: A Useful Fringe
Building Your Brand With Brand Line Extensions
The Impact of the Structure of Debt on Target Gains
Project Management Standard Program For this reason, vegan weightlifters should make an effort to also select high protein foods. Legumes, soyfoods, and wheat gluten (seitan) are the typical vegan foods highest in protein (Table 2). It is also possible for vegans to take a protein supplement, though this is not necessary. If vegans do supplement on occasion, Naturade makes a number of vegan protein supplements, including a soy-free protein supplement for those allergic to soy or who do not want more soy in their diet. Most health foods stores can order these if they do not carry them.
FAT
Based on studies of endurance athletes, some researchers believe that fat is an important part of the athlete's diet. Diets that are too low in fat (15 percent or less fat) may compromise immunity, reduce intramuscular fat stores (which could spare muscle protein), and reduce energy intake. (8) While this has not been studied in bodybuilders, the novice bodybuilders in Lemon et al.'s study received about 31 percent of their calories from fat and succeeded in increasing strength and muscle size. (1) Higher intakes might also reduce the chances of irregular menstrual cycles in women from low body fat.
Average fat intake for vegans is about 28 percent of calories. (9) Some weightlifters try to avoid fats to lose body fat, but this is inadvisable for vegans who already eat relatively lowfat diets. A good estimate of optimal fat intake for vegan weightlifters is about 20 to 28 percent of calories.
Fried foods and hydrogenated oils (such as in many margarines) should not be used to increase fat intake. They have a high trans-fatty acid content, which increases the risk of heart disease. Avocados, nuts, flaxseed oil, olive oil, canola oil, vegan "mayonnaises" (such as Vegenaise), tofu, and chocolate are better choices.
All vegans should pay attention to omega-3 fatty acid intake. As an essential amino acid, omega-3 helps to conduct nerve impulses; to form the membranes around the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs; and to maintain optimum cardiovascular health. These needs can generally be satisfied by taking a teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day. Ground flaxseeds, canola oil, and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats.
From http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler21.htm
What To Eat To Gain Weight?
One of the biggest problems that people tell me about on a vegan diet is the difficulty in gaining muscle. They usually state that they could not find enough high calorie sources to consume to put on weight rapidly and got discouraged. The bottom line is that they were not consuming enough protein and fat. To gain weight rapidly, eat 1-1.5 grams of protein for each lb of lean bodyweight. Thus, if you weigh 200lbs and have 10% bodyfat, eat 190 to 285 grams of protein per day, every day. Start off on the lower end of the scale and work your way up.
Next, get an ample supply of quality fats in your diet. Almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pistachios, are all high quality sources and are loaded with both protein and fat. Also, add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your salads and protein shakes. Next, unlike the weight loss advice, eat several servings of rice, potatoes, and bread. The key to gaining weight rapidly is an abundance of calories. Thus, do not hold back and have 6-7 high quality meals a day. Also consider having a protein shake before and after workout as well as before bedtime. When you go shopping load up on tofu, tempeh, lentils, avocadoes, nuts and seeds, and high calorie fruits such as bananas, tropical fruits, and try adding some coconut milk to your routine as well.
What I Do?
I have tried many diets in the past that have all worked to some degree. For example, to lose weight, I once tried substituting a few meals with protein shakes and then having a few moderate meals throughout the day. Combined with an effective exercise regimen, this worked pretty well. However, I was not fond of the calorie counting and feeling like I needed to eat something every 2-3 hours. Also, to gain weight I have tried eating several moderate meals during the day, with protein shakes and bars in between meals and then a large meal at night. This worked very well for putting on size. However, again it was not convenient and I did not like having my whole day revolving around eating food.
-------
from http://www.grapplearts.com/Vegan-diet-for-size.htm
The number one thing that people always ask me is where do I get my protein. Many vegans that I have met make the mistake of thinking that you do not need much protein at all. I even had one guy tell me that only 5% of one’s diet should come from protein. Of course this guy looked like Don Knots and would be blown off like kite if a strong wind came by. I had another guy tell me that I can get protein from a cucumber and that I should not even worry about it. Of course, this guy was not in shape either and was in no position to give me nutrition advice. We have to be much more sensible than that. Especially, if we expect anyone to give up meat and adopt a vegetarian diet. Telling people that they can get all of the protein that they need from eating spinach and leafy green vegetables is impractical. Just because it works for the gorillas does not mean that it will work for us. Not getting enough protein and thinking that only 5% of your diet needs to be comprised of protein are sure-fire ways to be spindly and weak for the rest of your life.
Now I am not saying that you need two grams of protein per pound of bodyweight like the bodybuilding magazines state. That is way too much protein and a case of overkill. For athletes, 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean muscle is optimal for increasing strength and size. For example, if you weigh 180lb and have ten percent bodyfat, then you should shoot for 150-160 grams of protein to build more muscle. If you want to maintain your size, then 100-120 will probably be sufficient.
Next, vegans like anyone else need to load up on healthy sources of fat. Without enough fat in your diet, your skin will dry up, your energy will plummet, and you will look like death. Getting 20-30% of your calories from fat is a good way to go. Load up on healthy fats such as: flaxseed oil, olive oil, almonds, walnuts, almond butter, and avocadoes. Also, vegan diets are free of all saturated fats, which is great for the most part. However, some saturated fat is required for optimal health, so get some coconut oil or coconut milk in you diet as well.
Finally, make sure that you eat a variety of food to get a full array of muscle building amino acids. Some examples of good combinations include: black beans and quinoa, lentils and brown rice, almond butter sandwich, Rice protein/soy milk shake, green peas and almonds. Have some veggie burgers and other fake meat products from time to time, but make sure that the majority of your diet comes from fresh organic food.
Here is a sample of my diet:
Breakfast
3 tablespoons of Rice Protein Powder (nutribiotic brand) with 8oz of almond milk and 8oz of soy milk. I add ½ cup of frozen mango or strawberries to the mix and one tablespoon of coconut oil. I also add in two teaspoons of Vitamineral Green (www.healthforce.com)
Mid afternoon snack
½ cup of almonds and ½ cup of raisins
Late afternoon snack
Two Veggie burgers with olive oil and some sprouted bread (“Ezekial” or "Man's Bread)
Post Workout Shake
3 scoops of Rice Protein Powder with 8oz of oat or rice milk. I throw in
1 tablespoons of flaxseed oil and ½ cup of frozen fruit.
Dinner
Mixed Green Salad with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or one avocado.
One cup of lentils steamed with squash, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, and some tofu. One tablespoon of olive oil is added to the mix.
One cup of quinoa
A pear or apple
Some dark chocolate for dessert and some ginger cookies
Glass of red wine
Late Night snack
Peanut butter or almond butter sandwich and a cup of berries
---------
from http://www.musclemonthly.com/bodybuilding-vegetarian-diet.htm
There are different types of vegetarians, some will eat only vegetable, beans, lentils e.t.c, while some are lacto-ovo and will eat eggs and drink milk, pesco vegetarians will eat fish and drink milk. The biggest problem is getting enough protein into the diet when you are a vegetarian, obviously if you are a lacto-ovo veggie then you can get protein from the eggs, cheese and milk, while fish is a great source of protein for the pesco vegetarian.
One very important point to remember that while you can get protein from vegetables they are of a lower quality than those found in animal proteins; therefore you will have to be careful to take protein from as many different sources as possible. You need to make sure you take in enough protein for the strict workout you are giving your body.
Carbohydrates also help you to gain that much needed weight and are low in fat, examples of these foods are beans, Soya, coconut, hummus, oat milk and rice milk. A vitamin B supplement may also be advisable for the vegetarian because without meat in the diet you could be lacking this vital vitamin, an alternative to taking a supplement is eating seaweed in your diet.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is essential for anyone on a high intake of protein and carbohydrates; this will help to displace the substances of your diet to where your body needs them.
Example bodybuilding diet
Meal 1 - oatmeal made with rice or soya milk.
Meal 2 - soya protein drink.
Meal 3 - peanut butter sandwich.
Meal 4 - fruit.
Meal 5 - soya burger, potatoes and vegetables.
Meal 6 - soya protein drink.
Always make sure you drink plenty of water with your meals and drink 100% fruit juices, there are also plenty of meal replacement drinks available from your health store which are rich in soya protein. Soya protein is not only good for your muscles but is also good for the heart in particular; 25g of soya protein can help reduce the risk of heart disease
------
from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDE/is_4_22/ai_110805469/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1
MANY WEIGHTLIFTERS THINK A VEGAN DIET might be detrimental to their efforts because of the lower protein content of a typical vegan diet. Other weightlifters feel that a vegan diet enhances their training regimen by reducing fatigue and improving general health. Unfortunately, there are no studies looking directly at vegan weightlifters, but there is a fair amount of research that can be used to extrapolate to vegans.
While reading this article, keep in mind that weightlifting can be divided into two types:
* BODYBUILDING to achieve the most noticeable muscles.
* POWERLIFTING to produce the largest amounts of strength.
ENERGY
Related Results
Trust, E-innovation and Leadership in Change
Foreign Banks in United States Since World War II: A Useful Fringe
Building Your Brand With Brand Line Extensions
The Impact of the Structure of Debt on Target Gains
Project Management Standard Program Carbohydrates, fat, protein, and alcohol all provide energy. Resistance training, exercises where muscles push or pull against some force, is used to develop and maintain muscular strength and requires an increase in energy above that of sedentary individuals. The amounts vary depending upon training regimen, as well as other factors, including exercise efficiency, gender, non-exercise habits, and genetics. Because of the variation in needs, there is no one easy formula for caloric requirements; it is a matter of experimentation.
It is important to note that not eating enough calories to meet needs will tend to reduce muscle mass. Eating adequate calories spares muscle protein that would otherwise be used for energy. Paying attention to hunger signals can be a good guide in knowing whether you are eating enough energy. For a general ballpark figure, novice male weightlifters increased muscle mass and size, and lowered body fat, on a diet of about 18 calories/lb of body weight per day (3240 calories/day for a 180-lb person). (1) In another study, highly trained male bodybuilders ate 22.7 calories/lb (4,086 calories/day for a 180-lb person). (2)
PROTEIN
Depending on the source, protein needs among weightlifters are reported at values equal to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) to values as high as four times the RDA (Table 1). During the 1800s, it was believed that protein was the main fuel used during exercise. But work in the early part of the 1900s indicated that exercise did not change protein needs and, until the 1970s, was accepted without further research. (3) Recently, there has been more research on protein requirements of athletes, with varying interpretations.
Determining how much protein a person needs is often done by using nitrogen balance studies. Nitrogen is a component of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, and can serve as a marker for protein metabolism. Positive nitrogen balance means that the person is taking in more nitrogen than he or she is excreting, and is therefore using that nitrogen to build muscle. Negative nitrogen balance means more nitrogen is being excreted than consumed, and thus muscle is breaking down. When looking solely at athletic performance, nitrogen balance is an indirect method of measuring protein needs; what really matters is whether the person increases muscle mass, strength, or speed.
Two studies are particularly relevant. Lemon et al. studied 12 men starting an intensive weight training program of 1.5 hours, six days a week. (1) They compared one month of supplementing with carbohydrates (on a diet of 1.4 g/kg of protein per day) to one month of supplementing with protein (for a total of 2.6 g/kg of protein per day) for the same people. They determined that a protein intake of 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg was needed to achieve nitrogen balance. However, muscle size and strength increased the same amount on both regimens. The authors thought that extra amino acids for the muscle-building during the carbohydrate treatment were coming from amino acid pools found in the digestive tract, kidneys, or liver. These sources are small and will eventually be depleted.
The second study was conducted by Tarnopolsky et al. on six lacto-ovo vegetarian bodybuilders who had been training intensively for at least three years. (2) The bodybuilders normally ate 2.77 g/kg of protein. Upon reducing their protein "intake to 1.05 g/kg, the group remained in nitrogen balance and changes in lean (non-fat) body mass did not occur. Two individuals, however, were found to have a negative nitrogen balance while eating 1.05 g/kg of protein. These results indicated that protein needs for the majority of advanced bodybuilders are fairly close to 1.05 g/kg but that some may have higher requirements.
Taken together, these studies on a small number of athletes imply that protein needs (per body weight) may be greater in the beginning stages of training (when muscles are making larger increases and protein is deposited) than when muscle mass has plateaued.
The Food and Nutrition Board, which sets the RDA, reviewed Lemon et al.'s study and others and concluded there is no sufficient evidence to support that resistance training increases the protein RDA of .80 g/kg for healthy adults.
Some vegan health professionals have recommended slightly higher protein intakes (.9-1.0 g/kg of body weight) than the RDA for vegans in general. (5,6) However, the Food and Nutrition Board recently said that if complementary sources of protein are used (generally mixing beans and grains throughout the day), vegetarians' protein needs are no greater than non-vegetarians. (4) It should be noted that the RDA for protein has a margin of safety such that many sedentary adults meeting the RDA will actually get more protein than they need. Considering the information reviewed above and the lack of other specific research, it seems reasonable to conclude that the protein needs of most vegan bodybuilders are somewhere between .8 and 1.5 g/kg (.36 and .68 g/lb) of body weight.
study of vegans to date shows that they consume about .9 g of protein/kg of body weight and obtain 13 percent of their energy from protein. (7) Thus, if a vegan eats 18 calories/lb, which seems to be on the lower end for serious weightlifters, he or she will naturally consume 1.3 g of protein/kg of body weight, likely meeting protein needs. However, if more carbohydrates, such as pasta, are primarily chosen to increase caloric intake, the percentage of protein may be less.
Related Results
Trust, E-innovation and Leadership in Change
Foreign Banks in United States Since World War II: A Useful Fringe
Building Your Brand With Brand Line Extensions
The Impact of the Structure of Debt on Target Gains
Project Management Standard Program For this reason, vegan weightlifters should make an effort to also select high protein foods. Legumes, soyfoods, and wheat gluten (seitan) are the typical vegan foods highest in protein (Table 2). It is also possible for vegans to take a protein supplement, though this is not necessary. If vegans do supplement on occasion, Naturade makes a number of vegan protein supplements, including a soy-free protein supplement for those allergic to soy or who do not want more soy in their diet. Most health foods stores can order these if they do not carry them.
FAT
Based on studies of endurance athletes, some researchers believe that fat is an important part of the athlete's diet. Diets that are too low in fat (15 percent or less fat) may compromise immunity, reduce intramuscular fat stores (which could spare muscle protein), and reduce energy intake. (8) While this has not been studied in bodybuilders, the novice bodybuilders in Lemon et al.'s study received about 31 percent of their calories from fat and succeeded in increasing strength and muscle size. (1) Higher intakes might also reduce the chances of irregular menstrual cycles in women from low body fat.
Average fat intake for vegans is about 28 percent of calories. (9) Some weightlifters try to avoid fats to lose body fat, but this is inadvisable for vegans who already eat relatively lowfat diets. A good estimate of optimal fat intake for vegan weightlifters is about 20 to 28 percent of calories.
Fried foods and hydrogenated oils (such as in many margarines) should not be used to increase fat intake. They have a high trans-fatty acid content, which increases the risk of heart disease. Avocados, nuts, flaxseed oil, olive oil, canola oil, vegan "mayonnaises" (such as Vegenaise), tofu, and chocolate are better choices.
All vegans should pay attention to omega-3 fatty acid intake. As an essential amino acid, omega-3 helps to conduct nerve impulses; to form the membranes around the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs; and to maintain optimum cardiovascular health. These needs can generally be satisfied by taking a teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day. Ground flaxseeds, canola oil, and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats.
posted by jlhart7 at 8:26 PM
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