Sporty and Vegan | Is It Possible?
Many of us have already drooled over a colorful vegan recipe. On the menu, plants but no meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, honey, etc. In short, nothing that cannot come from animals. Dishes, therefore, require great creativity to combine all the nutrients necessary for our body. Many people, including high-level athletes like Lewis Hamilton, Serena Williams, Kyrie Irving, etc., have adopted this vegan lifestyle, excluding anything of animal origin. Despite everything, this diet raises many questions, particularly regarding its compatibility with the sporting environment. So, what is it? Can you be both sporty and vegan?
Why Question Its Compatibility with Sport?
Can you follow your beliefs by being vegan while doing a lot of sports? Some people will tell you yes and will name the names of vegan or vegetarian athletes like Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, an Olympic athlete, or even the bodybuilder Frank Medrano. Others will be more mixed. The reason? Intensive sports practice increases our need for nutrients, some of which are mainly present in products of animal origin. Among them are:
Vitamin B12: The primary sources of this vitamin are meat, seafood and eggs.
Iron: This trace element is present in meat and poultry.
Omega-3s such as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid): Found in fatty fish.
Vitamin D: Present mainly in fish.
Do you understand why the compatibility of such a diet with sport raises questions? These elements are essential for muscle activity, blood circulation, oxygenation, and proper muscle development. Therefore, they must be increased, which becomes complicated when we need to consume them or more.
How to be Vegan and Sporty?
Although it seems complicated to be vegan and sporty, it is not impossible. This requires being vigilant about your diet and ensuring you always have the proper nutrient intake. Iron, for example, can also be present in plants such as lentils. However, this plant form is less well absorbed by the body. In addition, whole grain products or legumes, mainly consumed in the vegan diet, contain substances that reduce iron absorption and other minerals.
Vegan people must, therefore, ensure that they meet their iron needs, as well as Omega-3, vitamin B12, and D. This attention must be all the more important when you are sporty. So, to catch everything, taking food supplements is often recommended. Combined with a varied and balanced diet, they can provide all the nutrients missing or less well absorbed in the vegan diet.
And the Proteins in All This?
A preconceived idea remains stubborn. Athletes must eat a lot of meat to stock up on protein. Well, imagine that if the place of proteins in sports is preponderant, meat does not have a monopoly. Plants also contain it. Legumes (lentils, dried beans, broad beans, chickpeas, etc.), soya, quinoa, hemp, whole grains, etc. are good sources. Be careful; apart from soy, not all of them have a “good” protein profile.
Namely, like a necklace of pearls, proteins (= the necklace) are made up of an assembly of amino acids (= the pearls). Some amino acids are essential because our body cannot make them. For a protein to be of quality, it must be composed of all essential amino acids and in the right proportion. This is not the case in all plants.
But nature did it well. Combining cereals and legumes will improve the quality of the proteins in your meal. Sporty and vegan? Several solutions are available. You can increase your food portions of soy, legumes, cereals, etc., or opt for vegetable protein powder.
Our Wise Solutions To Be Sporty and Vegan:
We are aware that being vegan and making sure you don’t lack any nutrients can be a real headache, especially when you practice heavily in sports. You Can Be Sporty and Vegan Together? To keep you in shape and support you in your sporting journey, you can count on Wiselancer Solutions.
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