Vegetarian and vegan nutrition (page 1 of 2)

It is estimated about least 1 out of 10 American households contain at least one self-professed vegetarian. Debates rage over whether vegetarians are indeed healthier than their meat-eating counterparts, and one of the most common questions a vegetarian is asked is, "Where do you get your protein?"

Many bodybuilders scoff at the notion that you can build quality muscle while avoiding meat and whey protein shakes. Individuals like Roy Hilligenn (1951 Mr. America), Steve Holt (a top-ranking natural bodybuilder) and Mike Mahler (a vegan strength training coach) have proven that this is a myth. You can live a healthy, productive lifestyle and yes, even gain muscle, by following a completely vegan nutrition plan. The key is to know what foods to include.

It is popular to assume that vegans and vegetarians lack adequate protein in their diet. This is not true. Other nutrients that are of special concern for vegetarians include calcium, iron, and Vitamin B12.

The body is constantly breaking down proteins and releasing amino acids into the bloodstream. This is referred to as protein turnover. In fact, the average healthy adult may "turnover" up to 300 grams of protein in a day! Obviously, few people consume this much protein and the reason is because the body is very efficient and can recycle those amino acids. This recycling is not 100% efficient, however, and some nitrogen, a building block of protein, is lost through urine and sweat. This means that some protein is required every day to replace what is lost. Based on analysis of protein turnover, the recommended daily intake for protein is 0.8 g/kg/day or 80 grams for a 100 kilogram individual.

Unfortunately, the recommended daily intake is not intended for active persons. It was designed based on sedentary individuals. Due to increased demands for protein from both tissue damage (repairing the impact of training) and energy requirements (intense training uses protein as an energy source), people who exercise require more protein.

Endurance athletes may need between 1.2 - 1.4 g/kg/day, while strength athletes such as weight-lifters and sprinters may require 1.4 - 1.6 g/kg/day. A 100 kilogram (approximately 200 pound) personal who runs marathons would need 120 - 140 grams per day while that same individual during a strength training regimen could need up to 160 grams per day.

Fortunately, protein does not come from animal sources. In fact, all amino acids from animal sources come from plant sources. Animals consume plants and integrate those amino acids into their own tissue. Of course, other animals are more highly adapted to extract the amino acids from plants. However, there remains an impressive number of high protein sources available to vegetarians. Eggs and dairy are the highest sources and are considered complete proteins (see below). Vegan sources include soy products (tempeh, tofu, and soybeans), lentils, black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), baked beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, lima beans, and quinoa. By consuming a few meals with large portions of these items you can easily meet your daily requirements.

Proteins from plant sources are considered incomplete. There is a general misunderstanding about what this means. You may be surprised to learn that all plant sources contain all of the necessary amino acids! The term incomplete doesn't refer to a missing ingredient, but instead refers to what is considered the "limiting" amino acid. For example, grains are very low in lysine. They do not completely lack this amino acid, but the amount is too low to adequately supply human needs.