Can i be a vegetarian and still be a great cross country long distance runner? What do i do as far as....?

Question

as protein, iron, and all the other important vitamins i can only get through meat,poultry, and fish?

I have protein shakes and a multi vitamin, but do you reccomend me being vegetarian? overall, is it the best and healthiest option?

Answer 1

I understand that the top ultra-marathoner today is vegan I cannot remember his name.

Three great runners from past Olympics were also vegetarians - Lasse Viren, Emile Zatopek, and Paavo Nurmi.

I personally improved my times within a year of going vegetarian, I once ran 3 miles in under 15 minutes, 10 miles in under an hour, as a vegetarian.

Protein is not a problem it is found in just about everything we eat. Iron, green leafy vegetables are loaded with it. Other vitamins are not a problem, take a tablet if you are really worried, but I haven't in over 18 years, and I am still very healthy.

Good Luck!!

Answer 2

Brendan Brazier and Ruth Heidrich are vegan iron-distance triathletes (that's a 3.5 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, topped off by a marathon!) I think if you're a great cross-country runner and you are nourishing your body well, you'll remain a great cross-country runner.

There are NO nutrients that you can only get through meat, poultry and fish. If you should choose to also exclude dairy and eggs, you would need to seek a source of vitamin B12, but every other nutrient you need can be found in abundance in a plant-based diet. Good sources of vegetarian protein include soybeans and the products made from them (tofu, tvp, edamame, meat analogs,) beans and other legumes (lentils, peas, peanuts and peanut butter, chickpeas,) nuts and seeds, whole grains (quinoa is a great one to try as it's a complete protein and also an excellent source of iron and calcium,) fruits and vegetables and mushrooms. Good sources of iron include quinoa (as mentioned,) dark green veggies, dried apricots, and blackstrap molasses. Get yourself a good book on vegetarianism that includes a discussion of nutritional requirements and some great recipes.

Answer 3

Of course you can. Check out this list of vegetarian atheletes.

http://www.veganathlete.com/vegan_vegetarian_athletes.php

People throw a lot of misconceptions out there. The protein scare is the biggest misconception about vegetarian diets. There are quite a bit of misconceptions so here are some web sites I think will help. The first is a list of vegetables with protein and how much the second are calcium sources in raw veggies. The third is an article about B12. It is actually a microbe found in soil and is abundant in seaweed, tempeh, miso, and root veggies. The last one is a list of foods with iron and how much.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

http://health.rutgers.edu/factsheets/iron.htm

http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/calevel.html

http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.html

Also, I am never tired and I am quite tan so don't listen to those misconceptions either about lifeless pale vegetarians. I actually much more energy since I became a vegetarian.

Answer 4

pass united states of america runners are distance runners lol. basically approximately all pass united states of america runners run music, and maximum all distance runners run pass united states of america. And the dedication might of course rely on the guy.

Answer 5

Ask Lance Armstrong.

Answer 6

Ask Carl Lewis. Or Brendan Brazier (he's a triathlete).

Answer 7

A nutritionist can help you design an eating plan that covers the bases.

Answer 8

Some of these links can explain it all so much better than I can. Good luck!

Answer 9

Get plenty of protein is key.

Answer 10

it is healthy but and is one of the healthiest but make sure you get enough protein.