Vegan and sport: Is it compatible? – msnNOW

Vegan and sport: Is it compatible?  msnNOW

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The veganism trend has taken Germany by storm. Even the smallest village store now stocks vegan products, and hardly any restaurant can do without a „vegan“ section on the menu. Our Food culture is constantly changing – and veganism is well on its way to becoming an integral part of it.

Vegans live not only expensive, but also healthy

Gurus like Attila Hildmann praise the positive effect on body weight, and allegedly it even increases physical fitness. „The vegan diet is optimally suited for athletes, since the high proportion of complex carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins provides them with the necessary power,“ says at PETA. Can this be true?

Protein must come

The fact is that vegans cannot cover their protein requirements with animal protein and must therefore resort to plant sources. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a daily protein intake of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. At a weight of 60 kilos, one would therefore have to consume 48 grams of protein to meet the requirement. The myth that sporting activity increases the requirement persists; however, this only applies to competitive athletes such as marathon runners and bodybuilders. The normal Fitness goer So you don’t necessarily have to drink a protein shake after your workout.

Opinions differ on the difference between animal and vegetable protein. Sometimes it is claimed that the body can only optimally utilize animal protein (for example, from dairy products and meat), sometimes vegetable protein (for example, from vegetables and legumes) is the best source of protein. Relevant studies on the subject do not exist to date; nevertheless, it is true that animal protein sources are often accompanied by a lot of fat and cholesterol and should therefore be consumed sparingly.

Vegans can safely do sports

Competitive sports and vegan nutrition are by no means mutually exclusive. Extreme athletes like Patrick Baboumian and Scott Jurek prove this. Long-distance runners like Andrea Diethers are also of the opinion that a vegan lifestyle enhances performance. Diethers‘ performance diagnostics speak for this; her Run results have steadily improved since the switch from vegetarian to vegan. She feels significantly fitter. „The diagnostics have reaffirmed this feeling. I feel very well, am healthy and have no deficiency symptoms.“

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Anyone who now also wants to switch to a vegan diet should take it slowly. On the web you can find numerous tips for beginners on the subject, and in the meantime there are in each

bookstore has its own corner with various vegan cookbooks. If you want to be on the safe side, you should have your blood values checked regularly – this way you can quickly find and correct possible deficiencies in your diet.

Off Topic: Thoughts about the green wave

You don’t have to become a vegetarian or vegan to soothe your conscience as a member of the surplus and throwaway society. Environmentally friendly, climate-friendly and of course super-healthy everything should be. A few examples from everyday life:

– Cars: Not only BMW’s i3 has enjoyed special attention for some time now. More and more cars are rolling along the roads on electric power. If it has to be an energy-guzzling SUV to make the daily trip to the organic market, then at least it has to be powered by electricity.

– Green electricity is now the electricity of choice, at least in private households. With most providers, electricity from renewable sources is even cheaper. Where exactly the electricity comes from, you no longer need to know and you can confidently let the TV run through.

– Everything is becoming organic: on the shelves of supermarkets are piling up the organic versions of products and foods. The next step is then that the healthy and unsprayed vegetables are also biologically packed will be. Less plastic waste and other desirable effects of our new organic consciousness do not come automatically just because the packaged bread meets the EU’s organic requirements.

What strikes you about these examples is that it’s good that we want to eat less meat, do more sports, use only green electricity, and live healthier and more environmentally friendly lives. But if you really care about your own health and don’t want to exploit the environment and animals any more (or at least less), you have to change your thinking completely. No green shopping list or electricity contract that says „organic“ is enough. A more conscious lifestyle is required everywhere and in every area of our daily lives. Otherwise, any change of mindset will end up being nothing more than a fashion statement.

Image source: Fredrik Winberg About CC BY-SA 2.0

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