Plant based diets have caused a lot of controversy in recent years. People say that a plant based diet cannot provide enough protein or fuel for a runner’s body, or any body for that matter. In truth, however, there is a large population of the running world that relies on a plant based diet and has a lot of success with it. Knowing the truth about a plant based diet is important and just covering the basics will provide you with a huge advantage.
The Truth About The Advantages
People like Rich Roll, Scott Jurek, Brendan Bazier, Hilary Biscay, and many others have raved about the benefits that they felt after switching to a plant based diet. The most common benefit is the reduction of acid inside of the body. Too much acid in your body can cause inflammation and decreased performance, something that is dramatically alleviated by a non-acidic diet of plant foods.
Athletes also find that their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are reduced and they are able to run miles on end without worrying about their cardiovascular health. This benefit moves on to cover every aspect of your life, not just running.
These benefits are the same whether you are a short distance runner or a person that runs 8 hours a day. Recovery is much easier when your body has all of the nutrients that it needs and doesn’t have to worry about the damaging effects of unhealthy, meat based diets.
A Note On Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a problem for a lot of people. Once you switch to a plant based diet, however, many people worry that they aren’t getting enough carbohydrates for their body to adequately repair itself. The truth is that plants contain the highest quality carbohydrates available and can actually give you longer lasting performance than any carbohydrate that a non plant based athlete takes in.
The Disadvantages
One of the most commonly written disadvantages is the potential for nutrient deficiencies. This is more a problem of athletes than the diet itself. It is simply easier to end up with a deficiency if you aren’t eating properly. Vitamin D, B-12, Zine, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Riboflavin are all important to your body and supplementation is necessary in most cases when using a plant based diet.
Rich Roll, a vegan runner, points out that many people switch to a meat free diet, and basically eat as unhealthy as possible, just without meat. That can lead to a host of problem. Inflammation, weight gain, and other problems that weren’t an issue before can now show their faces.
Doing It Right
If you take charge of your diet and make the switch successfully, there is no reason that you won’t see an increase in performance. The important part is doing it right. Eat plenty, your foods won’t have many calories, eat a variety, you need all of your vitamins, and try new things! A plant based diet is easy once you get used to it, but you have to take the time to make sure that you are taking care of your body.
This article was written for RunnersGoal.com by James S., a guest author
Very interesting insights. I have been intrigued with the plant based diet concept but have never found the ability to follow through with it even for the short term. Does anyone have any advice for someone who really does not like veggies (especially cooked ones) but is interested in having a more plant based diet?