Q&A: Training on a Vegan Diet

[Guest guest]

By ELVA RAMIREZ

January 24, 2008 10:01 p.m.

Sports nutritionist Lisa Dorfman has been a vegetarian since her

teen years. She has also competed in triathlons and long-distance

races for the past 25 years. While she notes the benefits of a plant-

based regimen, she emphasizes the importance of consulting with a

professional before trying something new. " Vegan diets may work well

for some people and make other people sick, " Ms. Dorfman says. " One

thing is not good for everybody. " The professor of nutrition at

University of Miami and author of " Sports Nutrition for Vegetarians "

spoke with WSJ.com's Elva Ramirez and offered tips for athletes who

are considering switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet.

WSJ.com: What are the benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet for

athletes?

Ms. Dorfman:Vegan or vegetarian diets are plant-based, which means

they are generally proportionally high in carbohydrates. You always

need carbohydrates for energy. Plant-based diets or vegan diets are

very low in fats. Fats are very slow fuels to use for any type of

exercise. The plant-based diet is ideal because it's generally high

in complex carbohydrates, low in fats and low in cholesterol -- if

not cholesterol-free. Cholesterol is only found in animal products.

WSJ.com: What are your body's needs when you're undergoing physical

training?

Ms. Dorfman: The needs that change are calorie needs. You need to

eat more food or you need to eat more nutrient-dense food. So you

might need to add some nut butters or some omega-3 oils.

You need to bring up the nutrient levels, particularly in B

vitamins, which help you use energy from carbohydrates, proteins and

fats. But B vitamins are typically found in brown foods like beef.

So [on a vegan diet] you have to substitute in beans, whole grain

breads, anything that's brown and plant based. You might also supply

those B vitamins through dairy substitutes like fortified soy

yogurts. B vitamins are critical.

Then there are also the major minerals. [For] iron, the most

absorbable biologically-available sources are meat. With training,

you expand your blood volume, [and] hemoglobin levels go down. So

you need to fortify your diet with iron-rich foods: fortified whole

grains, beans and some of the soy-based proteins. You have to look

on the back of the package. Good iron sources are above 10%. Very

good sources are above 25% for the daily value.

Electrolytes are [also] critical minerals in terms of helping or

assisting with muscle contraction and relaxation. [An example is]

calcium, which you typically find in dairy products. You need to

find ways to include that, either from fortified orange juice and

cereal, soy products and greens.

WSJ.com: How do you know if a vegan diet is working or not?

Ms. Dorfman: You know the diet is working if you have sustained

energy levels throughout the day, not only for your workouts but for

normal daily activities. You don't have highs and lows during the

day. There's a certain amount of variation, but you should feel

pretty energized at a pretty even keel throughout the day.

WSJ.com: Should you take supplements?

Ms. Dorfman: Prior to taking any supplements, one needs to assess

their diet. There's no need to take toxic levels of vitamins and

minerals. You need to find out what you're getting through your

diet. Have it assessed by an expert, so you can supplement

appropriately.

WSJ.com: Can you go on a vegan diet while training without the

advice of a nutritionist?

Ms. Dorfman: Absolutely not. Any time you're trying to attempt

something that's slightly different than the norm, or if you are at

a slightly different place than everyday life, then you should get

nutritional guidance. You need to be cleared of any kind of health

concerns before you embark on any kind of diet. You should get

advice from someone who is an expert in the field, [and is] also

sensitive to the needs of vegetarian or vegan athletes.

WSJ.com: What are the dangers of going on and off a vegan diet?

Ms. Dorfman: Any kind of erratic dieting puts undue stress on the

system. When your system is under stress, you produce a hormone

called cortisol. Cortisol and adrenaline make your body act

metabolically differently than if you weren't under stress. Your

body dumps fats and sugars into your blood stream to fight stress.

Metabolically that's not a wonderful state to be in, especially if

you have any risk for diabetes or heart disease.

When these hormones recede, typically your blood sugar goes down and

you feel like you have absolutely no energy in the world. And it

could lead to depression. If one day you're feeling really great and

then you're feeling really lousy, that's going to impact how you

feel over all.

Cortisol in particular, in stressful states, precipitates a fatty

gut. You'll develop a fatty tire around your belly even if you're

doing your darndest to eat well and exercise.

WSJ.com: How can you identify a fad diet when you see it?

I think that one of the telltale signs of a fad diet is that it will

[promise to] do everything for you. [Another] sign of a fad diet is

that you have to buy the products from the person who's promoting

the program. If somebody is trying to sell you something where you

can't do the diet without the product, then you know there's a

problem.

Write to Elva Ramirez at elva.ramirez

 

See also The 247 lb. Vegan

NFL star Tony Gonzalez is out to answer a question: Can a football

player live entirely on plants?

By REED ALBERGOTTI

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120122116182915297.html