Powering Up With Plant Foods: Vegan Athletes

[Guest guest]

WHEN SUSAN LEVIN hears what Michael Phelps stuffs into his mouth — like entire

pepperoni pizzas — she worries that his Olympic career could be headed for a

dive. That's because she's the director of nutrition education at the Physicians

Committee for Responsible Medicine, which promotes a vegan diet. And along with

benefits such as losing weight, lowering your risk of certain diseases and being

environmentally sound, she says switching to solely plant-based food sources

makes you a better athlete.

 

It worked for Levin, who never liked running until she went vegan 15 years ago.

" I was suddenly better at it, enjoyed it more and was faster. At the end of the

day, I had all of this energy, " says Levin, who's seen the same level of

activity in her colleagues at their Friendship Heights office. " People are

bouncing off the walls. They run, bike, do yoga. " And contrary to the stereotype

of the vegan waif, and thanks to rich sources of protein such as grains and

beans, they have real muscles.

 

They also have real role models, including former NBA star John Salley and

professional triathlete Brendan Brazier, who are two of the celebs backing

PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. The program walks users through a diet makeover

with a meal plan, cooking demos and other resources, which makes the process

simpler than what both Salley and Brazier went through on their own.

 

 

It was high blood pressure and family members' health history that convinced

Salley to drop meat five years into his career, a move his teammates thought was

bonkers. While he devoured books about nutrition, they were grabbing grub at

fast-food joints. The difference, he believes, is why he managed to stay in the

NBA for 15 years (and score four championship rings) and some of the other guys

barely had the mojo to practice. " Literally, I was 36 and rookies couldn't keep

up with me, " he remembers.

 

Now he's working on launching a line of organic, kosher and vegan foods and

consulting with a dozen current professional athletes on the advantages of a

vegan diet.

He could start by handing over a copy of Brazier's new book, " Thrive Fitness:

The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness "

($15.95, Da Capo Press). It's the result of 20 years of experimenting with food

to figure out which ones would best help his body recover from grueling

endurance workouts.

 

" I tried all different kinds of diets. I would eat whatever anybody told me if

it would help me race, " says Brazier, who initially kept quiet about how he was

fueling. " I figured if I do start improving, they'll ask me about it. "

 

Now that they do, they find some of his favorite foods aren't common on most

people's shopping lists: chlorella, buckwheat, kelp, salba. But if those items

are too hard to find, Brazier says, you'll see a difference in your performance

by any increase in the veggie content of your diet. " Eat a salad at least five

times a week with leafy greens, sprouts, avocado. And a smoothie is great after

a workout. It gets it in your body right away, " he promises.

 

Brazier's followers aren't all strict vegans. He says many of them have just

shifted their views on meat and dairy, and cut back. " They thought they needed

it for iron and protein, and now it's because of the taste, " he says.

 

But if you do decide to try an entirely plant-based approach to food to improve

your sports performance, Levin says it's not as complicated as you might think.

Just be sure to take a vitamin B12 supplement and eat sensibly. " Don't think of

it in terms of what you're not eating. Think about what you are — fruits,

vegetables, beans, whole grains, " she says. " When you see the results, you won't

want to go back. "

 

Photo courtesy PCRM

Posted By Vicky Hallett at 12:00 AM on January 12, 2010 Tagged in Fit , Fit

Newsletter , Maryland , Montgomery County