We hear a lot of top athletes around the world following a vegetarian or a vegan diet. It is a common belief in the amateur and professional athletic training world that vegetarians don’t meet their protein requirements and hence they can’t build muscles with vegetarian foods. But, now people are becoming aware that a balanced diet based on plant based proteins does assist in muscular development. However, the protein quality and the quantity are the key factors.
Let us take you through the basics of protein. We all know that protein is one of the main nutrients required to build muscle. Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. Proteins are valued based on their essential amino acid composition. Egg protein is the highest quality protein and is used as the reference protein as it contains all the essential amino acids in the right proportions. The other animal proteins like lean meats, fish, poultry and dairy also contain all of the amino acids and hence are complete proteins. However, plant proteins lack one or more of the essential amino acids that we need. For eg. cereal grains lack the essential amino acid lysine while the beans and lentils lack the amino acids methionine and cysteine. Hence plant proteins are termed as incomplete proteins. But there are some plant foods like soy and quinoa that are considered to be complete proteins.
So, is there a way to make the plant protein a complete protein. Yes, definitely! Certain incomplete plant proteins can be combined to get the essential amino acids. Let’s take for example the combination of dal and rice or baked beans on whole wheat bread. In both the cases the lack of lysine in the cereal is complemented by the presence of lysine in the beans and dal. Similarly, combining nuts and seeds also improves the protein quality in plant proteins. Eg trail mix which is a mix of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios and seeds like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. Plant proteins can also be improved with dairy as an addition for those who are vegetarians (not vegans).
So, besides the animal proteins that help in muscle development, plant proteins can also do an equally good job with the right amounts and combinations. In addition to the foods, an intense training program will also be essential to see results.
Athletes should eat small amount of protein throughout the day to ensure that this nutrient is readily available when the body requires it the most. Vegetarian athletes aiming to build muscles should eat some amount of good quality protein at every meal along with carbohydrates.
Some tips for building muscle on a vegetarian diet:
Start slow when you are building your strength and fitness. With food remember that rest is also an important factor in initiating recovery of the tired muscles. And, if weight loss is the first target then taking up weight loss programs from one of the weight loss clinic in Mumbai or around would be ideal before embarking onto a journey of building muscles.
Glycemic Index in weight loss programs – An overview
The food that we eat or drink provides fuel to the body. The nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins and fats from food are used to provide the body with the necessary energy that it needs. Energy can be used right away by the body to provide energy or stored to be used later. However, from the three nutrients mentioned above, carbohydrates are the main providers of energy to the body.Fuel Up Your Workout
Appropriate nutrition helps our body perform better and recover faster after a workout. Good nutrition not only helps in maximizing the performance but also minimizes the muscle damage.A Silent Killer - Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s way of naturally protecting itself against harm. However, when inflammation stays for long the immune system is drained and the body finds it difficult to deal with illnesses. Researchers have also found that obesity can weaken the immune system and reduce its ability to fight infections. So, getting into a weight loss program and losing weight will help fight inflammation.