No more meat! 8 athletes who became vegans

From important tennis players, through runners of formula 1, to soccer players, some athletes have opted for a diet focused on vegetables and fruits

It is increasingly common to read, hear or even see, people who change their eating habits in favor of their health. The usual thing is to reduce or eliminate animal products and replace them with fruits and vegetables. Recognized world athletes have modified their diet in favor not only of a better quality of life but for an even better performance.

Leer en español: ¡No más carne! 8 deportistas que se volvieron veganos

In LatinAmerican Post we review more details of why this lifestyle brings better benefits, as well as the characters who now apply it in their lives. The first example is mentioned by Clarín from Argentina, and it is the strongest man in the world, the German physical trainer Patrik Baboumian, who is a vegan. He has managed to lift 1212.54 lb "just" by eating rice, potatoes, oats, soy milk and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Perhaps you are interested in reading: Why being a vegan does not prevent being a high performance athlete?

What the experts say

Karen Cámera affirms for the same media that meat is not the only means of protein. "There is a myth that vegetable protein is incomplete or of lower quality, but in the vegetables, there are all the essential amino acids, what happens is that to obtain them you have to eat varied . "

María Florencia Ramos , licensed in nutrition, adds for the Argentine newspaper that "Vegans should cover the needs of proteins with legumes, nuts and seeds. This contribution is key, especially after physical activity, when we have to compensate the reserves spent. "

The Clarín brings up another example, the sprinter and former Olympic champion Carl Lewis , who decided to be a vegan when his sports career was at the top. In fact, the former American athlete recounted in Jannequin Bennett's book "Very Vegetarian" the following: "In 1991, eight months after becoming vegan, I felt tired and thought it was a lack of protein from meat, but my doctor, He explained that this feeling was due to the need for more calories (…) when I increased them, not only did I recover my energy, but I had my best year as an athlete. "

Some other athletes

1. Sergio Agüero

Manchester City striker 'Kun' confessed to the Daily Star that "I had to change many things, starting with my food. I needed a healthier way of life. I went to see a doctor in Italy who told me what I had to change was a lot: no more pasta, no more sugar and no more meat, which consumed a lot like a good Argentine. "

2. Dave Scott

He is a triathlete who has won five times the Hawaii Ironman, he is vegan, and has a degree in exercise physiology. For Scott, it is an "error" to think that athletes should only consume animal proteins for greater and better performance.

3. Venus Williams

After being diagnosed with the Sjogren Syndrome, Venus Williams , former number 1 of the WTA, became a vegan . Shortly after, it was her sister Serena who entered the wave, and today neither of them eat meat, milk or eggs.

4. Derek Tresize

This practitioner of martial arts, surfing and kayaking, read scientific studies about the damage caused to the body by the consumption of products of animal origin, and chose to be a vegetarian. "I ate a lot of red meat, but when I studied its long-term effects on health, heart disease and cancer, I was forced to change my diet."

5. Carlos Cuellar

Footballer Carlos Cuéllar, a vegan since 2014, is mentioned as an example by As.com. "I have found that I recover better efforts, I have more elasticity and I have more strength for a longer time. I have to do double the exercises in the gym to feel tired. "

6. Lewis Hamilton

BBC Mundo gives another list of athletes who have opted for this lifestyle and starts with the brand new champion of Formula One 2018. "As human beings, what we are doing to the world is … The pollution that occurs from the amount of cows that are raised is incredible, cruelty is horrible and I do not necessarily want to support that, I want to lead a healthier life, "he said.

7. Héctor Bellerín

A conversation with the former British heavyweight champion, David Haye, motivated the Catalan, plaer of the Arsenal to take a new path. "My initial goal was to try it for three weeks, but the improvement I felt in my body was so great that I decided to continue … The long-term injuries that affected me began to improve much faster."

8. Kyrie Irving

The documentary What the Health changed the life of the Boston Celtics star player. His preference for the vegan was demonstrated at a Nike sports shoe promotion event, in which Irving was asked how he was able to dribble so fast with such a big ball. "Simple: thanks to a plant-based diet," he replied.

Other examples in sports

Speaking of equipment, the BBC World itself shares a couple of examples. The first is the Forest Green of English football, a club that suppressed red meats, dairy and eggs from the menu that offer players and the public that attends the stadium.

The other case is in the National Football League (NFL) with the Tennessee Titans, who have a group of 15 players who decided to adopt this new eating style together. "I used to think that athletes had to eat meat to keep playing, but then I got educated," said linebacker Derrick Morgan.

LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano

Translated from: '¡No más carne! 8 deportistas que se volvieron veganos'

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