Veganism/vegetarianism and professional athletes?

Question

I'm vegan and whenever I talk to my dad about the health benefits of being vegetarian, he always brings up this same point. It's around the lines of this:

"If vegatarianism/veganism is so healthy, then why aren't the world's best athletes vegetarians? They're at the peak of physical fitness. Wouldn't you think their nutritionists would seek out the best diet possible to improve the athlete's endurance?"

I did a little research on olympic athletes who are vegetarians and all I came up with was this guy named Carl Lewis. Does anybody know anything else about professional athletes and the vegetarian diet?

Answer 1

Martina Navratilova was vegan throughout her career, and I think we know how successful a tennis player she has been.

Pat Reeves, champion body builder, is likewise a vegan.

Most athletes do not receive education from vegan nutritionists, nor are the benefits of a vegan diet widely known or publicised in sport at present. The nutritionists who work with these athletes then don't know about vegan diets, and so this isn't passed on to the athletes.This is despite the benefits this may have for them.

Oh, and it's also worth thinking about the health sacrifices some athletes make, in terms of eating a meat and protein rich diet in their youth. This can cause them severe health problems after finishing their careers. Sad that most don't know that this can happen. Add that to a proportion of athletes that sadly use drugs to enhance performance, and it's clear that that "picture of health" athletes visibly present may not be what's going on on in the inside.

Answer 2

Salim Stoudimire is an NBA basketball player, Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP, Scott Jurek is a champion long distance ultra marathon runner. Stan Price is a champion weight lifter. With Carl Lewis Price and Jurek it shows you can be vegan or vegetarian and be strong fast and have endurance.  

Answer 3

Vegans/vegetarians comprise a small percentage of the population. If you apply the same statistics to athletes, then it stands to reason that there won't be too many vegan/vegetarian athletes. At least no more than the general population proportion.

But a country like India would definitely have a greater percentage since it has a larger proportion of vegans/vegetarians in its general population.

Again, it will come down to individual choice.

Answer 4

Huh? Sorry, the logic just isn't there.

Here are some other examples.

You can't just shrug these off.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sto...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.macdanzig.net/bio.php

http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php

It sounds like you have been telling your dad that being vegetarian is **HEALTHIER** instead of just as good as any other diet.

Just because someone eats meat, it doesn't mean that they'll eat enough to kill themselves prematurely.

Make sure it's clear that chemically and physiologically, both sides can be optimum but your side contributes to less suffering.

Let's get this straight, there are no health benefits to being vegetarian there are only health benefits to eating a **healthy** diet. Someone that eats meat once a month is not a vegetarian. Some people eat meat less than often and some do very frequently but live very long lives. Using the health argument is like trying to set yourself up to look bad.

http://www.veganoutreach.org

http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/in...

Answer 5

There is an article of a vegan body builder. I'll find it for you.

http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/200...

Given that the veganism constitute only a small percentage of the population along with professional sports, testimonies such as these will be uncommon. But given that they exist shows that atheletes can survive on a vegetarian diet.

Anyways, he's wrong. Famous professional athletes:

Surya Bonaly - Olympac figure skater

Roger Brown, professional football player

Peter Burwash, tennis pro, Davis Cup winner

Answer 6

Vegetarian athletes

Ruth Heidrich, Three-Time Ironman

Debbie Lawrence, 5k Record Holder

Jim Kaat, Baseball Player

Tony Larussa, Baseball Manager

Hank Aaron, Baseball Player

Bill Pearl, Bodybuilder

Marv Levey, Buffalo Bills Coach

Robert Parnish, Center (Bulls)

Joe Namath, Football Player

Lawrence Phillips, Football Player (49ers)

Steve Bellamy, Founder of the Tennis Channel

Surya Bonaly, French Figure Skater

Brendan Brazier, Ironman Triathlete

Sally Eastall, Marathon Runner

Andreas Cahling, Mr. International Bodybuilder

Carl Lewis, Olympic Track Star

Edwin Moses, Olympic Champion

Leroy Burrell, Olympic Champion

Murray Rose, Olympic Swimmer

Pat Reeves, Power Lifter

Bill Manetti, Powerlifting Champion

Ed Templeton, Pro Skateboarder

Mike Manzoori, Pro Skateboarder

Brian Anderson, Pro Skateboarder

Jamie Thomas, Pro Skateboarder

Forest Kirby, Pro Skateboarder

Brian Sumner, Pro Skateboarder

Andrew Reynolds, Pro Skateboarder

Jen O'brien, Pro Skateboarder

Matt Field, Pro Skateboarder

Chris Lambert, Pro Skateboarder

Brad Staba, Pro Skateboarder

Geoff Rowley, Pro Skateboarder

Rick Mc Crank, Pro Skateboarder

Moses Itkonen, Pro Skateboarder

Sergei Trudnowski, Pro Skateboarder

Laban Pheidas, Proskater

Steve Berra, Proskater

Anastasia Ashley, Surfer

Martina Navratilova, Tennis Player

Bille Jean King, Tennis Champion

Peter Burwash, Tennis Champion

John Salley, Toronto Raptors

Lucy Stephens, Tri-athlete

Stan Price, World Record Bench Press

Killer Kowalski, Wrestler

Is he a football fan?  Just show him this:

"I have been a vegetarian for a few years. Fred Dryer of the Rams has been one for ten years. It shows you don't need meat to play football."

-JOE NAMATH, LEGENDARY NFL QUARTERBACK.

Answer 7

Carl Lewis is a pretty impressive one, given that he's a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, SI's "Olympian of the Century," and the IOC's "Sportsman of the Century."  His first season as a vegan he traded the title of "World's Fastest Human" back and forth with another runner (I'd have to dig around to find out who) wha was also vegan.

Ruth Heidrich and Brendan Brazier, both Ironman triathlon champions, are vegan.

Prince Fielder, a baseball player, just recently went veg*n (vegan, I think, possibly vegetarian) as did football player, Tony Gonzalez.  Mac Danzig, a vegan, won his weight class in the UFC last year.  If you google "vegan bodybuilding" you'll find several sites.

You'll find some more here:

http://www.famousveggie.com/people.aspx

and here:

http://www.ivu.org/people/sports/index.h...

Answer 8

Are you kidding me? Tell you dad to get a new argument. There are TONS of veg*n athletes.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/

http://www.veganathlete.com/vegan_vegeta...

http://sportyvegans.blogspot.com/2008/01...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sto...