Is It Possible To Build Muscle If I Am A Vegetarian?
Posted by
patrick
Many people who are considering being vegetarian are worried that they won't be able to build muscle if they do so. Before we talk about whether or not you can build muscle as a vegetarian, though, let's talk about what the different types of vegetarianism are.
Vegans eschew animal products of any kind, including dairy products. Pesco vegetarians eat fish and dairy products, while lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and milk but don't eat meat or fish. There are more sub categories of vegetarianism, but that will suffice for the purposes of this article.
Because vegetarians don't eat things like red meat, they are at lower risk of certain diseases, like hypertension, diabetes, and some types of cancer, as well as heart disease and coronary artery disease.
It can be very health inducing indeed to change to vegetarianism, and not just because of advantages to your health. There are other reasons, too, such as that the vegetarian lifestyle is less cruel to animals and better for the environment.
However, a lot of people who want to become vegetarian are worried that they aren't going to get enough protein to become very muscular. In reality, though, soy is a perfect food to do just that, given that it has more protein than beef and has all eight essential amino acids in abundance.
You can get soy from easy to get sources like soymilk, textured soy protein and tofu. There are lots of different recipes out there that include soy, so experiment. In addition, beans, seeds, rice, nuts, and legumes are also great protein sources, so one thing you'll never be short of is protein.
Alright so that is protein dealt with but what about vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc, vitamin D, calcium, iron and vitamin B12? Well, supplements should be taken by vegans for this.
Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products so is not an area of concern for other types of vegetarians. The others can easily be gotten from a decent meal replacement powder. Of course however many minerals and vitamins are easily available in the form of leafy green vegetables and fruit that you should not overlook if you wish to build muscle up vegetarian style.
In short, there are lots of benefits to being vegetarian, including for you even if you have bodybuilding is one of your goals. Eating right and planning are important for you as a vegetarian bodybuilder, but it's also important for those who eat meat. As long as you eat enough and eat properly, you should have no problem building muscle as a vegetarian bodybuilder.
Vegans eschew animal products of any kind, including dairy products. Pesco vegetarians eat fish and dairy products, while lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and milk but don't eat meat or fish. There are more sub categories of vegetarianism, but that will suffice for the purposes of this article.
Because vegetarians don't eat things like red meat, they are at lower risk of certain diseases, like hypertension, diabetes, and some types of cancer, as well as heart disease and coronary artery disease.
It can be very health inducing indeed to change to vegetarianism, and not just because of advantages to your health. There are other reasons, too, such as that the vegetarian lifestyle is less cruel to animals and better for the environment.
However, a lot of people who want to become vegetarian are worried that they aren't going to get enough protein to become very muscular. In reality, though, soy is a perfect food to do just that, given that it has more protein than beef and has all eight essential amino acids in abundance.
You can get soy from easy to get sources like soymilk, textured soy protein and tofu. There are lots of different recipes out there that include soy, so experiment. In addition, beans, seeds, rice, nuts, and legumes are also great protein sources, so one thing you'll never be short of is protein.
Alright so that is protein dealt with but what about vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc, vitamin D, calcium, iron and vitamin B12? Well, supplements should be taken by vegans for this.
Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products so is not an area of concern for other types of vegetarians. The others can easily be gotten from a decent meal replacement powder. Of course however many minerals and vitamins are easily available in the form of leafy green vegetables and fruit that you should not overlook if you wish to build muscle up vegetarian style.
In short, there are lots of benefits to being vegetarian, including for you even if you have bodybuilding is one of your goals. Eating right and planning are important for you as a vegetarian bodybuilder, but it's also important for those who eat meat. As long as you eat enough and eat properly, you should have no problem building muscle as a vegetarian bodybuilder.
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