The Chainlink

Vegetarian Cyclists?

Hello,

Ten years ago, when I was in my early 20s, I used to be a vegetarian. I was a cyclist then, but not as serious about it as I am now. It's not unusual for me to ride, at least 20 miles a day average (sometime a lot more).

My diet is pretty well-rounded, and now includes meat. However, I'm toying with the idea of committing to a vegetarian diet again.

I'm interested in meeting other vegetarian cyclists. Has being meat free affected you cycling ability?

Thanks,
Cullen Carter
Appleton, WI
p.s. Are there any trikers on Chainlink?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cullen Carter on January 15, 2010 at 3:45pm
Thanks for the quick reply.

What did you mean referring to yourself as a "10-20 km/yr cyclist"?

Vitamin deficiency is something that you can feel happening, right. What does it feel like?

Regards,
Cullen
Permalink Reply by Amber K on January 15, 2010 at 4:12pm
When I feel like I can't get enough calories, I use a Hammer product called Sustained Energy. It's a flavorless powder, and it's vegan. I mix it with juice, 1/2 pinapple 1/2 h2o. It works great.


http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=SUPFUELS...
Permalink Reply by J on January 15, 2010 at 4:23pm
Ten to twenty thousand kilometers per year. For me, the symptoms were fatigue and a weakened immune system.

Cullen Carter said:
Thanks for the quick reply.

What did you mean referring to yourself as a "10-20 km/yr cyclist"?

Vitamin deficiency is something that you can feel happening, right. What does it feel like?

Regards,
Cullen
Permalink Reply by Barbra Mann on January 15, 2010 at 5:51pm
Being a raw vegan I can say has improved my every ability. For any man who is concerned with being active and strong on a vegan diet, I would recommend looking to Storm Talifero for inspiration... http://www.thegardendiet.com/storm2.html
Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 15, 2010 at 6:26pm
DIet is such a personal choice. Vegitarian is problematic for some & vegan is difficult to maintain for many. Two vegans in my immediate family, and they've never been healthier since they went vegan, but have a hard time finding vegan meals away from home, especially in mixed company..

Me, i'll eat almost anything that's not running away from me, especially in high cycling season. My major exclusions are Gatorade and bananas, which seem to be standard fare on organised rides.
Permalink Reply by Cullen Carter on January 15, 2010 at 6:34pm
mike w. said:
Me, i'll eat almost anything that's not running away from me, especially in high cycling season. My major exclusions are Gatorade and bananas, which seem to be standard fare on organised rides.

By this, do you mean you're a vegetarian? I ask because a dead cow or chicken can't do much running!

Regards,
Cullen
Permalink Reply by nhylc on January 15, 2010 at 6:52pm
vegan. it has only been an improvement...
Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 15, 2010 at 6:57pm
No, vegetables aren't food, they're what the food eats.

( J/K... ;-) Actually although i eat my fair share of meat, i eat my veggies, too...)

i tend to eat everything in sight when i'm doing high milage, although on rides i avoid high sugar (especially cookied and sweet pastries) and high acid content stuff. Gatorade has something in it that gives me migraine, which is about the LAST thing one needs on a ride...

Cullen Carter said:
mike w. said:
Me, i'll eat almost anything that's not running away from me, especially in high cycling season. My major exclusions are Gatorade and bananas, which seem to be standard fare on organised rides.

By this, do you mean you're a vegetarian? I ask because a dead cow or chicken can't do much running!

Regards,
Cullen
Permalink Reply by Jakob on January 15, 2010 at 7:17pm
I don't know if it has more to do with being vegetarian or having a slightly high metabloism but I tend to "bonk" hard when riding mountain bike. Urban cycling- not quite so much, but I monitor myself (and it's easier to stop off for a bite in the city). I've found a Cliff bar and Hammer's HEED (see Amber K's link) keep me pedaling in just about anything though. I also try to maintain a min. daily intake of 55g of protein when active.

Overall- being a vegetarian has not had an adverse effect on my cycling. Social situations and dating is another story.
Permalink Reply by Laura on January 15, 2010 at 9:20pm
The main vitamin that vegetarians lack is B-12 but it takes many many years for this to run low. The only other change is in your protein source. As it is most Americans eat more protein then is necessary, this extra protein is not used and is therefore excreted. The average person only needs .8 g of protein per kg of body weight. An active cyclist may need 1.1-1.5 g/kg body weight (although I think that 1.5 is a bit high)- this is kg not lb (1kg=2.2 lb)- Anything above this is not utilized by the body. So just make sure you have a good protein source!

Carbohydrates are more important than protein when considering “bonking” a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates are best and doing this along side a protein source is also a good idea (this is by pbj are so popular)

The average diet should consist of
45-65% carbohydrates
20-35% fat
15% protein

So as long as you eat healthy changing to a vegetarian diet should not effect your cycling. I have been a vegetarian for 10 years and have never had a problem riding due to my lack of meat consumption.
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on January 16, 2010 at 7:35am
I haven't eaten meat, pork or poultry since 1991. If only cheese-fries had parents, I would be a lot lighter!

I was a full-on vegetarian until 2001 when my wife's doctor advised her to consume fish during her first pregnancy with our son. The first day she prepared fish-sticks, the fond memories of my child-hood comfort food was too much for me and I caved. Therefore, I do now eat the occasionaly seafood, and I am certainly no vegan, considering cheese a religious artifact as much as food.

Anyone that has been a vegetarian for a while learns about the combination of foods that help provide a balanced diet and fuel for cycling and life. In truth, there are ways to eat healthy as a vegan, vegetarian or meat eater, but most people do not eat healthy regardless of whether they consume meat/dairy/eggs or not. To that end, this could just as easily be a conversation about proper eating/food balance, etc.

From March to October, I average about 300 miles per week. From November through February, it is much less....like 100 miles per week. This is in large part because I am not planning bike tours during the winter months as our winter tours are repeats of the regular season rides. The regular season rides require tremendous amounts of research, much of which is tooling around the community on my bike, taking notes and photos of everything, so these aren't usually high-energy miles, but they add up.

In any case, I am personally a healthier person riding and not eating meat than when I ate meat. I was definitley the meat-lovers pizza kind of guy, and the additional protein and B-12 and other vitamins and nutrients I was receiving as a meat-eater paled in comparison to the extra fat I was chomping down.

Cheers - Lee
Permalink Reply by Erin Rensink on January 16, 2010 at 5:31pm
I've been vegan for three years now and cycling for as many and it's worked well for me. Maybe because I started cycling and being vegan at the same time I didn't notice anything peculiar going on with my body (besides weight loss and never being ill). I do need to eat a bit extra each day - an extra snack like an avocado or hummus or something really dense and calorie-iffic does the trick. I definitely don't think you will cause yourself any irreparable harm by trying it out. Good luck!

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