Meat can linger in the intestines for a long time, and excluding it from your daily diet helps cleanse the intestines and make you feel lighter. How does not eating meat affect athletic performance? Are they then better, unchanged or maybe even worse? We clear all doubts in our article! Here are our conclusions!
Vegetarianism is simply not eating meat. Reasons for such a diet may be different – some are motivated by ethical and religious reasons, others by health reasons, and still others want to try something new and succumb to fashion
Vegetarian diet excludes not only all types of meat, but also fish and seafood. It is based mainly on the consumption of plant products, but also eggs and dairy products. The most restrictive variant, veganism, excludes all animal products, even honey.
This way of eating – full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses and oil seeds – has a great effect on the whole body. Among the undoubted advantages we must mention the cleansing of the digestive system, accelerated digestion and delaying the aging process and minimizing the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension, among others. In addition, vegetarianism also allows you to maintain a negative energy balance and thus facilitates the shedding of excess weight.
Every athlete – both amateur and professional – knows how much attention and commitment he must devote to proper exercise, nutrition, sleep and avoid stressful situations. He often has a meticulously written out menu for each day, so as to provide the body with the necessary nutrients, especially protein
However, it turns out that a well-balanced plant-based diet is able to provide all this. How does it compare to a meatless diet? Research on this topic is quite limited, but the conclusion is similar. A vegetarian diet has neither a positive nor a negative effect on athletic performance, and meat is not necessary for optimal performance of an athlete’s body.
This means that if we just want to introduce this way of eating in the long run, then nothing stands in the way. It also doesn’t matter whether you eliminate meat or other animal products. We can easily exercise intensively, but it is important to choose the right products and pay attention to what we eat
On a plant-based diet it is important to remember to provide the body with the appropriate number of calories, depending on age, weight, lifestyle and training. The more intensively we exercise, the more calories we need to eat during the day. Otherwise, fatigue, headaches and weight loss will get us. It is certainly worth considering a vegetarian diet when you notice malaise or other discomfort after eating meat, eggs or dairy.
Main photo: Randy Fath/unsplash.com
