"From tennis players to bodybuilders, athletes trying to improve their performance have switched to veganism, which excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Baseball’s Prince Fielder, ultra-marathoner Scott Jurek and ice hockey player Mike Zigomanis have declared themselves vegans. Olympic skier Seba Johnson has been vegan from birth and tennis star Venus Williams became a vegan after being told she had Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease. Fitness experts say the rewards of a plant-based diet can include more energy, deeper sleep and better performance. ‘‘We see athletes recovering faster, maximizing training, and thereby improving performance,’’ said Julieanna Hever, a personal trainer, registered dietitian and author of ‘‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition.’’ ‘‘Unfortunately, there are not yet any clinical trials on vegan athletes,’’ she added. Sharon Palmer, author of ‘‘The Plant-Powered Diet’’ said some studies show that a diet high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds can help prevent and treat issues related to recovery. ‘‘It makes sense that anti-inflammatory compounds would help athletes avoid inflammation related to training,’’ said Palmer, a registered dietitian. "
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:22:12 +0000
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