Weightlifting Vegetarian

Many people think that being a vegetarian is a no, no for weightlifting. The reason for this has nothing to do with going to the gym and busting out the weights and is more to do with the nutritional side of weighlifting.

This is a huge myth and there are many weightlifing vegetarians out there who manage to carry out their lifts and increase muscle mass with ease, this being said a weightlifting vegetarian does have to take more notice of their diet.

While a weightlifting vegetarian doesnt have the meat intake that supports the body's requirements for protein as meat is a huge protein provider, there is ample protein opportunities for non meat eaters. For those that find themselves short of protein from their vegetarian diet there are also supplements too.

A vegetarian who enjoys weightlifting and wishes to bulk up can take whey protein shakes, or if they dont want to have ANY animal products there are now soy protein isolates as a protein option. Alternatively the protein options available to include in their diet are:

• Wholemeal Bread - av. 3.5 grams of protein per slice
• Quinoa - 18 grams of protein per cup
• Beans - one cup is around 13 grams of protein
• Soy products - one large glass of soy milk is 7 grams of protein (there is Tofu and other Soy variants)
• Nuts - Protein amounts vary in nuts but the level of protein is great (you can even use peanut butter)
• Eggs - If you dont mind your eggs then there is ample protein in them

You can also find protein in rice, pasta and other general foods. The only difference between a weightlifting vegetarian and a meat eater is that a vegetarian has to take extra care in reviewing their protein intake to ensure they get enough from their food.