220Triathlon Edição 334

104

WWW.220TRIATHLON.COM

FEBRUARY 2017

PERFORMANCE

n the past there was a huge misconception

that athletes wouldn’t be able to train

optimally on vegetarian or vegan diets, due

to the supposedly low intake of protein and

potential energy. Fast forward 20 years and

plant-based diets are all the rage. Whether it’s

through ethical, performance or lifestyle reasons,

with the right planning and knowledge it’s

completely possible to achieve performance gains

on a vegetarian or vegan diet, as ultra runner

Scott Jurek has shown.

From Tej’s food diary, while he has a good

pattern of eating, there are a few key points that

are apparent and need to be addressed. Presently

his intake is fairly carb dominant, with a low

protein intake and the majority of this coming

from shakes rather than real food. The best forms

of all-day protein are the eggs he has at

lunchtime, which is a very well-balanced meal of

complex carbs, protein and essential fats.

While Tej starts the day off well with porridge

and fruit, he’d benefit more from using cow’s or

soya milk, which have a higher protein content.

Most shop-bought almond milk is very low in any

nutritional value. By adding dairy to your

breakfast you’re also boosting your calcium

intake, important for bone health.

I’d also encourage the addition of nuts or nut

butter. Why not try porridge made with cow’s

milk, topped with banana and peanut butter? This

once again provides a balanced meal of complex

carbs, protein and essential fats, which helps to

keep blood sugar levels constant and distributes

energy evenly throughout the day.

For more dietary suggestions to suit a

vegetarian diet, see my tips below.

220

DIET ANALYSIS

Vegetarian Tej Thaker is concerned that he’s not getting enough nutrients into

his diet. Simple, says

Renee McGregor

, who’s come to the meat-free rescue…

HOWTOFUELON

AMEAT-FREEDIET

NAME

Tej Thaker

AGE

HEIGHT

5ft 10in

WEIGHT

74kg

PROFESSION

Foreign exchange

PREVIOUS TRI EXPERIENCE

Super sprint to Ironman distance

TRIATHLONGOALS

To race for the GB age-group Olympic-distance team

NUTRITION CONCERNS/GOALS

I’m vegetarian and I

eat healthily, but I’m not sure I’m getting the right

nutrition/supplements into my diet. Also, I’m not sure

how to plan my meals before particular types of training,

on training to non-training days, race days, pre-race days

etc. I don’t have a strong metabolism and I have an

exceptional sweet tooth, which I feel I control well.

WISEADDITIONS

ese

Add iron, calcium and protein with th easy extras

6am

1hr swim session

9am

50g porridge with almond milk,

1 banana, handful of grapes

11am

Tea and 10 almonds

1:30pm

3 eggs (2 yolks), half an avocado,

2 slices of seeded brown bread

6pm

Bowl of Weetabix/Fruit & Fibre

7pm

1hr run session

9pm

Bowl of cooked vegetables in a

tomato sauce, with rice/bread

Fluid over 1 day:

4 pints of water, 2 cups

of tea, 2 cups of green/mint tea, 1 coffee

DINNER

After evening training,

add some beans/pulses or

tofu to veg. E.g. stir-fry veg

with tofu and noodles or

chickpea and veg

currywith rice.

RECOVERY

All athletes should

take on between 3-4

servings of dairy a day

for good bone health.

Try flavouredmilk or

Greek yoghurt

and fruit.

IMAGES

GETTY IMAGES

SNACKS

Before a low-intensity

session, try a small

portion of cheesewith an

apple, houmouswith veg,

or a fruit and yoghurt

smoothie.

IRON SUPPS

Good sourcesinclude

cereals, beans, pulses,

eggs, green leafy veg

and dried fruit,

combinedwith

vitamin C.