Vegetarianism and endurance

In winter 1981 the Institute of the RF Ministry of Health Biomedical Problems PhD A.Yu.Katkov spent an interesting experiment to test the comparative endurance of vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Group vegetarians six people set a goal to climb to the summit of Mount Elbrus.

The daily diet of each of the participants consisted of 250 grams of raw nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pine, almond), 250 g of dried fruit (in the form of compote), 150 g of fresh carrots, 150 g of lemons and 80 g of honey. This suite of products is sometimes supplemented with infusion of rose hips and tea of ​​birch buds.

He provided to each participant 26 g protein, 67 g fat and 250 g carbohydrate, the composition-pyalo 1550 kcal. As you can see, the participants climb eat like vegans, t. E. A single plant food in its raw form, was a low-calorie diet.

Athletes vegetarians went first to a height of 4,200 meters and stayed at the hotel "Shelter eleven" on the slopes of Elbrus. For four days they trained, to climb up to 4700 meters, spending no more than 2 hours. On the fifth day, a match between a team and a team of vegetarians' meat eaters ».

The competitors had to climb on the eastern peak of Elbrus in height 5621 m From vegetarians team participated in the competition, two of the best athletes, but from the "meat eaters" team -. Six. Competition results were triumphant for vegetarians: they are both representative of the first summited

. They have demonstrated the advantage of a vegetarian diet, and in the high mountains, where, in addition to heavy physical exertion, had to overcome the cold and lack of oxygen.

How to evaluate these extraordinary results of the competition? Paradox? Coincidence? It is considered that the meat gives strength to act "firming».

Here is what the magazine writes "Sport Abroad» № 15 of 1974 of endurance athletes: "Until now, we have tended to assume that for an athlete need more calories, more meat, salt and vitamins. But it may be the other way around, and we no longer suffer from an excess rather than a lack of

. " German doctor Ernst van Aken advises runners to consume 2000 calories a day, or even less, well below the recommended norm for people leading an active life, and to reduce its weight by 20% below the norm adopted for their height and age.
< br> Swedish expert Dr. Per-Olaf Åstrand strongly recommends that athletes who require endurance, dramatically reduce the consumption of protein (meat) or a few days before the competition entirely excluded from the food protein products.

"Looking like some runners eat steaks before the start - once said Arthur Lydiard, the coach with great experience - you might think that they are afraid to starve to death in the first 50 meters of the distance»

. There is a view that backed athletes before the race, hoping thereby to save energy, but often it turns out the other way around - because of this, they are eliminated from the competition. This is another example of how the culprit becomes overreliance on food.

Traditional misinformation about nutrition prelaunch helped to open a Swedish scientist Per-Olaf Åstrand. "Myth number one - he says - it is a strong belief that a protein (meat, fish, poultry) promotes the growth of results. The fact that muscles are built from protein, leading some to believe that his additional portion promotes muscle growth and strength. It was considered, at least for two and a half thousand years.

But as far as we know, an athlete needed amount of protein and can give ordinary products consumed in uniform proportions. The main thing - it's carbohydrates. " "The reserves of glycogen in the working muscles play a very important role in determining the time of maximum load»

. This statement confirmed the results of an experiment in which the work was set on a cycle ergometer until exhaustion. After normal diet including foods that contain protein, carbohydrates and fats in the initial glycogen content in the range 1 to 75 g per 100 g of wet muscle tissue load at which oxygen consumption was 75% of the maximum, and held for 114 minutes. (Median of nine subjects).

After three days of food, which contained a large quota carbohydrates, glycogen increased to 3, 51 g per 100 g of wet muscle tissue, and the same operation was performed for 167 min. The fact that the subject could only do before for 1 hour, eating foods containing fats and protein mainly he could have done for 2 5 hours when food include an additional amount of carbohydrates.

The greatest effect was obtained when the stock was originally glycogen depleted as a result of prolonged and high load, and then for three days were included in the diet foods rich in carbohydrates. As a result, excess glycogen content reached 4 g per 100 g of wet muscle tissue and large load kept for long periods, sometimes more than 4 hours.

An interesting example of how food affects the nature of athletic performance, resulting in his book on macrobiotics M.Kushi. At the end of the 1980 season, the Japanese baseball team "Seibu Lions" was in last place.

Since October 1981 the team players at the insistence of new coach Tamsuro Hiruko switched to a diet in which the consumption of meat and absolutely prohibited polished rice and sugar was limited. Instead, players are invited to neobdirny rice, bean curd (tofu), fish and soy milk.

Next spring, the coach moved their players on a diet consisting entirely of vegetables and soy. In the season 1982 on the "Lions" much abused. The coach of the other team, "Nippon Ham Fighters", was sponsored by the largest company for the production of meat, made fun that the "Lions" only eat weeds. But soon in the Pacific League championship "Lions" in the fight, which commentators have called the "War against meat plant," pushed "Fighters". "Seibu Lions' second team won the Pacific Cup and Japanese games in 1983. His story author ends with a question:" It gives food for thought, is not it? »

At sporting events for several years it has shown brilliant results Sheila Ratcliffe, set a world record in swimming, which is a third-generation vegetarian.

Three Olympic gold medals was a vegetarian Murray Ross; a new record for the heats (he swam the English Channel in 1955) put Bell Piquet ring, a vegetarian with thirty years of experience. Known swims long distances vegetarian Jack McClelland, and Claire Frances, travel around the world on a yacht.

Interesting data on the cycling path vegans Scandinavia leads Journal of the European Vegetarian Union in 1997 traveled about 1,500 km long organized the 78-year-old Arne Uingvist, aims to prove that a diet based on the principles of veganism, and the raw food diet, it is not enough just to normal active life, but also for serious physical exertion for a long period.

The route passes through varied terrain - from mountainous areas to the plains; an average of cyclists with a load of 12-20 kg passed 70-80 km / day. On the way, they found the time to examine particularly beautiful location and local attractions. Even after an exhausting move in the evenings, participants went to the movies or concerts and slept soundly at night.

What did the experience of this trip? Eating only raw vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts and grains, the participants of the bike ride at the end of the path felt much better than at the beginning, feeling a surge of courage and strength.

During 19 days traveling there was no discomfort, weakness or a bad mood. The Swedish press and radio, covering the run from the first to the last day, happily met in Stockholm on all six participants.