Vegetarian vs omnivore diet: cycling stamina

[FalafelsRule]

Interesting:

Dr. Per-Olaf Astrand conducted an informal study of diet and endurance using nine highly trained athletes, changing their diet every three days. At the end of every diet change, each athlete would pedal a bicycle until exhaustion. Those with a high protein and high fat meat (carnivore) diet averaged 57 minutes. Those that consumed a mixed (omnivore) diet, lower in meat, fat and protein averaged 1 hour and 54 minutes: twice the endurance of the meat and fat eaters. The vegetarian, high carbohydrate diet athletes lasted 2 hours and 47 minutes, triple the endurance of the high-protein group. (Source: Astrand, Per-Olaf, Nutrition Today 3:no2, 9-11, 1968)

From: http://www.answers.com/vegan

[zatoichi]

i don't think that means very much. obviously if you only eat meat you're going to be bogged down a bit. and as for the vegetarian-fed athletes, they were also carb-loading, as athletes do before competing.

[Dave Noisy]

Actually, this isn't really carb loading. More-so, it's that carbs actually provide fuel for muscles at high intensities, and fat takes too long to metabolize, and protein even longer.

So by eating carbs, you're simply providing yourself with the fuel necessary to maintain a high level of activity.

I'd like to see more thorough studies like this however..

[9nines]

Ricky WIlliams, running back, entertains a vegan diet. He will be fun to watch this season.