Vegetarian Sports Nutrition
Book Review
by Terry Peters
Vegetarian Sports Nutrition by D. Enette
Larson-Meyer
Until recently the notion of being a vegetarian athlete
went against popular beliefs.
There has been a great deal of nutritional research done as
the vegetarian diet has continued to grow and D. Enette Larson-Meyer has gathered a
tremendous amount of the available data and presented it here.
There are chapters on all aspects of performance
nutritional needs, such as Finding the Right Carbohydrate Mix, Choosing Smart Fat Over No
Fat, Breaking Free of Multivitamin Dependence, Building Muscle Without Meat and much more.
Each chapter offers a detailed study of that specific
topic.
The chapter on Boosting Iron Intake and Absorption begins
with an explanation of what iron is and what its role is within the body as well as what
happens with iron deficiency or too much iron.
The majority of the chapters include food charts, which
provide the nutritional value of common foods relevant to the topic being discussed.
For athletes competing in events, the decisions on when and
what to eat before a race is often a hit and miss proposition.
Neglecting your nutritional needs at those times can throw
away all the hard training you've done to prepare for the race. "Nutrition during
these times provides fuel for the brain and the exercising muscles, prevents dehydration,
and provides the building blocks for recovery," the author writes.
There are plenty of suggested food and drink options
provided to help you make the right choices leading up to the starting line.
While there may be too much detail provided here for most
people it will be easy enough to begin by just reading the introductions to each chapter
and then going back for more detailed study after you have gained a good overall
understanding.
The book will be an excellent reference guide as you
gradually delve deeper into the science aspect of nutrition.
Copyright 2007 North Shore News All Rights Reserved
North Shore News, April 29, 2007,
http://www.northshorenews.com/
BYLINE: Terry Peters, North Shore News |
