Diet Plant based diets - fact from fiction

[GrymReefer]

Creatine is a good point. As an endurance athlete I haven't given too much thought to it. I believe that creatine synthesis occurs in the body with adequate levels of glycine, arginine, and methionine but what it would take to hit those I dont know

That second study seemed to conclude that by combining cereal grains and legumes (eg. peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, rice and beans) and choosing high quality complete plant proteins (quinoa comes to mind) one can achieve a proper amino acid profile

I skimmed through the second study but I'm not quite sure you're getting at with it. I gathered from it that as long as leucine is at adequate levels then proper protein absorption will occur. Could you elaborate a bit on what you meant?

It's exactly what you pointed to. You'd have to eat a wide variety of foods, a lot of them having extremely high fibre content and generally produce a feeling of "fullness" for a longer period of time. You'd have to be able to force eat in some circumstances to be able to achieve say an average athlete who is eating 2700-3500 calories a day. If you could get away with 6-8 meals a day or don't mind eating cornucopia of random foods that may or may not compliment each other in flavors then try it.

I personally find myself utilizing plant based sources for nutrition in cuts more than anything else. Helps when I'm trying to operate in a deficit and don't want the sensation of hunger always eating at me.

2nd study was just highlighting the variances in demographics regarding the response to amino acid profiles in protein and overall anabolism as well as how much it can differ depending upon protein source.

 

[thegreenhand]

Yeah to be clear - again lol - i'm not saying plant based is ideal or doable for everyone. but i have seen a lot of misconceptions about them and i figured i could help clear things up for some people.

I pretty much do eat 6 meals a day. Smoothies help a lot. I hit macros consistently and i actually dont track them anymore, since I can do it mostly by feel now.

 

[thegreenhand]

There are some arguments for both. For health and longevity, plant based with small portions of meat would be ideal to round out your micronutrients. For gainz, plant based at least for me doesn't have the caloric density I need to maintain a comfortable caloric surplus. When I'm dieting I lean more plant based as they tend to be more micro dense and satiating.
It's important to differentiate the purposes behind dietary structures and use what makes your goals attainable and sustainable.

as a endurance athlete (and not a spartan like most bodybuilders/lifters here are lol) it fits me well. the high fiber helps to "empty the load" before exercise and it keeps me feeling light. you do see more endurance athletes like ultra runners leaning towards them as opposed to strength based athletes. i think there is definitely a reason for this.

 

[Genetic Freak]

Yeah to be clear - again lol - i'm not saying plant based is ideal or doable for everyone. but i have seen a lot of misconceptions about them and i figured i could help clear things up for some people.

I pretty much do eat 6 meals a day. Smoothies help a lot. I hit macros consistently and i actually dont track them anymore, since I can do it mostly by feel now.

With respect, you haven't really cleared up any misconceptions, the topic is a huge one with many areas of specific nutritional science fiercely debated..
There has been some recent advancement in our understanding the importance of the microbiome, not just via providing essential nutrients, but also immune function, from this I would agree a diet based mostly of fresh, organic vegetables, nuts, seeds, some fruits, eggs, cheese, seafoods, and some cuts of fatty meat on the bone is the way forward..
Anything processed, or exposed to petroleum based fertilizers, pesticides, or glyphosate, would be a complete waste of time, and harmful..
Plant lectin content could be an issue for some people, as could any grains containing wheatgerm agglutinin..
Anything inducing chronic levels of elevated insulin (insulinemia), has been shown to be deleterious over the longer term, for inducing things like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorder ect..
I could go on....

 

[thegreenhand]

With respect, you haven't really cleared up any misconceptions, the topic is a huge one with many areas of specific nutritional science fiercely debated..
There has been some recent advancement in our understanding the importance of the microbiome, not just via providing essential nutrients, but also immune function, from this I would agree a diet based mostly of fresh, organic vegetables, nuts, seeds, some fruits, eggs, cheese, seafoods, and some cuts of fatty meat on the bone is the way forward..
Anything processed, or exposed to petroleum based fertilizers, pesticides, or glyphosate, would be a complete waste of time, and harmful..
Plant lectin content could be an issue for some people, as could any grains containing wheatgerm agglutinin..
Anything inducing chronic levels of elevated insulin (insulinemia), has been shown to be deleterious over the longer term, for inducing things like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorder ect..
I could go on....

Yes and I could go on about red meat and colon cancer, lactose intolerance in large portions of the population, and plenty of other things. We’ll never “clear things up” with any diet but I wanted to at least dispell some myths. So yes, my apologies, I used the wrong wording

 

[Genetic Freak]

Yes and I could go on about red meat and colon cancer, lactose intolerance in large portions of the population, and plenty of other things. We’ll never “clear things up” with any diet but I wanted to at least dispel some myths. So yes, my apologies, I used the wrong wording

Yes, the topic is huge, but our understanding has improved greatly in recent years, getting that message out has become a challenge, especially as far as becoming National nutritional guidelines..
The whole "red meat" debate has changed somewhat, its no longer seen as a marker for CVD via saturated fat content, but TMAO could be a problem, as could "processed, corn fed, barn raised, antibiotic and glyphosate exposed", as opposed to organic, grass fed, free roaming beef cattle like we have here in New Zealand..
Lactose intolerance seems to be associated with similar issue of processed dairy ie: A1 cows, corn fed, barn raised, antibiotic and glyphosate exposed, supplying pasteurized, homogenized milk, in preference to A2 cows, organically producing raw milk..
We know cows/chickens etc fed corn as a staple food source effect protein/amino acid content in meat, as do other processes mentioned above..

There is debate that on a diet of plant based only its difficult to obtain the correct amino acid spectrum without consuming a large quantity of calories..
Plus lack of animal fats, and other essential nutrients derived from meat on the bone etc might be detrimental over the longer term..

Our ancestors ate meat, that developed our biology over millions of years, that is without question, I believe we need some animal meat in our diet but a lot less than previously thought, without being exposed to any modern farming processes...

 

[Jabberwocky]

Everyone's body chemistry is different, but I've been vegetarian for 4 years and vegan for 9 months, and personally I think that I look and feel much better than I did before. I used to be bloated and tired all the time; now I'm in much better shape and have a lot more energy.

I make sure that I eat a balanced diet and get plenty of complete proteins (rice & beans, quinoa, tofu, tempeh, etc.), and I use soy-based protein powder when I work out. I also take a vitamin B complex, B-12, flaxseed oil for omegas, calcium/magnesium/vitamin D, zinc and creatine.