Doge

Totally agree, the main one being soy. But mass produced plants have their media baggage - from soy - which kiddo won't eat to gluten.

Essential fatty acid is harder to get from plants than animals.

For a developing teen/body builder, I do not believe there is an equal to high quality animal protein. Esp raw animal protein.

If you are super serious about racing you have to try things. Cutting out half of the things to try because they are animal based certainly limits options.

Doge

Would vegans ride silk tubulars?

mazdaspeed

In performance? Probably not. In overall health and longevity? As far as I understand it, probably.

Also, as was mentioned, producing meat on large scales is very resource intensive but that's another matter. I guess all I'm saying is that a vegan diet makes it more likely for most people to eat well because they are substituting meat for something more nutritious than meat, and furthermore for cyclists I don't think needing massive amounts of protein is an issue.

Moreso than meat, however, I believe substituting processed carbs for whole grains is one of the best things people can and should do fir their diet.

Doge

I guess we are mixing things a bit. I get the other arguments about environment, ethics or whatever, but for a cycling forum - esp a racing forum riders are going to eat, take do anything legal (and some will cross that line) that improves performance.

I think there are different foods that work better for different times and events. In a short crit - running on sugar, maybe some amino acids and certainly caffeine. In a RR fat/protein , lower stimulant levels.

Vegan or not is less important than how good it is for the event. I just thought of it - in race my kid runs vegan, just because that seems to work best pre and in event.

Off race, animal products are used because we think that is the most dense way to get protein for rebuilding from training. I have no doubt this can be done without animal products, but good food is just that. Good meat is good food. Bad meat is not. And as you state - you can have bad vegan food too.

Enthalpic

Unlikely; vegans are far more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies than omnivores.

rumrunn6

I eliminated almost all meat incl chick, turkey & fish (but keeping eggs), eliminated all alcohol except maybe 1 drink every 2 weeks & eliminated the candy I was snacking on. I've averted my usual spring gout attack. also started a physical 2nd job part time (15 hrs pr wk). new schedule would normally have me throwing back burgers & fries daily (but not now). happy to report losing 7+ lbs. enough to schedule my annual physical w confidence

it's not easy to change-up your diet, sometimes it takes a big trigger in your life to motivate you. for me it was gout. the extra labor/job is a bonus

gotta find a way to get back on the freakin' bikes tho!