You didn't tell us about the duration and intensity at which you're training to consider that you might be over training.

If you train too hard, you end up hurting yourself in the long run and you wind up further back than before you start. Part of being an educated athlete means understanding (your body) proper rest and avoiding over-training.

Take a couple weeks off the bike, dismantle it. Focus on:

- Proper nutrition, no weird diets
- Proper sleep & sleep schedule
- Make sure you have proper clothing/form pro-bike fit (don't want to train incorrectly)
- Use proper support (knee brace, ankle brace, tape, etc.)
- Personal well-being and mental health

Don't want to dismantle the bike? Try light spin sessions for 30 minutes a day at 30% intensity or gentle cycling through a scenic route without going over 50%.

Exercising should make you happy. If it's not, then what's the point?

See Post 12.

If OP is living only on rice, veggies and fruits, then he is not getting enough complete protein...Rice needs to be combined with other proteins to make it complete.

Read post 12, I still think my general tips should suffice though. : )

In a true vegan diet, every mineral or vitamin except B12 is available from plant sources including complete proteins. Vitamin B12 supplements are the only way to get V B12. In general, if he has a good variety of vegan food in the proper ratio of about 60% carbs 20% protein 20% fat he should be fine.

The major problem, as I understand it, with many vegan/vegetarian diets is getting the required amino acids to properly use the protein obtained from the diet. You can eat all the protein you need but it's next to useless if your body can't break it down for absorption.

Typically beans and legumes are required in a vegetarian diet to get the complete set of aminos that are missing from many non-meat protein sources and are required for proper protein absorption. The OP states that they don't really eat beans or legumes.

This may not be the cause of the problems the OP is encountering but is likely a missing component for their long term health on this type of diet.

This is precisely why I think the OP needs to return to the Dr as soon as possible, and get a full set of blood work done. He indicates he had bloodwork done 10 months ago, just when he started eating vegan ... but he's 10 month in now, and it sounds like the situation has gone from bad to worse. It would definitely be worth finding out what this extremely limited diet is doing to his body.


veganpower, are you taking any vitamin and mineral supplements? A multi-vitamin, for example?

What are your hemacrit, hemoglobin, and iron levels? You need to see an MD

Do you drink a lot of tea or soda? Both impair iron absorbtion. Vitamin c can help.

Or, eat meat.

To echo what others have said...fat and protein...general deficiencies in those areas can generate some of the symptoms you've described, in addition to excessive training.

If possible you may want to seek the consultation of a nutritionist/dietician. You can eat vegan and be healthy (from what I understand), but it sounds like you may need the knowledge to do so. At 18 years of age, that is hard for anyone.

My assumption was that the OP wasn't eating only those foods, just that they are the bulk of his diet. Though you are right about needing to combine non-complete protein sources of course.

To the OP, I also had a thought. 4,000 calories and above on a vegan diet is a HUGE volume of food. Combined with your training, it seems to me that this rarely (if ever) gives your body a break (except when you sleep I guess).

The thread starter already stated that they don't really eat beans or legumes so 4000 calories or not their protein and amino acid requirements are incomplete.

Nuts & Seeds, Hemp, Quinoa, Soy Milk, grainy breads have protein in them. If you plan on being vegan you have to do it smart or you can hurt yourself. Rest & Digest

OP should also consult with a dietitian, if he goes to a decent super market, there is usually one there for free consult/appointment.

+1




People may gain energy and feel better on vegan diets ... if they "do it smart" as mentioned above. If you're going to go vegan, you have to carefully think through what you're eating so that you get all the required nutrients.

Rice and fruit with a bit of "greens" (whatever that is??) just isn't complete enough.

People, people. There is no such thing as "protein deficiency", it's not even a medical diagnosis. Protein deficiency can only exist if you are consuming to few calories which I do not do. Besides, I started feeling this way after being vegan for 10-12 hours. I'm pretty sure that no deficiencies can occur in a 10 hour window. Heck, I've gone 3 full days without any food at all and I felt fine, surely I can survive on a vegan diet for 10 hours. Now, if you think that my symptoms are caused by overtraining and you think that my diet stands in the way of recovery, then that's a fair point. However, everyone I've talked to who eat the same as I do (high carb low fat low protein low sodium vegan) has said that they feel amazing, more energy and that they RECOVER faster. Unless I'm an alien my body should react in a similar way. Make sense? When I go on Strava and analyze my training leading up to the onset, I've noticed that my speed started to decrease and my heart rate started to increase. I also remember that I felt pretty weak and tired on the bike in october and november and I also caught a cold in october. These are all signs on overtraining. Before you guys tell me to "eat meat" or "eat normal", do some research. EVERY fruit contains all essential amino acids, the protein found in fruit and veggies are broken down by the body much easier than meat that is why constipation on a low protein low fat vegan diet doesn't exist. There are thousands of people who eat like I do, some even life of simply fruit and they all FEEL AWESOME. Oh yeah, that 3 day fast that I did was at the end of my cold, not a smart move.

The magic of a fruitarian diet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE5Z1gKiD1s

Again, I'm trying not to pick on you, but if you're going to have a username like "veganpower", it would probably help your cause most to withdraw from nutrition debates until your doctor fixes you. And definitely not post links to stuff that is even more questionable than regular veganism. Unless your "power" is in tolerating abuse.

Who said that power stands for physical power, why not emotional and spiritual power?

...or the power of conviction. Hope you feel better soon, I'll sit back and eat my popcorn now.

Well, popcorn are vegan so go ahead!

Exactly.

Also, the last thing anyone in this thread needs is a kid that did not properly research/adhere to training methods, expound on the virtues of veganism.

18 is a precious age. I'm out.

I think your symptoms may have been caused by overtraining ... 10 months ago ... and I think that your diet has stood in the way of recovery for the past 10 months.


You were doing all that exercise 10 months ago.
You had a cold 10 months ago.
You did your 3-day fast 10 months ago.


You should not still be feeling the effects of that now ... you're 18 years old, you should have a recovery rate that measures in hours not months ... unless perhaps your diet has been so deficient that you have not been able to recover in 10 months.


1. Go to the Dr and get a full set of bloodwork done. Talk to the Dr about your symptoms. Perhaps it is something more serious ... like mono. Talk to the Dr about your diet. Perhaps he/she can set you up with a dietitian.

2. Take the next 3 weeks off the bicycle. Sleep lots. Eat a lot more protein (nuts, legumes, etc.). Do some light exercise ... casual walks etc.

My advice is to heed this advice.

Yup.

Hemp protein powder, hemp seeds, flax seed, avocados, nuts, legumes.

Eat only fruit for a few years and see how you feel and how much muscle mass you preserve.



BTW: I was vegetarian for many years, vegan for a year, and even raw only for a long time too. Now I eat much more sensibly and am much healthier.