Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Can Vegetarians Build Muscle?

Can Vegetarians Build Muscle?

by Ryan M Hall

This question, can vegetarians build muscle, crosses every vegetarians mind when they decide to build muscle. If you don't want to look like a stick, what can you do? There are many things you can do without eating meat, but most people don't get accurate information. Today, I'll show you how you can build muscle on a vegetarian diet.

Plenty of people have built massive amounts of muscle on vegetarian diets, the most famous vegetarian that succeeded in building muscle was a guy by the name of Bill Pearl. Pearl is a famous vegetarian body builder who one the title of Mr. Universe in 1953 and 1971. Pearl is the kind of vegetarian that eats both eggs and dairy to help in his muscle building. He is a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

What Kinds of food do you eat?

If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian and you are willing to eat eggs, that is absolutely great. Eggs are one of the best body building foods available because they are extremely high in protein and are also high in the good fats and nutrients needed to rebuild muscle. Cows Milk also contains many of these healthy fats.

For the strict vegetarians

If you are a strict vegetarian, not to worry, you can still build muscle. There a few diet changes you can make to build muscle mass.

Protein

Adding a protein supplement to your diet will help your muscles rebuild after workouts. You can also eat more tofu and soy milk in your recipes to ensure you have enough protein in your diet.

Fat

Most vegetarians don't get enough fat in their diet. To fix this, eat a few handfuls of nuts throughout the day. Almonds, pistachios and cashews are great for protein and fat. You should also consider adding a tablespoon of flax seed oil to your diet as it contains linolenic acid, an essential amino acid for muscle building.

Vitamins

Even though you may look healthy, many vegetarians are vitamin deficient in a vitamin called B12. To remedy this, you can add a B12 supplement to your diet or drink a soy or whey based meal replacement drink. These drinks usually give you at least 1/3 of your daily recommended vitamins and minerals.

Vegetarians can build muscle, they just have to eat more specifically than people who regularly eat meat. If you follow the above advice, you will be well on your way to building more muscle. Now all you need is a good muscle building plan.

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