the foundation for a staying healthy dietCan You Be Strong and Be a Vegetarian?
Yes! You can be athletic and maintain excellent muscle mass if
you care to as a vegan. I have maintained the same muscle mass
for more than thirty years since playing college sports. Half of that
time I was a meat eater and the other half I was a vegetarian, then
vegan. I am as vain as any of you: I want to keep my muscles and
maintain my athletic ability, too! It’s easy to do on a vegan diet. Just
eat a lot of whole plant foods. Nuts, seeds, and beans are concen-
trated sources of plant protein. Green leafy vegetables and broccoli
have more protein per calorie than a steak.^19 Here is a list of some
elite and current vegan athletes:^20
- Brendan Brazier—Professional triathlete, ultra-marathon
champion - Cat Johnson—Professional cyclo-cross racer since 2004
- Christine Vardaros—Professional cycling, cyclo-cross, and
road racing - George Laraque—Professional hockey player
- Mac Danzig—Professional mixed martial artist
- Molly Cameron—Professional cyclo-cross racer
- Kenneth G. Williams—Professional vegan bodybuilder
- Ricardo Moreira—Professional mixed martial artist
- Robert Cheeke—Professional vegan bodybuilder
- Ruth Heidrich—Elite runner and triathlete
- Salim Stoudamire—Professional basketball player
- Scott Jurek—Professional ultra-marathoner
- Tim VanOrden—Profession distance runner
- Ultramantis Black—Professional wrestler
(Special thanks to the Colleen Holland, associate publisher of VegNews and its staff for
their assistance in compiling this list. vegnews.com)Tony Gonzalez, the perennial All-Pro tight end formerly of
the Kansas City Chiefs and now with the Atlanta Falcons, made
a dramatic switch to a vegan diet several years ago and eventu-