Veggies?

giddyupchik

How do you all feel about a serious cyclist and vegetarianism or Vegan? Lacking Protein?

matagi

It's do-able but you have to be pretty educated about which grains and cereals to combine in order to get all the necessary amino acids in your diet and you have to think about your diet a little more in terms of the necessary nutrition profile for heavy exercise, but that really applies to anyone regardless of diet.

spinner32

Yes, it is possible, but you will notice a difference in how you feel initially. I raced while adhering to a vegetarian diet for a season, and found that recovery was much more difficult to achieve. Don't let this discourage you from living a vegetarian lifestyle - there are many health and environmental benefits that come along with it. You will have to take more time in planning out your diet however, and as was stated above, a large portion of this time will come in the form of checking nutrient composition (specifically amino acid profiles) of the foods you eat. Carbohydrates shouldn't be a problem. In general, macronutrient composition in your diet won't actually be that difficult to maintain. You may want to consider a carnitine supplement as an athlete, and if you are vegan, a vitamin D supplement as well.