What image comes to mind when you think, “vegetarian athlete?” I’m going to be honest with you. Before I started doing a little research, I pictured an emaciated long-distance runner, or maybe a martial artist, or a swimmer perhaps.
I was actually surprised when I found out that these five world-class athletes follow a meat-free diet and you might be too. Check it out:
Mike Tyson
“Iron Mike” Tyson went vegan to reportedly, flush the drugs and “bad cocaine” out of his system. Known for his wild lifestyle and legal problems back in the day, this was probably a good idea for the ex-heavyweight champ.
However, during the initial course of his change in diet, he dropped 100 pounds and could see and feel the difference both physically and mentally.
Tyson said, “Becoming a vegan gave me another opportunity to live a healthy life. I was so congested from all the drugs and bad cocaine, I could hardly breathe, I had high blood pressure, I was almost dying and I had arthritis. And once I became a vegan all that stuff diminished.” (1)
He must have forgotten that however when he ate Evander Holyfield’s ear in one of their fights back in 1997 lol.
Venus Williams
After she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, which is an autoimmune disease that causes aching joints and fatigue, the five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams made the decision was to heal herself.
She became a raw vegan. Williams says that she drinks a lot of fresh juices, smoothies and wheatgrass shots to get her proteins.
Sister Serena decided to join Venus in her diet and began to help her incorporate other holistic alternatives, like yoga and massage.
Venus now consumes only raw foods and she prefers a combination of grains, pasta and bread for the carbs before matches. She credits this shift in diet to her managing the symptoms of her illness and her longevity in tennis.
James Jones
Nicknamed, “Champ,” the 6’8”, 215 pound small forward, played 14 years in the NBA before retiring to become the vice president of basketball operations for the Phoenix Suns last year.
He said that being a vegetarian while traveling on the road isn’t always easy. Most games end late at night, followed by press conferences and either crashing in hotel rooms or traveling to the next game.
Room service and take out food doesn’t always offer vegetarian options, so he says he often finds himself, “…ordering five side dishes of steamed broccoli, five dishes of steamed asparagus and a bowl of brown rice” when he’s away from home.
David Carter
NFL’s Chicago Bears David Carter is known as the “300-Pound Vegan.” When he first made the transition to going vegan, he had a hard time maintaining his weight and quickly lost 40 pounds. However, that soon changed, as well as experiencing an increase in energy, speed and faster a faster recovery time from injuries.
Carter consumes 10,000 calories on a day, breaking them down into five meals and several snacks.
In an interview with GQ Magazine, Carter says that he tries to eat over a pound of protein daily in the off-season from sources like grains, beans, beets, cashew cheese, avocado, bell peppers, couscous, oatmeal with hemp protein, berries, bananas, spinach salads, a variety of other plants and brown rice. (2)
Joe Namath
NFL’s legendary quarterback Joe Namath recognized the health benefits of going vegan long before it was popular. He once stated in an interview, “I have been a vegetarian for a few years. Fred Dryer of the Rams has been one for ten years. It shows you don’t need meat to play football.”
Although there aren’t a lot of details about Namath’s diet, it’s apparent that he continued his healthy lifestyle after retiring from football, and he has been successful in his recovery from alcoholism.
So if you have been considering going vegan, but were afraid of how it would affect your performance in the gym or playing field, these five elite athletes prove differently.
Personally, I love my meats way too much to even think about it lol, but who knows? Life is all about change, so make healthy choices to enjoy it as long as possible. Peace.
Sources:
Rocco's Writings 