This topic is kinda-parallel to the Vegan Bodybuilding thread:
http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/diet_performance_nutrition_supplements/vegan_bodybuilding
I brought up several points and examples there that, truthfully, I don’t have the energy to retype here. Main point is that whether a person chooses to be vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore, their ability to build muscle and lose fat will not be significantly hindered.
However, “health” and longevity (depending on your definition of them), are unfortunately often separate goals from bodybuilding.
[quote]Mondy wrote:
…in the book THE CHINA STUDY by Campbell it says:
“We now know that through enormously complex metabolic systems, the human body can derive all the essential amino acids from the natural variety of plant proteins that we encounter every day. It doesn’t require eating higher quantities of plant protein of meticulously planning every meal.”
Thoughts?[/quote]
I’m not familiar with this book, but it sounds as though it’s addressing the general population, not exercising folks. People who exercise, especially weight training will require a higher protein intake than sedentary people, so the book’s message doesn’t seem appropriate for this demographic.
After hearing other “convincing statistics” that say orange juice causes cancer and watching television causes pregnancy ( http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4A20HL20081103 ), I’m gonna pull an Al Borland and say “I don’t think so, Tim.”
I’d love to see Jonny Bowden’s take on this, if he hasn’t addressed it already. He’s in his 60s, exercises regularly, and is big on developing “youngevity.” You might want to mention it in his most recent Question of Nutrition article.
[quote]mr popular wrote:
but to be perfectly honest those bodybuilders rarely look like anything special. Usually they just look like really tan, oiled up, flexing sick people.[/quote]
I totally disagree with this, but it’s really the topic of the Vegan Bodybuilding thread linked above.