Vegan Athletes and Superior Performance
Jim Corcoran

I can't tell you how many times I've been told by so-and-so that they know a vegetarian who is anemic or unhealthy. It's really aggravating sometimes because I must explain how that came about. Usually, it's a teen or 20-something, who gave up meat only, kept the dairy and eggs, and then subsisted primarily on junk food. 

Very rarely does anyone know of a vegan that is competing athletically at world-class level. Some examples of such athletes are Martina Navratilova (multiple tennis champion), Desmond Howard (Heisman Trophy winner) and Carl Lewis (winner of more Gold Metals in Olympic Track and Field than anyone in the history of the games)! 

To foster more vegan athletes, I have put together this list of resources for those of you looking to excel in your sport or to maximize your health. By using these resources, and implementing them, it will make it easier for all of us to encourage the vegan lifestyle. I look forward to the day when more of us are competing and triumphing.

BOOKS:
Raw Power! Building Strength and Muscle Naturally by Stephen Arlin 

Description: THE book on raw-food fitness, body-building, weight-lifting. Learn to
build strength & stamina on a raw diet, why gorillas can press 4,000 pounds, why some body builders age pre-maturely and more!


The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide: Peak Performance for Everyone from Beginners to Gold Medalists by Lisa Dorfman

Review: If you consider yourself to be an endurance athlete (of any type) and you are (or aspire to be) a vegan, then this book is definitely for you. I have seen many other books that say the word "Vegetarian" on the cover, when they really mean ovo-lacto-pesco-vegetarian (eggs, milk, and fish). This book lives up to its title by featuring lots of recipes, example diets (from professional vegan athletes), and nutrition information for vegans (persons who eat absolutely NO animal products)! 

WEBSITES:
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com 
http://www.organicathlete.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=30