The specifics of the diet of an important group of actively training people forced sports nutrition manufacturers to think and offer them alternative sources of protein of non-animal origin, collected or formulated in one product, forming a category proteins for vegetarians.
These are high-protein mixtures in which only products of plant origin are used as protein sources, but at the same time rich in protein and other microelements to maintain high physical activity, rapid recovery, and supply building material for muscle tissue.
Plant sources of protein are not as popular as whey protein or casein, but they are a good substitute when you have dietary restrictions such as avoiding animal foods. The common belief that plant-based proteins have an inferior amino acid profile can be challenged. Of course, egg and whey proteins are leaders in amino acid composition for maintaining protein synthesis in the body. However, plant proteins also contain all the essential amino acids, just not in such quantities as in animal protein sources.
Is it possible to get all nine essential amino acids from plant-based proteins, which are essential for muscle growth and optimal body function? Yes, it is possible by combining their various sources and thereby replenishing the deficiency of amino acids. You should also not discount balanced diet, providing a serving of protein daily.
Proteins for vegetarians are easy to digest and delicious
For those who do not set dietary restrictions, the main advantage of proteins based on plant protein sources will be their ability to be easily digested and not burden the stomach. At the same time, you should not be afraid of the taste of proteins, their blandness or bitterness. Sports nutrition manufacturers copy the flavors of existing protein products based on their many years of experience.
The undoubted advantage of plant proteins is their low calorie content, so they can be safely used during drying or dieting, and not only for vegetarians. In addition, plant proteins have health benefits. For example, soy protein, which most often forms the basis of plant proteins, improves the performance of of cardio-vascular system, because it helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Plant-based proteins also often include pea protein and rice protein.
Proteins for vegetarians are essentially plant-based proteins with low level calories, which can be used during drying or dieting, not only for vegetarians, but also for those who want to benefit their body.
Still worried that you—or your significant other—are missing out on protein by not eating meat? Relax! According to a scientific study conducted in 2009 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (USA), vegans and vegetarians usually consume enough, and sometimes even more, protein than is necessary for the normal functioning of the body. An adult man needs only 56 g of protein per day, a woman - 46; this amount is easily covered, even on a “green” diet!
Not sure which foods are particularly rich in protein? We asked a specialist about this healthy eating Rachel Meltzer Warren is an MPH and the author of How a Smart Girl Can Become a Vegetarian (TheSmartGirl’ sGuidetoGoingVegetarian). She has compiled a list of the most affordable and yet protein-rich foods for your table.
Tofu
The soy chunks are like a blank canvas, an invitation to culinary creativity: they will absorb the flavor of any spices you add. Soft tofu is ideal for making smoothies and puddings. The harder ones are good to bake or fry in a wok, and then add to a salad, or prepare a sandwich or a vegetarian main course with them, including spaghetti-based ones. In addition to protein, tofu made with calcium sulfate is rich in bone-healthy calcium (read the information on the package).
Advice: little time to cook? Buy ready-made tofu.
Protein content: Almost 10 g per standard serving (100 g) of firm tofu.
Beans 
Any dish will become more satisfying if you add beans to it, because... it contains a lot of protein and fiber. "Rich in both types of fiber—water-soluble and insoluble—beans help lower cholesterol and promote better digestion," says Warren. She recommends eating a variety of beans, including chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), black beans and other colored beans. You can cook a large pot of beans for a week at a time, so you don't have to waste time on cooking (usually a lot of time for beans). Or buy canned beans in reserve - only the can must be without sizing with bisphenol A, and the product itself must not have added salt (again, read the information on the packaging).
Advice: when cooking, add a little kombu seaweed to the beans - then the beans will be better digested.
Protein content: 7 g per half cup of cooked black beans.
Greek yogurt 
It's worth swapping regular yoghurt for this thicker, grainier variety - which also contains twice the protein. Warren completely ignores low-calorie yogurt, and recommends 2% fat Greek yogurt or even higher fat - because. This is the kind of product that gives you a feeling of fullness and satisfaction with your meal for a long time. Whenever possible, buy yogurt labeled "organic": recent scientific research has shown that organic milk contains more heart-healthy Omega-3 unsaturated fats. fatty acids than usual. It's best to buy plain Greek yogurt - unsweetened and without additives - and then add a natural sweetener to it yourself, such as agave or honey.
Advice: Do you like sour rather than sweet? Add a couple of spoons of Greek yogurt to creamy soup or steamed greens.
Protein content: about 15 g per 100 g of 2% Greek yoghurt.
Eggs*(if you allow eggs in your list of vegetarian products - approx.Vegetarian) 
Start your morning with one egg (and then abstain throughout the day). Just don't throw away the yolk! “It is an excellent source of beneficial choline, which is vital for the normal functioning of body cells,” says Warren. IN egg yolk Also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that are beneficial for eye health. Please note: The US Department of Agriculture recommends consuming no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day, and one large egg already contains 186 mg.
Advice: It is best to buy farm products, preferably certified as “organic”, because such eggs are healthier, and the conditions for keeping chickens are usually more ethical (in the USA there is even an informal index of the healthfulness and ethicality of eggs).
Protein content: 6 g per large egg.
Lentils 
These small grains contain approximately the same amount of hunger-quenching fiber as beans. The difference is that you don’t have to soak the lentils, but simply cook them – and it only takes 20-30 minutes. More importantly, lentils are “an excellent source folic acid, important for nervous system and overall health – even more significant than beans,” emphasizes Warren. She suggests eating iron-rich lentils along with foods containing vitamin C, such as tomatoes (or oranges), to help your body absorb iron.
Advice: Don't you like lentils that are too mushy? Try harder varieties!
Protein content: 9 g per half cup of cooked lentils.
Nuts and nut butter 
Just a handful of walnuts, almonds, cashews or peanuts provides you with protein. Or are you more of a nut butter person? “Both provide monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad cholesterol,” Warren says. She doesn't recommend choosing low-calorie nut butters because... it is already poor in protein. The best nut butter is one that contains only two ingredients: nuts and salt. It’s good to spread on bread, add to hot dishes, and mix into morning smoothies.
Advice: If you are allergic to nuts, you can replace nut butter with sunflower seed paste.
Protein content: 7 g per 2 tablespoons of nut butter.
Tempe 
Do not disdain the rough, nutty flavor of tempeh. Like tofu, it's made from soy, but there's a trick: "The beans are fermented, which produces bacteria that are good for the gastrointestinal tract," Warren says. “The fermentation process also breaks down the carbohydrates that many people find difficult to digest, making this product more palatable for people whose stomachs do not accept tofu.” To create a "beginner vegetarian" dish that tastes like a meat alternative, grind tempeh and fry it, then stir it into spaghetti sauce or taco filling, or add it to a hot dish.
Advice: Ready-made smoked tempeh “bacon” can spice up salads and vegetarian sandwiches. This is especially useful for those who have recently become vegetarians.
Protein content: 21g per standard (100g) serving of prepared tempeh.
And one last tip:
It is not necessary to mix foods that are sources of incomplete proteins (such food itself does not contain all 9 essential amino acids) in one meal: for example, rice and beans. This can be done during the day. If you eat a variety of vegetarian foods every day, your body is most likely in good shape. If there is any doubt, lean on quinoa grains- one of many plant products Containing complete protein: 4 grams of protein per half cup of cooked quinoa.
The benefits and attractiveness of strength sports for the body have become so obvious today that, to the best of their ability and ability, all segments of the population and people of various health categories began to engage in them. At first glance, it may seem that animal protein is all you need to succeed in high-intensity exercise. In fact, significant results can also be achieved by those who, for one reason or another, have abandoned food components of this type. A source of protein for vegetarians can be not only natural products, but also protein in the form of sports nutritional supplements. However, in order for such products to provide the athlete’s body with all the necessary nutrients and not contain even traces of animal protein, their choice must be based on several rules.
Varieties of vegetarianism
Despite the well-established opinion in society that vegetarianism is a complete rejection of animal food, there are several varieties of it with the inclusion of certain forms of animal products in the diet. So, vegetarianism happens:
- with the refusal of meat, but without excluding all other types of animal food (eggs, fish, dairy);
- with the exception of the above group of products, as well as poultry meat and eggs;
- avoiding meat, eggs, poultry and dairy products, maintaining only seafood and fish in the diet;
- only plant foods.
Thus, the stricter the vegetarianism, the fewer sources of complete protein remain in the athlete’s diet, and the more difficult it is for him to ensure a complete amino acid composition of the diet.
Types and sources of protein when vegan
With strict vegetarianism, also called veganism, the athlete does not receive the required amount of amino acids unless he uses mixed forms of plant protein in his diet. As it turned out, nature has long made sure that even by eating only plants, a person can receive all the necessary food components not only for normal existence, but also for development. The absence of essential amino acids in one type of vegetable protein is easily complemented by their presence in another type of protein. This kind of mixing different types vegetable proteins will completely cover the athlete’s body’s need for all essential and essential amino acids. The most useful from the point of view strength training proteins are soy, brown rice, peas, buckwheat, nuts and beans.
The benefits of sports nutritional supplements
These days there are high quality sports nutritional protein supplements made from pure plant proteins that can be purchased from specialist stores such as myprotein. Their great benefit lies in the fact that the protein is in them in concentrated form and in a complete, ready-to-use formula containing all the necessary amino acids. Such nutritional supplements allow you to easily gain the required amount of protein for the gastrointestinal tract without absorbing mountains of food.
Vegetarianism and veganism are becoming increasingly popular: many people refuse meat, citing concern for their health. Some of them do not even consume dairy products. There are many opinions that conflict with each other: some say that it is very useful, others argue that this lifestyle has a negative impact on health. But we will not delve into this debate, but rather find out whether bodybuilding is compatible with such concepts.
Is it possible to gain muscle mass without meat?
Both vegetarians and vegans do not eat meat at all. As you know, the basis of a bodybuilder’s diet is protein. In the case of vegetarianism, the consumption of dairy products is allowed. In this case, this nutrient can be obtained from milk, cottage cheese and other similar foods. Vegans do not consume meat or dairy products. It’s more complicated here: they are trying to compensate for the protein deficiency with plant foods. In this case, you need to lean on soy, legumes, nuts, and lentils.
Naturally, plant protein is by no means a complete replacement for animal protein. The biological activity of the former is almost half that of the second category. In addition, animal protein is much richer in amino acids, which are necessary for muscle building. And, of course, eating legumes in large quantities can lead to unpleasant consequences regarding the gastrointestinal tract.
The high amount of fiber that vegans and vegetarians eat benefits the gut, but can also absorb important amino acids. It turns out that such an athlete needs to try to stuff himself with even more protein.
And finally, the last (although there are most likely more) disadvantage of this lifestyle is the lack of creatine. This component is necessary for both muscle growth and strength. An ordinary person gets it from meat, while vegans and vegetarians do not have this opportunity.
Thus, gaining muscle mass without meat products is very, very difficult. You will have to work very hard and strain your brains to build a diet in such a way that your calorie intake is higher than your calorie expenditure. The nutrients that meat is so rich in will have to be replenished from other sources, but subject to the characteristics of the body.
Vegetarian sports nutrition
The only solution for this category of athletes is special supplements. Vegetarians have a slight advantage in this case: they can consume milk and products derived from it, and this is what we will focus on. To help meet your need for additional protein, you can use protein shakes.
Vegetarians are not suitable for sports nutrition, which is made from egg and meat protein. In this case, there are two options left: soy isolate and whey protein. They can be mixed with milk and consumed before, after training and throughout the day.
Another useful sports nutrition for vegetarians is creatine monohydrate and BCAA. Creatine is essential for growth muscle mass and strength indicators. It can improve the quality of training, its duration and results. A complex of essential amino acids leucine, valine and isoleucine will help vegetarians with a lack of these nutrients to show decent results.
Vegan sports nutrition
Everything here is much more complicated, and choosing sports nutrition for vegans is not an easy task. Firstly, the same refusal of meat, thereby the lack of amino acids, creatine and other substances important for growth. Secondly, veganism also means avoiding dairy products. Thus, when thinking about sports supplements, we also exclude whey protein, because it is made from milk.
There are only two options left: soy isolate and a protein based on another plant protein. Both can be found in specialized sports nutrition stores.
Just as in the case of vegetarianism, you can take creatine and BCAA as additional sports nutrition. Powdered creatine will be a replacement for natural creatine, which vegans do not receive due to their refusal to eat animal products. BCAA will allow you not to experience a loss of strength against the background of such a diet, and will increase your ability to work and performance during training.
Among other things, pre-workout complexes and fat burners can be used to stimulate the central nervous system and increase results. They usually do not contain animal products. With their help, you can increase mental concentration, get the necessary energy, improve blood circulation and much more. Fat burners are also acceptable to use, although in the case of this category of athletes it is difficult to talk about excess fat in the body.
Finally, with a lack of animal foods, vegans may become deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. The consequences can be very different, depending on what is missing in the body. However, even here you can get by with special supplements: just purchase vitamin and mineral complexes that will support all body functions in normal operation.
Finally
Thus, vegetarians and vegans will still face the problem of gaining muscle mass. In any case, their results will be less than those of athletes who do not limit themselves to eating meat. We are by no means encouraging all vegetarians and vegans to return to their usual lifestyle, but we must remember that meat, eggs, fish and other similar products are the main sources of nutrition for muscles (and the brain as well). Keeping this in mind and understanding what you are losing, it is necessary to build a diet in which all these lost substances will be replenished with the help of protein and other supplements.
VEGAN POWER: What are BCAA and what are amino acids for?
There are more than 200 types of amino acids in nature, twenty-two of which are vital for healthy metabolism. Most Our body is capable of synthesizing amino acids on its own, however, there are several essential amino acids that enter the body exclusively from the outside.
Essential amino acids are valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine and phenylalanine.
Mysterious BCAA stands for Branched-Chain Amino Acid, and in Russian - branched-chain amino acids. Essential amino acids BCAAs include isoleucine, leucine and valine. They have a special molecular structure with an aliphatic side chain or a branched side chain.
So, BCAA - 3 essential amino acids (lycine-valine-isolycine) - they are not synthesized by the human body, but come exclusively from the outside along with food.
What should raw foodists, vegans, and vegetarians do? You need to enrich your diet so as not to make yourself sick. Products are available for sale, so take care of your health!
Soy Protein (Isolate) - Best Source soy protein, which has the highest digestibility. Provides muscle tissue with a complete amino acid set. Helps increase muscle mass and reduce fat mass. Lowers blood cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Has a neutral taste. Pairs great with pea protein. Ideal for cooking protein shakes.
Pea Protein (Isolate) - A highly purified natural sports supplement obtained from yellow pea seeds. It has a rich amino acid composition that helps increase muscle mass and maintain high-quality athletic shape. Helps reduce the amount of fat mass. The digestibility of pea protein isolate by the human body is 98 percent! Does not contain cholesterol, unlike animal proteins. Guaranteed non-GMO! Purified from anti-nutritive factors in legumes that cause gas! Does not cause allergic reactions. It has a neutral taste and a pleasant creamy color. It dissolves well and combines with herbal supplements in protein shakes.
