vegetarian fencers

[shyHeidi]

I suppose this sounds weird... Hey, I'm a vegetarian, have been all my life... I've talked to a maestro and one of my teachers, and they both tell me I should eat meat. There's no way I ever will, but I was just wondering if there are any top fencers who are vegetarians... I'm curious because if they bring it up again, I want to be able to tell them, "well so-and-so is a vegetarian, so I'm not alone, you know, and obviously if so-and-so can do it, you don't have to eat meat to become a good fencer..." or something, you know? I need firepower, info so I can come up with a good response, you know? If anyone knows of any (I don't suppose they run around saying "I'm a good fencer, I'm a vegetarian, quote me on that") but anyway, I'd appreciate it and etcetera etcetera...

[Gav]

Um ShyHeidi what doe's it matter if you're a vegetarian? If the people around you don't like it then that's their opinion. Why whould you need the example of someone else? Don't let it worry you.

[ 05-15-2002: Message edited by: Gav ]</p>

[Inquartata]

Vegetarian foilists there may be. Sabre fencers? Never! There MUST be meat!

Ahem. Seriously, it isn't meat per se, but protein, I'd imagine, that he means. Vegetarians have to work hard at getting the right sort of protein, as vegetable proteins are missing several crucial amino acids---but I daresay you already know that.

Whenever I start feeling tired, listless, dragging and lethargic, it's invariably because I've let my protein intake slip. And most of us need more than we think we do ( but often less than we get ).

[Catlady]

I'm a meat-eater myself, albeit a somewhat guilty one, but I know a properly planned vegetarian diet is just as nutritious as a diet that includes meat. Emphasis on properly planned--if you're living on celery and rice you may have a problem, but I'm assuming since you've been a vegetarian for a while that that's not what you're doing. You get the same vitamins, minerals, etc. it's just you get them from different sources. I don't have details, but I know it can be done. Your coaches are uninformed on that front I would say.

[Pa55w0rd]

does being a vegitarian rule out fish. ???


(btw if that sounds dumb, Its because i have never met a veggie)

how about milk also ?

or is it any animal products are vetoed ?

[latenight]

Depends what kind of vegetarian you are

ovo lacto eat eggs and dairy

obviously ther is just lacto and ov themselves

and vegans eat none of the above


Latenight, who was a vegetarian for 5 years and now like a big fat steak good and rare.

[The Crazy Wacker]

No Hotdogs?? Not even Eggs? Well please tell me you atleast eat peanuts???

Heck, Is there a word for a person who only eats meat?? (Potatos and peppers don't count as veggies do they? cause thats the ONLY veggie I like...)

[KC]

Wacker... You need to drive up to Dickson erm... when you can drive, every other weekend I make country styled BBQ ribs. I love my grill.

[Pa55w0rd]

Heck, Is there a word for a person who only eats meat??


hehehe yeah ME !!!
no i think the word would be carnivore

[The Crazy Wacker]

Consider me a carnivore with a few exceptions... Potatos, peppers, bread, candy, some fruits, ect.

Wheres Dickson?

[The Crazy Wacker]

[quote]Originally posted by The Crazy Wacker:
<strong>Consider me a carnivore with a few exceptions... Potatos, peppers, bread, candy, some fruits, ect.

Wheres Dickson?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Dickson County? Ahhhhhh..... Still dunno where it is ::Scratches head:: I'm in rutheford county.

[KC]

[quote]Originally posted by The Crazy Wacker:
<strong>

Dickson County? Ahhhhhh..... Still dunno where it is ::Scratches head:: I'm in rutheford county.</strong><hr></blockquote>


40 Miles west of Nashville... bout an 1.25 hours from you. give or take how fast you are traveling...

[ChubbyHubby]

I know one of the top womens epee fencers in our country (was around top 20 in the world a couple of years ago) is looking to re-introduce a little red meat back into her diet. I don't think that she is a vegetarian, though - just had completely cut red meat out of her diet until now. I am not sure if she is re-introducing it due to iron, protein or what.

I think that the key to what your coach is saying is that you ensure that you get a balanced diet. For your body to perform at its best you need to ensure that you get the right mix of vitamins, minerals (including iron), protein, carbs and even fat (although the right sorts of fat!).

Taking multi-vitamins and minerals is not a substitute for a healthy, balanced diet: the effectiveness of the same amount of vitamins and minerals is normally better from natural sources (rather than tablets).

I guess the best person to speak to is a nutritionist (or read a book): analyse what is in your diet, what is lacking from your diet and vegetarian friendly ways to make up for any shortfalls.

Just because a person is a meat eater doesn't mean that their diet is good.... In general, many vegetarians eat a lot more healthily...

ChubbyHubby

[It]

[quote]Originally posted by shyHeidi:
<strong>I suppose this sounds weird... Hey, I'm a vegetarian, have been all my life... ..</strong><hr></blockquote>

__________________________________________________ _____________________________

So what do you do to your opponents after you slay them?

( by the way their are many of a great atheletes in different sports out there who are vegens. Why should the sport of fencing be any different as far as dieting goes? )

[reptile]

[quote]Originally posted by Inquartata:
<strong>Vegetarian foilists there may be. Sabre fencers? Never! There MUST be meat!

Ahem. Seriously, it isn't meat per se, but protein, I'd imagine, that he means. Vegetarians have to work hard at getting the right sort of protein, as vegetable proteins are missing several crucial amino acids---but I daresay you already know that.

Whenever I start feeling tired, listless, dragging and lethargic, it's invariably because I've let my protein intake slip. And most of us need more than we think we do ( but often less than we get ).</strong><hr></blockquote>

How do you know it's invariably because you've let my protein intake slip? I am a SABRE fencer and i have been a VEGAN for about 5 years. I think i make most of the meat eaters in my club look lethargic - from the point of view of fitness, not tournament success

I don't think one's diet is really a key topic on a fencing board, but the mentioned missing several crucial amino acids are a myth. Vegans have to take care to get hold of enough vitamin b12 but thats about it!

Its a medical fact that its easy to oversupply yourself with protein and (in the western hemisphere) highly unlikely to develop a lack of amino acids...

for further info:

<a href="http://www.vegsource.com/articles/mahler_weightlift.htm" target="_blank">http://www.vegsource.com/articles/mahler_weightlift.htm</a>



[ 05-16-2002: Message edited by: reptile ]</p>

[reptile]

[quote]Originally posted by shyHeidi:
<strong> I want to be able to tell them, "well so-and-so is a vegetarian, so I'm not alone, you know, and obviously if so-and-so can do it, you don't have to eat meat to become a good fencer..." or something, you know? ...</strong><hr></blockquote>

found

Leslie Marx (1996 woman's epee national champion);

[135711]

i agree reptile, not only that but meat proteins are considered dehydrating because they cause the kidneys to work harder excreting more complex metabolic wastes, so especially prior to fencing, protein consumption would be a problem, answer: eat light, and also, the extra work that it requires uses more calories [energy] that could be spent in fencing, and it becomes more and more important as a competition progresses during the day.

[ 05-16-2002: Message edited by: 135711 ]</p>

[Inquartata]

[quote]Originally posted by reptile:
<strong>

How do you know it's invariably because you've let my protein intake slip? </strong><hr></blockquote>

Because when I up my consumption of protein it invariably solves the problem. In fact it sometimes results in my having more energy than I quite know what to do with...

[quote]<strong>
I am a SABRE fencer and i have been a VEGAN for about 5 years. </strong><hr></blockquote>


I was KIDDING with the "all sabre fencers eat meat" part. I thought that was pretty obvious, but perhaps I should remember to always put a smily gremlin up for the humor-impaired...



[quote]<strong>
the mentioned missing several crucial amino acids are a myth. Vegans have to take care to get hold of enough vitamin b12 but thats about it!</strong><hr></blockquote>

No single vegetable source, with the exception of soy, has all 9 essential amino acids not synthesized by the body. Vegans need to utilize a combination of sources to remedy the potential shortfalls. It can be done easily enough, but it takes thought, whereas meat-eaters needn't even think about it ( rather their problem is usually that they get too much protein ). It's like communism vs. capitalism: the Soviet Union set up an enormous, expensive, ponderous bureaucracy to clear commodity and service supply and demand back in its communist days...in other words, to do the same thing that prices do automatically and for free under capitalism...

[quote]<strong>
Its a medical fact that its easy to oversupply yourself with protein and (in the western hemisphere) highly unlikely to develop a lack of amino acids...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Agreed---as long as you (a) eat high-quality proteins such as meat, fish, eggs or dairy, or (b) are careful to get your proteins from a complementary variety of vegetable proteins.

BTW, the URL's you gave presented me with error file not found messages. But I have read a number of other documents on the issue...and the only ones which dismiss the amino-acid matter as a "myth" seem to be partisan vegan organs such as PETA and pro-vegetarian experts. This makes me wonder whether where they stand depends on where they sit...

[ 05-16-2002: Message edited by: Inquartata ]</p>

[shyHeidi]

Wow, thanx for all the info... though it seems like there are varying opinions on the whole thing. I suppose this means I'm just gonna have to research...
I'm sorta known for lying on the gym floor half asleep until the last possible moment before class...
So I suppose I'm miss lack-of-energy ... ...though one or 2 of them have started calling me evil heidi..... Oh well.
Anyway, hm, yeah, I eat junk, I live on cereal <img src="graemlins/dunce.gif" border="0" alt="[Dunce]" /> ... mmmm, rice chex.... yummy... but thanx for the info...

[reptile]

"Because when I up my consumption of protein it invariably solves the problem. In fact it sometimes results in my having more energy than I quite know what to do with..."

So have i. Ergo the "high-quality protein" can't be the only reason. I'd say there is a fair share of psycho somatics involved - i feel good after having a wheat steak and after having a ???-steak..

"I was KIDDING with the "all sabre fencers eat meat" part. I thought that was pretty obvious, but perhaps I should remember to always put a smily gremlin up for the humor-impaired..."

Thanks - i got it already the first time, still decided to answer the way i did.

"No single vegetable source, with the exception of soy, has all 9 essential amino acids not synthesized by the body."

And isn't soy, in thhe shape of tofu (spiced and barbacued) a perfect source? I wouldn't advise anyone to try it raw though.

"It's like communism vs. capitalism: the Soviet Union set up an enormous, expensive, ponderous bureaucracy to clear commodity and service supply and demand back in its communist days...in other words, to do the same thing that prices do automatically and for free under capitalism..."

These two things got nothing in commom and there's more to be answered to this statement than anyone wants to read on a fencing board!

"Agreed---as long as you (a) eat high-quality proteins such as meat, fish, eggs or dairy, or (b) are careful to get your proteins from a complementary variety of vegetable proteins.

BTW, the URL's you gave presented me with error file not found messages."

Just hit Mike Mahler in Google. He's a competing weight lifter and lives strictly vegan.

"But I have read a number of other documents on the issue...and the only ones which dismiss the amino-acid matter as a "myth" seem to be partisan vegan organs such as PETA and pro-vegetarian experts. This makes me wonder whether where they stand depends on where they sit..."

How come i am still not a wreck with short breath and atrophic muscels? Vitamin B12 (can be found in juices, soy milk, cereal...) does need close attention though.

[ 05-18-2002: Message edited by: reptile ]</p>