Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I'm sure this has been covered here, but I did a search and couldn't find anything...

So, I emailed off a big summary about myself, my training, my diet, etc, to a trainer I was really looking forward to possibly working with and he replied that he didn't have enough experience working with vegetarians/vegans and that I should do my research on complete proteins.

I thought I had read in THE CHINA STUDY that this complete protein thing was a myth. I also vaguely recall finding a website (which I apparently did not bookmark) saying it wasn't a problem after this subject came up amongst some friends.

My questions are:

-I'm under the impression the body can reassemble amino acids from various plant sources to do what it has to do, such as build muscle. True/false?

-I'm under the impression the body can store those amino acids for up to a day so you don't necessarily have to eat rice with beans at the same meal, but if you eat rice and beans within 24 hours, you should be fine. True/false?

-I frequently see pro-Vegetarian/Vegan websites argue against this whole complete protein thing being a problem and the mainstream bodybuilding community arguing that it IS a problem. Are there any independent studies you guys can link to that support the case that it's not a concern?

-Most of the websites I see are in reference to normal vegetarians/vegans, not bodybuilding folks. Is it a different story for those of us looking to pack on the muscle?

Thanks for your help!

Complete protein is a myth.



True. Every mammal can also do this.



The body does store amino acids until you go to sleep since the majority of muscle tissue repair happens when you sleep.

First part is true. The rest is a myth.



Vitamin D is a lot more important with building muscle than "worrying" about whether you're getting the right amount of protein. The mainstream bodybuilding community wants everyone to believe we need animal protein to build muscle.

My experience is that beans are a poor source of protein. Some people might argue with me on this.

Rice, vegetables, ripe fruit, avocados and tempeh eaten in a balanced diet offer optimal results.

A mix of steamed/boiled vegetables are number 1 on my list for amino acids, EFA's, vitamins and minerals.



You obviously have to eat bigger meals. A mix of lots of vegetables with rice offer a clean potent nutrious meal.

Get creative.

You don't need to combine foods dominant in different amino acids in every meal to get ADEQUATE amounts of usable protein. If you want OPTIMAL amounts of protein ( bodybuilding forum, eh? ) you would want to do that:

legumes ( beans, soy, peanuts, lentils ) + WHOLE grains
legumes + seeds

Don't take anyone's word for it.

There is a free vegan nutrition site authored by a vegan and registered dietitian

veganhealth.org

+1

Unless your diet is oddly deficient in specific areas, you're probably getting enough protein for your body to function just fine. Of course, some sources have different amino profiles than others, but unless you're incredibly precise, it probably doesn't make a significant difference.

Of course, take everything, including this, with a grain of salt. Without actual research, we're all basically guessing.