"Fortunately, today we have the information as well as
the testimonies of many athletes to substantiate the benefits of
plant-based diets. Dave Scott, considered to be the world's greatest
triathlete, holds a degree in exercise physiology. In his own words,
it's a 'ridiculous fallacy' to think that athletes need animal protein.
He is joined in his views by such Olympians as Edwin Moses, the gold
medalist who went eight years without losing the 400- meter hurdle
competition, and Murray Rose, who, at age 17, won three gold medals in
the Olympic swim competition. This year, I was glad to see Olympic
champion Carl Lewis crown his career with his best long jump in two
years to win a record-tying ninth gold medal. Lewis, of course, is a
longtime vegetarian (vegan) whose dietary changes developed out of his
moral and religious convictions. Several years ago Leroy Burrell and
Carl Lewis traded titles back and forth when they were being hailed as
the fastest sprinters in the world - and both were vegetarians. Whether
you are a world class athlete, a weekend athlete, or simply a
recreational exerciser, we now know that you can meet your performance
objectives, and improve your health by eating a plant-based diet that
meets your energy needs. Even at my present age of 93, I found that
switching to a plant-based diet improved my health dramatically."
~ Dr. Benjamin Spock
best known for his books about raising babies and is
also a vegetarian.
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