When I think that some of the strongest, most muscular animals on the planet are vegetarians, it makes me give it more consideration. If you believe in the science that says we're closely related to apes, you then start pondering on how much stronger they are than us, yet they have a completely vegetarian diet. Not related to us but still at the top of the muscle building pyramid are rhinos and elephants.

I'm trying to talk myself into being a vegetarian, but I'm also a heavy exerciser. I used to do adventure races (and may start again), and I still workout more than everybody I know. I've never gone completely veg because all I've ever read said you need lots of protein for muscle repair. But meat is pretty disgusting to me actually, so if it won't retard my muscle repair and building I'd rather go veg.

I need to research vegetarian athletes. Is there such an animal? :D

http://vegetarianbodybuilder.com/index2.html

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/

Protein for humans is very important I believe. You don't have to eat meat to get your protein, you could get it from dairy or protein shakes/powders instead if you wish. I think if you're exercising in particular without adequate protein, you could end up losing the lean muscle mass you already have, and then your energy too. Eventually it could be taken from your heart since your heart is a muscle. Don't worry, there are other protein options for you! HTHS!:D

You might want to check out the veggieboards.com website. There is a board there devoted to exercising, and there are a lot of athletes on there who are vegan/vegetarian who could probably give you tips.
It is interesting that you brought this topic up, I've been thinking about this a bit myself. My mother said something to me once that "Protein is probably the last thing that most people are deficient in." I agree with her on that. If you look around, food companies are adding the stuff in supplement form to a lot of things (it is even in drink mixes along with fiber). But there are so many other ways to get your protein from: beans, nuts, yoghurt, tofu, and shakes.

Protein is definitely important but like what's been said you don't have to eat meat to get protein. These days it's a lot easier for vegetarians/vegans to get all the nutrients they need. You can always go with soy or those meat substitutes and the non dairy milk alternatives if you want to go truly vegan. If you want to go the protein shake route you may need to experiment a bit. I used to drink those (I'm not a big meat fan and when I don't get enough protein I feel horrible) and some of them are just plain nasty. I've tried a couple that had a weird almost meaty and peppery taste to them so I'd suggest reading reviews mand getting the smallest sizes first to make sure they don't taste awful.

vegetariantimes.com has some great recipes, and you can find them by category - like high protein. They probably have articles about exercising, too. I also like protein shakes. My favorite so far is Kashi Go Lean in Vanilla. If you're looking to build, try whey protein shakes. They are thinner and not as yummy, but they will help you bulk up. Blend it with frozen berries to make it taste better. When grilling out, I bring portabella caps. They are hearty and filling and great with boursin cheese. Soy milk is a good source of protein, too, so I recommend blending any shake mix with it. And, of course, there are always nuts, which are great for supplying DHA as well. Good luck!

Brendan Brazier is a vegan athlete and I believe Carl Lewis is a vegetarian. Protein is essential for building muscles but I recently found out that yogurt is considering a protein source. I never ate it till recently when I found I could eat the organic stuff without getting my asthma acting up.

Brazier has his own line of supplements for the vegan. Don't try the unflavored stuff as its truly gross tasting.

Protein for humans is very important I believe. You don't have to eat meat to get your protein, you could get it from dairy or protein shakes/powders instead if you wish. I think if you're exercising in particular without adequate protein, you could end up losing the lean muscle mass you already have, and then your energy too. Eventually it could be taken from your heart since your heart is a muscle. Don't worry, there are other protein options for you! HTHS!:D

Yeah this would be my only concern...it happened to me from lack of protein/overexercising :( Your heart becomes quite weak, but of course I wasnt getting adequate nutrition in other ways either, so that's what made my issues worse.

I think so long as you eat other sources (yogurt, protein shakes, nuts) etc & don't drop your calorie levels, you should be fine :)

Protein is so important! What a lot of people don't understand with all the diets and whatnot these days is that everyone needs a *balanced* diet including whole grains, fruits/veggies, dairy, AND protein to lead a healthy life. What's also important to remember is that being a vegetarian will make your protein consumption harder. Some vegetables seem to have a high protein content, but the type of protein they contain is less digestable than animal protein. Therefore, if you consider vegetarianism I'd recommend seeing a nutritionist to get the correct amount of protein you should be consuming from vegetables and other sources.

6 Star (Wal*Mart) and EAS (Target) protein supplement powders are wonderful and come in different flavors. You can mix them with milk or water, into smoothies, ice cream, yogurt, etc. They taste like Carnation Instant Breakfast, and they did wonders for my health. (Not a huge meat-eater.)