Great Read.  Most content is derived from Brendan Brazier.  Pro Triathlete and owner of Vega:

Plant-Based Diet for Peak Performance  - January 10, 2008
By Charlene Waldner, LifeSport Coaching

A plant-based diet is by definition a diet consisting of simple, natural whole unprocessed foods. To some it may mean eliminating meat, dairy products and refined foods from their diets. For many people, the terms "vegan" and "vegetarian" sound intimidating. Some argue that a plant-based diet would not be sufficient enough in protein, calcium, iron, etc. for an athlete to be able to recover from training and racing and experience good health.

The plant-based diet is focused primarily around fruits and vegetables. Proponents of plant-based diets view fruits and vegetables as being nutritionally superior to all other food groups, as they are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Reasons why an athlete may be interested in a plant-based diet are to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle and to achieve superior nutrition.

There has been much debate over whether it's possible be a top-level athlete while on a plant-based diet. Due to my own self-interest, I interviewed Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman triathlete, the formulator of Vega and the author of The Thrive Diet (thrivediet.com). His book is based on how a whole-foods diet can contribute to losing weight, reducing stress and staying healthy. The book also contains a 12-week meal plan that includes several fantastic recipes.

I also attended the OrganicAthlete meeting, which is held once per month in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, at the Green Cuisine restaurant. It served as a great opportunity to meet a variety of organic-eating athletes participating in different sports. In addition, I learned about their specific dietary requirements during training and racing. Brazier shared his ideas and views on how a plant-based diet can propel athletes to achieve peak performance. He discussed his training diet and the types of whole-food fuel he consumes prior to and during training and for recovery.

Brazier also stressed the importance of "recalibrating" the body. This is done by removing stimulating foods, including caffeine and refined carbohydrate, from the diet. Gradually reducing your intake of sugary and starchy foods and avoiding refined and processed foods can result in a net gain of energy through nourishment, not stimulation. Recalibrating also results in "everlasting" energy.

For athletes, Brazier suggested making small changes in the off-season as opposed to making dramatic changes during the race season. This is because a stress response could occur when making such radical diet changes mid-season, which would in turn affect performance and recovery. Some changes he suggested were starting off with a half-serving (one scoop) of Vega per day plus one meal and one snack per day, as recommended in The Thrive Diet's 12-week meal plan. Some people may find the detoxifying effects too intense in the beginning, so easing into dietray changes is highly recommended. For the full recalibrating effect, Brazier recommends substituting yerba matte or green tea for coffee before a key workout. It is important to experiment with this during a key session before trying it in on race day.

It is equally important to take more recovery after these workouts, as the stimulating effects of yerba matte and green tea will increase your workout intensity level.

Going The Distance on Whole-Plant Foods

The science of sports nutrition has evolved dramatically over the last few decades. There are hundreds of new scientifically engineered drinks, gels and sports bars on the market today, all which claim to be the next best energy food products. Yet many of these products contain simple sugars and caffeine.

It is critical to take in fuel to avoid "bonking" and maintain blood sugar for workouts and events lasting 1.5 hours or more. To fuel long workouts, bike rides and runs, fruit is the most natural nutritionally dense fuel-source choice.

Brazier suggests some of his homemade concoctions that are easy to make and much healthier than commercial versions. Some great gel and bar recipes can be found in his book.

Brendan uses his own Basic Electrolyte Sports Drink and/or water-based Vega smoothie with added fruit to fuel his long rides and races. Homemade gels and bars using all-natural ingredients are ideal for fueling long workouts and races. For post-workout recovery, a Vega shake is the perfect choice either with water or blended with fruit; it contains all the nutrients of a full meal.

I also had the opportunity to interview a few of the vegan athletes from Victoria's OrganicAthlete chapter. I asked them their sport-nutrition choices and here are a few favorites they suggested.

-Vega bars and Vega
-Nature's Path energy bars
-LÄRABAR
-Homemade energy bars made from brown-rice syrup, almond butter, oats and rice protein
-ReBars
-Organic CLIF BARs and CLIF SHOT Bloks
-Hammer Gel, soy-based
-Andy's customized electrolyte sports drink made from brown rice syrup rice protein powder and seaweed based electrolyte
-Almonds, raisins and dates
-Bananas
-Vegetable and fruit juices with added wheat grass for energy

Eating a simple diet of natural whole foods can enhance both physical and mental energy. A healthy diet lowers adrenal stress and recalibrating will help the body gain more energy from whole, natural foods rather than from stimulating foods. Any diet change should be gradual, thus allowing the body to adapt, which will ensure permanent results. Like any changes we make to improve our health and wellbeing, making progress is all about focusing on the process and making small changes each day.

You don't need to be an athlete to benefit from a whole-foods diet-you can achieve outstanding performance not just in athletics but in every day life.