NFLs Tony Gonzalez Goes Vegan!?

I have a few friends that abide by a vegan diet -- i.e., no consumption of animal products or byproducts. Vegan is not an easy choice when you seriously consider how many regularly available foods are prohibited. No chicken, no fish, no honey, etc. And vegans go a step further than vegetarians by also eschewing dairy and eggs (vegetarians drink milk and covet their scrambles). True vegans also shy away from other lifestyle animal byproducts such as leather and silk, but we'll leave that issue for another blog.

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My vegan friends are slim and smaller-framed. While a few are hard core athletes, I've always assumed that most of us needing a higher calorie intake (taller/larger-framed men and women, those with fast metabolisms, long distance endurance athletes, etc.) could not subsist or maintain higher weight levels without meat and dairy staples.

I was shocked to learn that Pro Bowl Tight-End Tony Gonzalez of the KC Chiefs had embraced a vegan diet and maintained his 6' 5" 250 lbs. size through this past season. For the record, he did have to occasionally cheat by eating a few servings of fish and chicken each week to maintain the bulky frame required to push around other manbeasts. Still, his commitment is very impressive.

Research doesn't necessarily demonstrate that switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet will improve your performance. But, studies do show that these diets don't hinder performance either. And, if an athlete mentally feels healthier and better about himself or herself, then what's the downside? Other pro athletes such as Salim Stoudamire of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, Carl Lewis of Track and Field fame, and the NFL's Ricky Williams, would agree. All three are dedicated vegans as well.

I don't think I'm ready to abandon In N' Out burgers or pulled pork sandwiches, but I can certainly understand why others, including competitve athletes, might choose to do so.