No Meat Athlete: Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest Self

This book is a wonderful gateway into both vegetarianism/veganism and recreational running. The book is written clearly and is a quick and easy read. It is separated into a diet/nutrition section and a running section. The diet section includes the authors case for a plant based diet, basic nutritional guidelines, and a large selection of recipes. As a lifelong vegetarian and new vegan, I found the nutritional information very helpful. It covers the basics without becoming so scientific that my eyes started to glaze over. I have tried several of the recipes and found them to be pretty good (my kids, 5 and 3, have enjoyed about half of the meals, which is a victory in our house). Ethics, for better or worse, is barely touched on. The running section covers how to start running, basic training concepts, and training plans up to half marathon distance. The training information is solid, based on established philosophies, and presented logically. The training plans are geared toward beginners. The author has a half marathon e-book which is highly rated on Amazon which lends to his credibility. A marathon plan would have been nice, but this is not geared to the experienced runner. Overall, it is a good resource for someone new to either topic. While you will not be a registered dietitian or qualify for Boston by reading this book, it will definitely set you in the right direction.

I'm a big fan of No Meat Athlete. I often listen to the podcasts while I run - they are very inspirational. I thought the book would be a repeat of the blogs - but I'm such a big dorky fan of the blog that I preordered it right away. I was absolutely blown away by how good it is. The book is separated into three sections. The first section is on how to move towards a plant based diet. I've been a vegetarian for a year and I read a lot of stuff initially that promoted eating plants and how bad meat is for you. This approach is more realistic - and is not filled with hype. He actually has several nutritionists tell you the downsides of eating only plants and what vitamin supplements you need and how to get them. I wish this was the first book I read when I began eating no meat. I wasn't taking B12 supplements for several months until I came across an article on it. Had I read this first - I would have had a good road map for how to make the change in the most healthy and realistic manner. The second section is all about recipes. Matt is a bit of a foodie and a vegan - but I'm intrigued to try some of the recipes here and I really like how he breaks down food groups and myths to help you get the right nutrition ongoing. I had started listening to the pod casts to learn how to fuel for sports, etc. And I do make my own energy bars and low calorie smoothies based on some of his formulas already. The last section of the book is on how to run. There's some great advice here for those thinking about running as well as for those who already run as I do. I can't even dream about running a 100 mile race. Let alone running 1 mile in under 10 minutes - but I can dream. Thanks Matt for a great roadmap and for your ongoing inspiration. This is about a regular guy who teaches you to set goals and how to make small changes in your day to day life. Becoming a vegetarian, eating healthy, running all began with small steps and it's a real world guide to how to make this happen for you. Even if you don't want to give up meat completely - and you just want ideas on how to be healthier - this is a great book that's not so full of hype it makes you wonder if it's for real. I've read a lot of vegetarian books - and this is a perfect beginner book that lays out how to do it the right way.

This book is truly innovative in its approach -- it argues that the antioxidants and so forth found in plant-based diets assists considerably in athletic recovery. This line of reasoning had only marginally existed in print, as far as I can tell, until the approximate time this book was published, when the idea exploded and became more mainstream. The book provides an excellent introduction to the role of nutrition in athletics, specifically running, then backs that introduction up with a small but useful selection of recipes expounding those ideas. Finally, the book provides what appears to be a solid and useful introduction to running and how to start and manage a training program. Overall, the book is informative, engaging and well-written, and very accessible regardless of your athletic background. The book is also quite motivational, whether you intend to use it for running or not!

Really, No Meat Athlete is a book for everyone, even if you have no intention going vegan or vegetarian. Matt is direct and to the point on the benefits of plant-based foods and how to start incorporating them into your diet (no matter what your use to eating). He explains running exactly the same, to the point and how to start. There are great tips for running and cooking, if you've never done much of either, also great plant-based recipes; really enjoyed the White Bean Coconut Curry! I've only been running for about 2.5 years and starting following Matt's blog "No Meat Athlete" probably 1.5 years ago, and over the past year I've been transitioning into a "No Meat Athlete." And Personally, I've seen incredible improvements; distance, time on trails, speed, recovery. Now I'm working towards ultra marathons (should have my first 50K this December). This book is great for beginners or anyone who is curious about plant-based diets with or without athletics. I loved this book because it really sums up my similar experiences while transitioning to this life style. And now if friends keep asking me all the typical vegan/athletic questions, I can recommend this book for a quick and direct explanation or maybe let them borrow my copy!

I have been vegetarian for 4 years and vegan for one year, so the first half of this book is not news to me. However, it's well written and easy to read. Matt takes a friendly and positive approach to encouraging the reader to try a plant-based lifestyle in the first half of the book. If I were a newbie to this lifestyle, I would definitely feel encouraged and positive that I could make the transition to plant-based after reading this. The book does not go into the ethical side of veganism, it instead focuses on dietary, plant-based nutrition. The middle section of the book is recipes, including easy recipes for making your own sports drinks and gels and energy bars. The last section is a beginner to intermediate guide to running (which could be applied to other sports) with advice for pre, during, and post workout nutrition. The book also includes 5k and half marathon training guides. If you're a vegetarian/vegan and an athlete, much of the information in this book may not be new to you. However, I highly recommend it for those who are interested in going plant-based/vegan and/or for those who are interested in beginner to intermediate running.

Ultra-athletes Matt Frazier and Matt Ruscigno are both such huge inspirations to me. I'm a regular runner looking to increase my mileage with the goal of running the LA marathon in 2015 and maybe even a 50-mile ultra-marathon a few years after that. I know that with the practical, easy-to-follow guidance provided in this book that those life goals are attainable. Ever since adopting a plant-based diet, I've noticed that my energy and endurance have improved, as well as my ability to recover from my workouts more quickly. I feel lighter and stronger. The recipes in this book, tailor-made for athletes looking to enhance their competitive edge, are not only totally manageable to make, they are also really delicious. I'd recommend this book to everyone, from novice to seasoned runners. It's my favorite purchase of the year.

This is book is definitely great for beginner vegetarians and runners. It's well written and the recipes are easy to follow. I was just looking for something more advanced

I cannot say enough good things about No Meat Athlete. I've been interested in running for a long time and have run for a couple of months here and there, but Matt's advice and techniques are what have helped me finally become a good runner. Since I read this book and started listening to the No Meat Athlete podcasts (which I also recommend), running has gotten a lot easier and more fun for me, and I haven't been injured or really had any lingering discomfort at all. I also appreciate Matt's laid back attitude about veganism. I've eaten a mostly vegan diet for several years and have always been put off by the people in the vegan community who are more abrasive in their attempts to get people to follow a vegan lifestyle. Matt's take on it is much more welcoming: while he and his co-author make a clear and strong case for all of the benefits of eating a vegan diet, they don't argue that it's the one and only way people should eat or shame anyone for not being vegan. The recipes in this book are also tasty and generally pretty quick to prepare, which makes it a good place to look for recipes to make on a busy weeknight.

If you're a new runner, and interested in goal setting, running advice and (plant based) nutritional advice this book is tailor made for you. I wish I had owned this book when I started, but even after a year and a half of running I found it incredibly useful. It's a simple, approachable book that won't be intimidating to readers new to the subject of sports nutrition or running. Matt has a non-judgemental "everyman" style about him which is refreshing. He never preaches a plant based diet, but simply outlines how it may help you as an athlete. I liked the book so much I bought another copy as a gift for a friend and recommend it often. Even if you're not a vegetarian, or don't plan to be, this is a great buy for the new (or newish) runner.

A nice primer for those getting into plant based nutrition and fitness. Excellent!

Gives a good overview of running and health dynamics, it paints a broad, practical picture of how to eat, train and run. It starts at basic training and then go into more advanced topicd, I'd recommend beginners to not get scared by the volume of advice and info and to go back to book when they need more. Engaging and easy read, you understand why matt's a successful blogger.

Un libro imprescindible para todos aquellos que quieran compatibilizar el running con una dieta vegetariana y/o vegana Lo recomiendo. Es muy completo y didáctico. No te agobia con datos y datos sino que lo hace todo muy sencillo. Ideal tanto para gente que se inicia en el running y en las dietas vegetarianas como para aquellos que ya tengan experiencia.

Un bel libro per aspiranti (quasi) vegani e corridori principianti. La prima parte del libro parla di salute e cucina con varie ricette interessanti: "famosa" online quella dello smoothie, che consente di variare gli ingredienti senza troppe complicazioni. Io cucino vegan da oltre un anno e mi sembra che le ricette siano semplici e buone. A me interessava soprattutto la parte sulla corsa... ho trovato un sacco di spunti e infatti dopo questo libro sono passata a leggere The Cool Impossible e e vari libri sul barefoot running. In conclusione, ottimo come inizio, per farsi un'idea, per iniziare....