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

by Matt Frazier, Matthew Ruscigno, Brendan Brazier (Foreword)

No Meat Athlete is a new kind of athletic guide that will take you from starting block to finish line, while providing encouragement, tricks, and advice along the way.

No Meat Athlete combines the winning elements of proven training approaches, motivational stories, and innovative recipes to create a guide for meatless athletes unlike anything printed before. This combination guidebook, healthy-living cookbook, and nutrition primer is a key building blog for beginner, every day, and serious athletes living a no meat lifestyle. 

Author, blogger, and 100-mile ultramarathon veteran, Matt Frazier, will show you the many benefits to embracing a meat-free athletic lifestyle, including:


Weight loss, which often leads to increased speed
Easier digestion and faster recovery after workouts
Improved energy levels to help with not just athletic performance but your day-to-day life
Reduced impact on the planet

No Meat Athlete is a road map to applying your lifestyle to your training regimen. Frazier provides practical strategies and guidance on how to transition to a plant-based diet while getting all the nutrition you need, and offers up menu plans for high performance, endurance, and recovery.

Once you've mastered the basics, Matt delivers a training manual of his own design for runners of all ability-levels and ambitions. The manual provides training plans for common race distances and shows runners how to create healthy habits, improve performance, and avoid injuries.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Health, Cookbooks, Vegan, Nutrition, Sports

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2015

About the author

Matt Frazier is a vegan ultramarathoner and founder of the No Meat Athlete movement.

Frazier shares training tips and vegetarian recipes on his site, No Meat Athlete. When he's not running, cooking, or blogging, Frazier's a full-time graduate student working on his Ph.D. in applied math. He also enjoys reading, gambling, music, and brewing beer. Frazier lives in Maryland with his wife and son.

Reviews

[Edric Subur · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”

Finished this just in time before my half marathon last week. Lots of good tips on preparing for the race and stacking up the confidence to thrive on a plant-based diet. Key takeaways
1. Running is the fastest way for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Unlike other sports that require talent and extensive training, almost anyone can run a marathon if they have the discipline to put in the time and miles
2. The nutrition and antioxidants that many plants supply us act to protect our body from inflammation and cells damage. That’s why after adjusting to plant-based diet, numerous people (including myself) noticed increase in energy, lower stress and quicker recovery time
3. Processed food is deprived of the fibre an nutrition our body needs to regulate what we eat. The food we consume is supposed to made of a complex blend of nutritions. As a rule of thumb, eat only what your great grandmother would recognize as food.

[Aja Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought this was a good book for people of various levels, but especially those trying to understand the vegan/vegetarian - fitness connection. as a vegetarian runner, i don't find it all that difficult, but then i know some people struggle more with maintaining healthy weight, muscle, and nutrition balance with a vegetarian/vegan diet and high activity. a good resource! i especially liked the "formula" recipes that had a base recipe on one side, and lots of options for mixing and matching on the other-- i think this is a clever way to give people options without having to spell every little thing out for them...allowing them to be creative and express themselves-- teaching cooking skills should be more like this.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic, and too much on running programs (e.g., how to run your first 5K, etc.), but I liked the recipes, which are actually "formulas." (And there is a separate cookbook, as well.)

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan and follower of the No Meat Athlete blog since it began, and I was very excited about the release the book, even though I've been a vegetarian for more than 20 years. Of course, it's packed with information about starting a vegetarian/vegan diet, which is great for new vegetarians/vegans. Even long-timers like me might appreciate a refresher on the basics. But the best part is how Matt focuses on the application of a vegan diet to the athlete's lifestyle and training regimen. There are so many misconceptions about vegans and strength, and hopefully, this book will lay those myths to rest at last.

There are lots of great recipes, some that will be familiar to readers of the No Meat Athlete blog, and the formula format for smoothies and bars is super handy. (I have not tried any recipes from the book, but I have been pleased with everything I made from the blog's recipes.) Not being a runner, I sort of lost interest in the training section, as it is geared specifically to foot racing. There is a short cross-training section that teases out other activities. But I still found the book motivating, as its principles apply to my activities of choice (yoga/cycling), and just knowing that there are elite vegan athletes out there is inspiring.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had owned this book 6-12 months ago when I was a new runner and vegetarian attempting the switch to vegan. Matt has written a great book that is approachable, in plain language and an invaluable resource to people ready to set goals an make a change in their life. If you're plant curious and/or considering buying a pair of shoes and trying your hand at running this book really should be in your hands. Excellent

[~ laura ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm training for a century bike ride and needed some help with pre-, during-, and in-between-workout nutrition. This book gave a lot of great recipes for homemade energy gels and bars as well as a few recipes for regular meals that I'm going to try. That chia seed pre-workout drink? I can't wait to try that!

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book, well worth the $0.99 I paid for it :) After poking around a few years in the running/triathlon community and researching vegetarian/vegan eating, there really wouldn't be much new here. But... The smartest people take all the common sense information out there and compile it into an easy to understand/follow compendium, all in one place.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is outstanding! I have it both on Kindle and in the DTB version. A great way to learn how to be a vegan athlete. I'm a runner as well and I find Matt's book and his podcasts to be super helpful. Great recipes, great info. Very highly recommended!

[Donna]

This really is a good read, with plenty of uplifting success stories and practical advice on diet, exercise, and goal-setting. The author presents the combination of a plant-based diet and a running lifestyle as doable and accessible, rather than fanatical or obsessive. Throughout the book, there are several mentions of the "No Meat Athlete Half Marathon Roadmap" and the "Marathon Roadmap," both of which I looked forward to reading and using to meet my own goals. It wasn't until page 231 (of 232 pages) that the author breaks the news that these detailed plans are not included in the book, but may be purchased on his website. For $67.

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me understand my diet as a vegetarian and the guides I can follow to help me become a vegan. I have a very active lifestyle and have always wanted to get into running but feel defeated every time I try but after reading this book I feel like I’m going to continue my running journey and hopefully reach some goals. I thought it was written in a very understanding way, not just from his point of view which I think will help meat eaters to understand why people decide to go vegan or vegetarian and how it doesn’t effect there abilities.
Love it, was a good read

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was nice surprise that stumble upon in my library's ebook collection. I am not a vegetarian, but I'm not a huge fan of meat so this book was helpful for me in learning how to get adequate proteins from other sources to fuel my workouts. I found the authors' information about basic nutrition concepts to be very helpful as a latecomer to fitness and healthy eating. Highly readable for those at any level of their fitness training. The recipes included in the book are great as well.

[Melodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the e-book, and I have to take back what I said previously. It was inaccurate because it was a different edition. That said, I am now going to have to buy this book. It is a wealth of information, and I can already see myself re-reading it for future inspiration. They did a phenomenal job with this cookbook, and the recipes are amazing. Just when you think you know a thing or two about nutrition, along comes this book. I feel inspired.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book for new or aspiring vegan runners. As both a vegan and a runners, some of the information was more of a review for me but I did really enjoy the book. I am looking forward to making several of the recipes.

[Jim Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a No Meat Athlete fan. I listen to the blog when I run. I've used the cookbook. I've followed the training plans. This isn't great literature, but if you're vegan (or want to be) and you fancy yourself a bit of an athlete (or would like to be), this is worth reading.

[Lorna Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book inspires me to eat less meat. I was vegan for 2 years and I became far too fussy and meal times became a chore. I could probably most definitely cut down my meat intake and cook with the recipes in this book and another one I have. Great read

[Emily Mellow · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's really not a very useful book, not the book I was hoping for at least. I wanted inspiration! Instead, I got proslytisation. This is veganism 101, with only an honourable mention for the athletes.

[An Te · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful tips for runners of all abilities all found conveniently in one book. Myth-busting stuff. Lots of recipes to experiment and try.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great cookbook with a good mix of quick, realistic recipes and information that wasn't too dense.

[Laura Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to plant based nutrition and sport.

[Rodolfo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is really broad and cover tons of subjects. I love the easy steps suggested to create new habits and the explanations / motivations for the proposed changes.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Buy

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’ai hâte d’essayer les nombreuses recettes qui s’y trouvent.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little preach-y but a good beginner look at meatless lifestyle and running

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

About four weeks I decided I will run a marathon, and Matt Frazier is to blame.

When I started running, and even months afterwards, a marathon was like my anti-goal - there was no way I was going to even think about doing that. But whenever I think something like that, it tends to happen exactly the opposite way, and this time is no exception. I had discovered his blog pretty early on when I started running, and found a lot of his advice very helpful, so I bought his book as well. Most importantly, though, I started listening to his podcast, and I think it was this more than anything that the thought, Why not? started to pop up in my mind.

Anyway - I've looked at a few books on running ever since it became "my thing", and this was among the best out there.

One factor that helps me decide whether to trust the author is their thoughts on nutrition. Some deny that it's possible to do something like that on a plant-based diet (which is obviously BS), some suggest esoteric beliefs like the bloodtype diet. But what Matt Frazier does here was surprisingly refreshing, especially for a vegan. No, since I knew he is a vegan, I knew he wasn't going to claim that being vegan is an obstacle if you want to be an athlete, but while this is a vegan book, he doesn't negate other views (like a well done paleo diet as opposed to one where people act they have to eat meat all the time). That made me like his approach even more than a pure vegan approach would have (even though I follow a plant-based diet).

I also like his way of explaining how to change your habits to healthier ones, whether this means eating better or starting with running. I was already there for most things when I read this, but I think his method can really lead to lasting results. His is a very down to earth approach that manages to be incredibly inspiring at the same time. Now, I don't agree 100% with everything he says or writes, but this is a great book if you're interested in becoming healthier, and a better runner, where better means running with less injury and more fun.

One thing I am not a big fan of is that if you buy more of his products (in my case, this book, his meal plan and the marathon roadmap), a lot of the information is repetitive so it feels like you're paying twice or more often for the same information. If you are already eating pretty healthily and semi-seriously thinking about running a marathon, I suggest getting his roadmap instead. The marathon plan is good, but to me it felt all I got for around 60 bucks was the plan- the other information was mostly in this book already, as well as in his blog posts and podcasts (the latter I understand, and wouldn't have minded paying for).

But if you're just starting out, this is a great book to help you along the way.

(The German localization feels a bit amateurish at times, but since you can feel the passion behind the ones doing it, I didn't mind that much.)

[Tinea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while sleeping over on the couch in my childhood best friend's living room, my unofficial running coach and vegetarian inspiration (two veg kids! and former vegan inspiration... but we're both unfortunately 'formers' now). This book is a great beginner's guide to both running and fueling oneself after you upgrade your workout regime. The latter is harder than it looks, I discovered, once I started running and dealing with hunger, soreness, and exhaustion despite getting nominally healthier (exercise!). Eating right means changing habits, and while I've successfully navigated 15 years of vegan and veg foodie lifestyle through many different living situations, I wasn't prepared for the need to up my fat and specific micronutrient intake, or when to eat what after a hard workout to best absorb which nutrients. This book gives the science, some theory, general advice, and specific recipes and shopping lists. It's well done.

As for running, Frazier gives seriously simple how-to's on form, preventing injuries, training, and adapting training to fit your goals. Running, I'm finding, is an interesting black hole. On the rim, I like it because it uses less equipment, money, and skill than many other forms of exercise. Over the edge, and it turns out you can spend your whole life in the intricacies of anatomy, pace, distance, breathing, shoes, stride, surfaces, elevation, posture, data, and competition. There's also a lot of good and bad aches and pains to understand and address. Frazier skims these issues, suggest a few concrete paths, and points out where to dig deeper if you're so inclined. For the moment, this was exactly what I, as a beginner runner looking to maintain health and fitness without getting injured or bored, needed. I feel a lot more organized with what are proper challenges to maintain and what are so different plateaus to aim for.

I will probably edit this later with links....

[Carmel March · Rating 5 out of 5]

So simple, honest, and easy, loved the mix of nutrition and fitness advice.

[Nathaniel Grills · Rating 1 out of 5]

In his book, Frazier criss crosses back and forth between ideas, concepts and his own opinions in an attempt to string together a coherent guide for the "no meat athlete." Unfortunately, while his good intentions are evident, I think he fails in completing his overall mission.

The first section Frazier spends contradicting his own writing as he cites "animal rights" as a reason he eats a vegan diet. However, he then later hypocritically instructs the reader that there is "nothing inherently unhealthy with eating a little meat." Leaving me to first wonder whether this is the "no meat athlete" book or the "sometimes, occasionally, maybe a little meat athlete book." And second to wonder whether or not Frazier understands that "eating a little meat" means the animal is just as dead as if you ate its entire corpse.

The body of the book is spent alternating between tips, recipes and personal testimonies from other athletes. The recipes are an overall waste of space (we live in a digital world, where recipes are at our fingertips,) his athletic tips barely stretch beyond basic ("You can listen to music when you run if you get bored!") and the testimonies from other athletes fail to dig deep enough to provide any real inspiration ("Make a plan and stick to it!")

In the end, Frazier cannot successfully sift through his own thoughts in order to provide enough incentive to motivate the reader to action. He attempts to please a diverse audience, but ends up with a slipshod pile of underdeveloped ideas.

[Karol Gajda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of this book last year, but didn't count it because I skipped certain parts (most of the asides that were written by other people, for example).

I decided to re-read it all again for a two reasons.

1) I used the 5k training program in the book and am now using the half marathon training program. I wanted to be sure I didn't miss anything.
2) Matt is a friend and I wanted to be sure I read every word.

What I love about Matt's approach to a plant-based diet is he is not preachy and he doesn't use a bunch of misinformed pseudoscience. He even states that eating meat sometimes is fine *if you want to* without making you feel bad about it. (He doesn't eat animal products, of course.)

This is a great book whether you want to go all out plant-based or if you just want to start running. It's inspiring and an easy read.

Another note: I used to hate running long distances. I actually started the 5k training (and created a small facebook group so others could join) *because* I hated running so much. The tagline to the FB group: "I hate running, let's run!" Over the course of the training I did a complete change. I not only enjoy running, but I look forward to it. Thanks Matt!

[Tom Oakin · Rating 5 out of 5]

NoMeatAthlete started as a blog several years ago, and I have been following it for the past two or three years both as a vegetarian and as a future endurance athlete. Matt has a simple and approachable writing style that cuts right to the point along with a heaping side of inspiration. He doesn't preach. He researches and presents what has worked for him along with the struggle. No sugar coating here nor is he a drill sergeant. Just a down to earth dad who cares about food and how it affects him, his family, and his running. This book is a quick read with a ton of recipes I'm looking forward to: black bean hummus -- I've got my eyes on you!

Since I have been following his blog for a while, I was skeptical of just a rearranging of posts. The same material in a different form; however, Matt was able to take his knowledge, condense it, solicit other professional opinions, gather success stories from his readers, and create an incredibly rich presentation of balance in diet, running, and how to achieve both through goals. This book has a spot next to my other cookbooks. I will be revisiting it often.