A friend and current basketball teammate asked me about how his recently-adopted vegetarian diet might impact his energy levels. Specifically, he was wondering if meat created any special advantage for an athlete. Would going vegetarian - or possibly even vegan - impact his energy level for our highly important league?
Long time readers will know I possess no knowledge in this area. However, you loyal readers ALSO know I possess many hunches about lunches, all of which I'm happy to share, buffet-style, to anyone who wants to humor me.
The answer I came up with surprised even me, reader. As I considered my answer, I was struck by a sudden thought: if meat was so important to energy levels, how did ancient hunter-gatherers prepare before going out to catch their prey?
This assumes, of course, that hunting in the good old days occurred only when no meat remained. I might be wrong about that, as well, but I bet I'm right. So whatever the ideal pre-hunt meal was, meat was likely not a significant component. And in the absence of meat, our ancestors would have had no choice but to eat fruits, vegetables, or whatever else they had on hand before going out on the all-important hunt.
If the pregame meal is adequate preparation for chasing after a mastodon, it's probably more than sufficient prior to shooting a few hoops, right?
