If there is one topic that gets people in the sports nutrition arena hot under

the collar, is the age old vegetarian versus meat eater debate. In particular,
the debate is focused on whether or not vegetarian diets are equivalent and
adequate to diets that include meat when it comes to adding muscle mass.
Outlining the entire debate of both sides of the fence is beyond the scope of
this little side bar. I am going to stick to the debate regarding veggie diet
vs. meat containing changes in muscle mass rather than the larger picture of
whether or not vegetarian diets are inherently healthier than diets that
contain meat and vise versa.
In a nut shell, vegetarians maintain that meat is not essential for building
muscle and a diet of mixing complimentary foods such as beans and rice is
adequate. Lacto-ovo vegetarians (vegetarians that include milk products and
eggs) further maintain that the inclusion of milk and eggs, being highly bio
available complete proteins, is more than adequate for athletes trying to
build muscle and maintain peak performance.
On the omnivore side (omnivore meaning people that eat a wide variety of
foods including meat) maintain meats such as chicken, beef and others are
by nature more anabolic for a variety of reasons. So who is right?

Ginseng has been used in the Orient for centuries as an “adaptogenic” plant based
supplement. The concept of an adaptogen basically means that it helps the body
adapt to higher levels of stress.
The ailments Ginseng is claimed to treat range from nervous disorders, anemia,
poor libido, wakefulness, forgetfulness and confusion, nausea, chronic fatigue and
angina, to name a few.
Exactly how ginseng supposedly accomplishes all this is unclear and still being
investigated. In animals, ginseng appears to have positive effects on the
cardiovascular system, central nervous system, endocrine system, metabolism, and
immune system. However, several recent reviews that examined the data on
ginseng concluded, that while studies with animals show that ginseng (or its active
components) may have positive effects on health and performance, there is
generally a lack of controlled research demonstrating the ability of ginseng to
improve performance in humans.
The general consensus regarding the effects of ginseng in humans is that most
studies suffer from methodological problems such as inadequate sample size and
lack of double blind, control and placebo designs. However, Germany’s
Commission E, which is responsible for developing guidelines for herbs, has found
that ginseng is useful for a wide variety of problems, such as fatigue and
improving mental concentration. Europeans seem to have a much better handle on
the uses of ginseng than the US.
To the reader, the above may seem confusing or contradictory. The reason for the
contradictory information may be due in part to the type of ginseng being used, the
quality of the ginseng being used, the amount of the ginseng used, and the
aforementioned study design problems.
For example, there is American ginseng, Indian Ginseng, Siberian ginseng and
Korean ginseng, all reported to have different effects. Also, many ginsengs on the
market are known to be lacking in the active ingredient in ginseng, known as
“ginsenosides.”
One study found that over 85% of ginseng products on the shelves contained
virtually no gensenosides. This makes ginseng something of a confusing
supplement for athletes, but not a supplement without potential merit.
By some accounts with users, ginseng seems to increase stamina, concentration
and resistance to stress, as well and improvements in endurance. One recent study
found 350mg of ginseng extract improved the reaction time (psychomotor
performance) of soccer players over a six week period.
Some studies have found ginseng has powerful anti-cancer and anti-oxidants
properties as well as an ability to improve blood sugar metabolism. One recent
study found ginseng was able to treat some men with erectile dysfunction!