Bulk rate

Your article about Tobey Maguire (“Oh, What a Tangled Web He Wove,” May 11) misinforms the public when it states: “He also follows a meatless diet ... and that made it harder for him to bulk up in a manner befitting a superhero.”

The belief that it’s harder to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet and hence is harder to bulk up is a fallacy. Bill Pearl won the Mr. Universe title four times on a vegetarian diet, and Pat Reeves won the women’s British Powerlifting Championship on a vegan (100% plant-based) diet. Plant-based protein is just as good for muscle building as animal-based but carries far less disease risk. Another advantage of a plant-based diet for bulking up is it is easier to make the diet extremely low in fat, necessary for achieving that “cut” look. If Tobey Maguire had any difficulty in bulking up, it had nothing to do with the fact he doesn’t eat meat.

Tom Meinen

Aurora, Colo.