It's trendy and increasingly accessible to embrace a plant-based diet. More and more people are opting to eat more plants, more often. Plant-based options are abundant in grocery stores, dominating dairy sections, and appearing on restaurant menus. But can a plant-based diet truly fuel your life and your running? The evidence and the experiences of plant-based runners suggest it can.
Plant-based runners such as Scott Jurek, Michael Wardian, Ellie Greenwood, Fiona Oakes, Rich Roll, and Brendan Brazier have consistently achieved top positions and broken records, all while running entirely on plants.
This article explores the benefits of a plant-based diet for runners, potential downsides, and provides a sample meal plan for a day in the life of a vegan runner.
Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet for Runners
A 2019 study in the journal Nutrients examined the overall health of plant-based endurance athletes to determine if they could truly thrive and perform on plants alone. The Physicians Committee also found that plant-based athletes benefit from improvements in heart health, performance, and recovery. Let's delve into some key advantages:
Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation is the body's natural response to the stress of running or strength training. While acute inflammation is beneficial for repair, chronic inflammation can hinder recovery and performance. A plant-based diet can help reduce inflammation due to the antioxidant content and the absence of pro-inflammatory fats found in animal products.
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A 2017 meta-analysis of 18 studies demonstrated that vegetarian diets consumed over two years reduced certain markers of inflammation, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect of plant-based foods. Some studies suggest that specific antioxidant-rich foods like tart cherries, pomegranates, blueberries, blackcurrants, and watermelon may further decrease inflammation and promote recovery.
Improved Glycogen Storage
Glycogen, derived from carbohydrates, is the primary fuel source for the brain and muscles. Adequate glycogen stores are crucial for endurance athletes to avoid "hitting the wall." Plant-based diets, rich in complex carbohydrates from grains, fruits, legumes, and root vegetables, can facilitate better glycogen storage.
Many endurance athletes chronically underfuel with carbohydrates, which can lead to rapid glycogen depletion and fatigue during runs. A 2016 study revealed that only 46% of athletes training 1-3 hours daily met the recommended carbohydrate intake of ≥6 grams per kg of body weight.
Enhanced Blood Flow and Tissue Oxygenation
Runners typically have thinner blood with more plasma, which aids in oxygenating tissues and improving performance. Plant-based diets can further enhance blood flow.
A study comparing vegetarians and non-vegetarians found that plasma viscosity, cell volume, and blood viscosity were lower in vegetarians, with the most significant differences observed in those who strictly avoided animal products. Animal fats can impair arterial flexibility, while plant-based fats from nuts, seeds, and avocados are a healthier choice.
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Leaner Body Mass
Plant-based diets can contribute to a leaner body mass. Whole plant foods are nutrient-dense and lower in calories compared to meat and dairy. The high water and fiber content of plant-based foods promotes satiety with fewer calories.
A 2005 study found that a low-fat vegan diet increased post-meal energy burn by 16%, potentially due to changes at the mitochondrial and cellular level. The body expends more energy converting dietary carbohydrates to body fat compared to dietary fat, making it easier to burn carbohydrates from plants as fuel. A leaner body can improve VO2 max and running speed.
Research has found that vegan diets are associated with a lower body mass compared to vegetarian or omnivorous diets. This can be largely explained by replacing energy-dense animal-based foods with lower-calorie-dense plant-based foods that generally have a higher water content, lower fat content, and higher fiber content. Plant-based foods also result in an increase in the thermic effect of food, meaning we expend more calories digesting plant-based foods than animal-based foods. A leaner body mass is frequently desired, particularly in endurance sports, as reduced body fat is associated with increased aerobic capacity, and consequently improved endurance.
Improved Health
Plant-based diets are protective against many diseases. A plant-based diet is high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, it can support or improve your athletic performance.
Potential Downsides of a Plant-Based Diet for Runners
While a well-planned plant-based diet can be as effective as an omnivorous diet for athletic performance, there are potential downsides:
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Social Challenges
It can be challenging to maintain a plant-based diet if those around you eat differently.
Nutritional Knowledge Required
Simply replacing meat with bread or lettuce will likely lead to disappointment. It's crucial to understand how to meet your carbohydrate, fat, and protein requirements on a plant-based diet.
The Protein Question
It's essential to educate yourself on plant-based protein sources. All plant foods contain protein, but athletes require more. Prioritize protein-rich foods like beans, tofu, lentils, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, and seeds. Plant-based protein powders and bars can supplement your intake.
While plant proteins may be less bioavailable and lack all essential amino acids in a single source, these limitations can be overcome by consuming a variety of plant-based proteins throughout the day.
Taste and Palatability
It's important to make plant-based meals delicious. Processed foods are designed to be hyper-palatable. As you eliminate these, you'll begin to appreciate the flavors of whole plant foods. Use sauces and seasonings to create flavorful meals.
Supplementation
Supplementation with vitamin B12 is essential for all vegans. Consider blood tests to check iron and vitamin D levels. B12 is a bacteria found in soil that concentrates in animal flesh.
Volume
Plant-based and vegan diets tend to be fibre-dense, with fruit and vegetables displacing carbohydrates, protein and essential fats. When training volume and energy needs are high, some may find it challenging to consume enough energy through a plant-based approach, as it is less energy-dense. This can result in negative consequences to health and performance if not addressed.
Digestion Difficulties
Since fibre-dense foods have been associated with digestion difficulties, plant-based and vegan runners may be at a greater risk of encountering stitches while running.
Micronutrients
Some micronutrients can be more difficult to obtain from diets that avoid animal and animal products. Vegetarian runners should keep an eye on their levels of iron and omega-3 fatty acids, as these are difficult to obtain when not consuming meat or fish. Vegan and plant-based runners also need to consider their vitamin B12, iodine and calcium levels.
Getting Started with a Plant-Based Diet
When switching to a more plant-based diet from a diet with animal proteins, the biggest thing to consider is caloric intake. When cutting out animal proteins, the idea is not to cut them out and replace those calories with vegetables. You must incorporate some sort of plant-based protein source to add calories and protein to your diet, to make sure you are being supported nutritionally. If we are making these swaps without having a game plan of how we are going to support ourselves with food as energy, we run the risk of under-fueling our bodies, which could impair our performance, immune system, and bone health. To support our energy needs from running, it will be important to prioritize calories from carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Protein Intake
It can be suggested that plant-based diets may need up to 10% more protein than omnivores to account for the lower digestibility of plant proteins compared to animal proteins. Some protein-like products that are marketed as plant-based protein sources may not have enough protein to support your activity level. For example, plant-based milks and some veggie burgers do not have the same amount of protein as their counterparts of cow’s milk and animal-based burgers. Swapping in plant-based foods can be a great alternative for you, but make sure you are adding in extra protein sources to your meals to keep you full and to support your recovery from exercise.
Plant-based protein options typically do not contain all of the essential amino acids in one product like animal products do. They are generally missing 1 or 2 amino acids, which makes them an incomplete protein. But pairing plant-based protein options together will allow the meal to make a complete protein source. For example, pairing vegetables, legumes, and grains provides a complete protein. A plant-based diet can be successful in meeting protein needs by focusing on including a variety of foods such as legumes, soy, nuts, seeds, and grains into their diet. For optimal muscle building on a plant-based diet, studies have found that pea protein is a great option. Focus on pairing protein and carbohydrate sources for a balanced meal! For example, you could add lentils to a spaghetti sauce, tofu to stir-fry, or garbanzo beans to a salad. Some other options could be adding soy milk to your cereal in the morning instead of almond milk, which will provide more calories and protein.
Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated that when matched for protein and training, plant proteins are just as effective at building muscle as animal proteins. One trial compared 19 habitual vegans and 19 habitual omnivores. Both groups consumed 1.6 grams protein per kilogram bodyweight per day, supplemented with soy or whey protein and participated in a resistance training program for 12 weeks. Both groups increased their amounts of lean muscle mass and improved their 1 repetition max attempts, with no statistically significant differences between groups. Another clinical trial also compared an exclusively vegan diet to an omnivorous diet, matched for protein at 2 grams/kilogram/day, in a 10-week resistance training program, and similarly found that there were no significant differences between the increase in muscle size or strength. This clinical trial also found that three days of each diet yielded similar muscle protein synthesis rates, which is the rate at which we are able to build new muscle tissue after exercise.
For those athletes who wish to supplement with a protein powder could consider using a soy protein powder, which has been found to be as effective as animal protein at improving strength and muscle size, according to a meta-analysis published in 2018. Soy contains phytoestrogens (or plant estrogens), which has mistakenly been said to have a feminizing effect on men. However, two meta-analyses have found that neither soy nor isoflavones (a type of phytoestrogen) have a negative effect on testosterone levels.
A Day of Eating for a Plant-Based Runner
Here's an example of a plant-based diet for a runner, which can be adjusted based on individual calorie and nutrient needs:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal made with fortified plant-based milk (almond, soy, or flax), topped with berries, pecans, and sunflower seeds. A banana or graham cracker can be a quick pre-run option.
- Post-workout snack: Smoothie with plant-based milk, peanut butter or protein powder, banana, greens, and chia or hemp seeds.
- Lunch: Loaded salad with greens, red onions, corn, black beans, avocado, salsa, roasted sweet potato with tahini and lime dressing.
- Afternoon snack: Fresh or dried fruit with a handful of mixed nuts.
- Dinner: Stir-fry with brown rice or quinoa, vegetables, crispy tofu, and teriyaki sauce, or white bean and kale chili.
Pre-Exercise Meal
It is important to consume a pre-exercise meal or snack that is high in carbohydrates to top off your muscle glycogen stores. Typically, an intake of a high-carbohydrate meal or snack of 1-4 grams per kilogram of body weight, approximately 1-4 hours before a run, has been shown to improve performance. (Example: A 150-pound runner would want to consume a meal with 136 grams of carbohydrates 2 hours before a long endurance run). People who primarily eat plant-based foods and have built a tolerance to high-fiber foods without gastrointestinal distress may be accustomed to eating foods such as legumes before a workout.
Fiber Intake
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fiber for men is 30-38 g/day and for women is 21-29 g/day. Eating a more plant-based diet results in a higher fiber intake. While there are many benefits to a high-fiber diet, we must slowly add fiber into our diet instead of all at once to avoid gastrointestinal distress. In addition, avoiding high-fiber foods before, during, and after exercise may be necessary due to the slow digestion of fiber.
Nutrients of Concern
Depending on the foods you choose to include in your plant-based diet, be aware that some plant foods cannot provide certain nutrients that animal products can. Specifically, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, and B12 are nutrients of concern and may require special attention to achieve an optimal amount of each nutrient in your diet. Choosing a variety of foods such as grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds can help your body receive all of the nutrients it needs.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
To ensure success with a plant-based diet for running, avoid these common mistakes:
- Relying on processed vegan foods: Plant-based meat alternatives are convenient but often nutritionally poor, high in sodium, and low in key nutrients.
- Insufficient total calories: High-fiber, low-energy-density foods can lead to under-eating during high training volume.
- Neglecting pre-run digestive planning: High fiber can cause GI distress during running.
- Assuming “vegan = automatically healthy”: Vegan junk food exists. Meeting nutrient needs requires conscious planning and regular blood work.
- Not supplementing B12: This is non-negotiable for all vegans.
Plant-Based vs. Vegetarian vs. Vegan
A plant-based diet minimizes or excludes animal products, focusing on legumes, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It's more flexible than vegetarian or vegan diets. A vegetarian diet eliminates all animal-based meat products, while a vegan diet strictly avoids all animal products.