Nutrition

A Nutritious Diet for Vegetarian and Vegan Athletes

Lily Bedford provides an insight into the everyday health and dietary issues associated with vegetarian and vegan diets.

A common misconception of vegetarians and vegans is that they are pale, weak, and wouldn't last five minutes in a sporting arena. A vegetarian diet requires careful monitoring of protein, vitamin B12, and iron levels, which can all be found in non-animal sources, but which can sometimes take a bit of planning, as many are not so readily available as their meaty counterparts.

Many elite Kenyan athletes eat almost no meat, only for special occasions such as weddings. Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis wasn't a vegetarian when he won four golds in Los Angeles in 1984, but he turned vegan after this and felt that it helped his personal bests on the track. He broke the world record for the 100m sprint in 1991. Australian swimmer and lifelong vegan Murray Rose won four Olympic gold medals in the 1950s and 1960s. Ultra-marathon champion runner Scott Jurek is a passionate vegan.

Too much protein?

A common myth about vegetarian and vegan diets is that they don't contain enough protein. Many Western diets contain too much protein, especially with the recent low-carbohydrate plans. However, while dairy products such as eggs and yoghurt are quick and easy ways to get a protein fix, vegans can turn to grains, nuts, and soya. Good plant sources of protein for training include lentils (almost 18g of protein per cup), beans (12-15g per cup), and quinoa (11g per cup). Female athletes need up to 90g of protein per day, and strength-training athletes require even more to build muscle mass. However, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that consuming more than 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight has an extra advantage in building muscle and may be harmful to kidney function. Suppose too much protein is taken on board. In that case, the kidneys struggle to flush dangerous ketones from the body, which can be toxic, causing dehydration and potentially causing problems for the heart.

Vitamin B12

B12 is essential for endurance athletes, as it affects the body's production of red blood cells. Indeed, vitamin B12 is only found naturally in meat, but with so many foods like breakfast cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals, it is easy to see it in other sources. Vegetarian and vegan athletes need to take a supplement, as it is challenging to obtain enough vitamin B12 from fortified foods, as such large quantities would have to be consumed.

Iron

Animal products contain heme iron. Plant sources and dairy products do contain iron, but it is the non-heme form of iron, which is not absorbed. Good plant sources of iron include lentils, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, oats, bananas, berries, and green leafy vegetables such as chard, spinach, and kale. Vegetarian and vegan athletes need to ensure they are also consuming enough vitamin C, which aids the body's iron absorption. It is also vital to avoid or cut back on things that reduce the body's ability to absorb iron, such as caffeine, tea, and cocoa. The body's capacity to transport oxygen to the cells of the muscles is reduced, which has an impact on the ability to produce energy. Female athletes in training are at particular risk for iron-deficient anaemia, reducing athletic performance.

Zinc

Along with iron, zinc is a common deficiency for vegetarian and vegan athletes. This is possibly due to the body sweating out zinc stores during heavy training or could be because plant sources of zinc are not absorbed and animal ones. One study of female distance runners (Deuster et al. (1989)^[1]) found that 50% of them were not consuming the recommended daily amount of zinc, which could impact endurance, athletic performance, and general health (zinc is essential for immune function). Good plant sources of zinc include tofu, miso, peanut butter, and beans.

Omega-3

Often hailed as super-food, omega-3 fatty acids are most commonly found in fish oils, but flax is a great alternative for vegetarians and vegans. Walnuts are another good source. While omega-3 fatty acids are good for general cardiovascular health, they also help to reduce inflammation in muscles and joints.

References

DEUSTER, P. A. et al. (1989) Zinc status of highly trained women runners and untrained women. Am J Clin Nutr, 49 (6) p. 1295-1301

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

BEDFORD, L. (2013) A Nutritious Diet for Vegetarian and Vegan Athletes [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article119.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Lily Bedford is a freelance writer.


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A common misconception of vegetarians and vegans is that they are pale, weak, and wouldn't last five minutes in a sporting arena. A vegetarian diet requires careful monitoring of protein, vitamin B12, and iron levels, which can all be found in non-animal sources, but which can sometimes take a bit of planning, as many are not so readily available as their meaty counterparts. Many elite Kenyan athletes eat almost no meat, only for special occasions such as weddings. Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis wasn't a vegetarian when he won four golds in Los Angeles in 1984, but he turned vegan after this and felt that it helped his personal bests on the track. He broke the world record for the 100m sprint in 1991. Australian swimmer and lifelong vegan Murray Rose won four Olympic gold medals in the 1950s and 1960s. Ultra-marathon champion runner Scott Jurek is a passionate vegan. Too much protein? A common myth about vegetarian and vegan diets is that they don't contain enough protein. Many Western diets contain too much protein, especially with the recent low-carbohydrate plans. However, while dairy products such as eggs and yoghurt are quick and easy ways to get a protein fix, vegans can turn to grains, nuts, and soya. Good plant sources of protein for training include lentils (almost 18g of protein per cup), beans (12-15g per cup), and quinoa (11g per cup). Female athletes need up to 90g of protein per day, and strength-training athletes require even more to build muscle mass. However, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that consuming more than 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight has an extra advantage in building muscle and may be harmful to kidney function. Suppose too much protein is taken on board. In that case, the kidneys struggle to flush dangerous ketones from the body, which can be toxic, causing dehydration and potentially causing problems for the heart. Vitamin B12 B12 is essential for endurance athletes, as it affects the body's production of red blood cells. Indeed, vitamin B12 is only found naturally in meat, but with so many foods like breakfast cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals, it is easy to see it in other sources. Vegetarian and vegan athletes need to take a supplement, as it is challenging to obtain enough vitamin B12 from fortified foods, as such large quantities would have to be consumed. Iron Animal products contain heme iron. Plant sources and dairy products do contain iron, but it is the non-heme form of iron, which is not absorbed. Good plant sources of iron include lentils, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, oats, bananas, berries, and green leafy vegetables such as chard, spinach, and kale. Vegetarian and vegan athletes need to ensure they are also consuming enough vitamin C, which aids the body's iron absorption. It is also vital to avoid or cut back on things that reduce the body's ability to absorb iron, such as caffeine, tea, and cocoa. The body's capacity to transport oxygen to the cells of the muscles is reduced, which has an impact on the ability to produce energy. Female athletes in training are at particular risk for iron-deficient anaemia, reducing athletic performance. Zinc Along with iron, zinc is a common deficiency for vegetarian and vegan athletes. This is possibly due to the body sweating out zinc stores during heavy training or could be because plant sources of zinc are not absorbed and animal ones. One study of female distance runners (Deuster et al. (1989)^[1]) found that 50% of them were not consuming the recommended daily amount of zinc, which could impact endurance, athletic performance, and general health (zinc is essential for immune function). Good plant sources of zinc include tofu, miso, peanut butter, and beans. Omega-3 Often hailed as super-food, omega-3 fatty acids are most commonly found in fish oils, but flax is a great alternative for vegetarians and vegans. Walnuts are another good source. While omega-3 fatty acids are good for general cardiovascular health, they also help to reduce inflammation in muscles and joints. References DEUSTER, P. A. et al. (1989) Zinc status of highly trained women runners and untrained women. Am J Clin Nutr, 49 (6) p. 1295-1301 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: BEDFORD, L. (2013) A Nutritious Diet for Vegetarian and Vegan Athletes [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article119.htm [Accessed About the Author Lily Bedford is a freelance writer.