January 21, 2019 — Meat-free athletes have already proven the performance-boosting power of a plant-based diet. Now, “Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports,” a new scientific review published in the journal Nutrients1 adds further evidence that plant-based athletes benefit from improvements in heart health, performance and recovery.
“It’s no wonder that more and more athletes are racing to a vegan diet,” said review co-author James Loomis, M.D., M.B.A., medical director for the Barnard Medical Center. “Whether you’re training for a couch-to-5K or an Ironman Triathlon, a plant-based diet is a powerful tool for improving athletic performance and recovery.” Loomis, who is currently training for an Ironman Triathlon, is also featured in The Game Changers, a documentary on vegan athletes scheduled to be released in 2019. He also served as team internist for the St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Plant-based diets play a key role in cardiovascular health, which is critical for endurance athletes. But the review finds that even well-trained athletes are at risk for heart disease. A 2017 study found that 44 percent of middle-aged and older endurance cyclists or runners had coronary plaques.2 A low-fat, vegetarian diet is the most effective dietary pattern clinically shown to reverse plaque. A plant-based diet also addresses other key contributors to atherosclerosis, including dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, elevated body weight and diabetes.
Because a plant-based diet is typically high in carbohydrates, it may also offer performance advantages. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source during aerobic exercise, and endurance is enhanced by a high-carbohydrate intake. But a 2016 study of Ironman triathletes found that fewer than half reported meeting the recommended carbohydrate intake for athletes training 1-3 hours per day.
The researchers also find that a plant-based diet boosts athletic performance and recovery by increasing blood flow and tissue oxygenation and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. A varied diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, along with a vitamin B12 supplement, provides all of the necessary nutrients an endurance athlete needs, including protein, calcium and iron.
“Like any endurance athlete, plant-based athletes just need more calories than less active people,” said review co-author Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., a board certified specialist in sports dietetics and director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “And if they are eating a wide variety of nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, they will easily meet all of their nutritional needs.”
For more information: www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
References
1. Barnard N.D., Goldman D.M., Loomis J.F., et al. Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports. Nutrients, Jan. 10, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010130
2. Merghani A., Maestrini V., Rosmini S., et al. Prevalence of Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease in Masters Endurance Athletes With a Low Atherosclerotic Risk Profile. Circulation, May 2, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.026964
January 23, 2024 
