by Jack Norris, Registered Dietitian
I’ve updated our Sports Nutrition article, formerly Weightlifting for Vegans, and added sections on endurance, exercise recovery, energy and fiber, bone stress injuries, taurine, and collagen. Here’s a quick summary of what vegan athletes need to know from each section.
Protein. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 1.2 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight per day for athletes, and strength gains from training appear to level off at about 1.5 g/kg. In the few studies we have, vegans and omnivores eating similar amounts of protein had similar muscle and strength gains. Vegans built or maintained muscle at about 1 g/kg, but lost muscle at about 0.75 g/kg. Legumes, soy foods, seitan, and quinoa are among the highest-protein vegan foods, and protein powders are an easy way to get more.
Endurance. There’s no solid evidence on whether a vegan diet helps or hurts endurance performance. No randomized trials have tested it.
Exercise recovery. Some athletes say they recover faster after going vegan, but so far there’s no solid evidence that vegans recover slower or faster than meat-eaters.
Iron. Iron deficiency, even without anemia, can hurt performance, and it’s common in female athletes. Vegan athletes, especially women and distance runners, should get their iron checked regularly. Increase iron absorption by eating iron-rich foods with a source of vitamin C, and avoid tea and coffee within an hour of meals. Don’t take iron supplements (beyond typical multivitamins) without testing first; if you’re low, work with a physician.
Energy and fiber. Not eating enough to cover your training can disrupt menstrual periods and hormones, weaken bones, and hurt performance. There’s no good evidence that vegan athletes are more likely to under-eat, but high-fiber vegan meals can fill you up before you’ve eaten enough. During heavy training, include energy-dense foods like nuts, nut butters, dried fruit, and plant oils, eat on a regular schedule rather than waiting until you’re hungry, and consider smoothies. Before competitions, choose meals low in fat and fiber.
Bone stress injuries. Stress fractures are common in athletes, and vegans tend to eat less calcium. In a large trial of female Navy recruits, calcium and vitamin D supplements reduced stress fractures. Vegan athletes, especially female distance runners, should eat enough calories and protein and meet the RDA for calcium (1,000 mg/day for most adults) and vitamin D (600 IU/day).
Creatine. Vegans have less creatine in their muscles than meat-eaters. Creatine supplements may help vegans with repeated bursts of intense effort, like jumping and high-repetition sets, but are less likely to help with sprinting or maximum strength. Vegans probably don’t benefit much more than meat-eaters, and without creatine, vegetarians gained strength just as well as meat-eaters in the one study that tested it.
Carnitine. Research is mixed, but it’s likely that many vegans have lower carnitine levels than omnivores. However, there’s no reason to believe most vegans’ performance would benefit from carnitine supplements.
Carnosine and beta-alanine. Vegans may have somewhat less carnosine in their muscles after many years without meat. Beta-alanine supplements raise muscle carnosine and may modestly improve high-intensity efforts lasting about 1 to 4 minutes, but no one has tested whether vegans benefit more from them than meat-eaters.
Taurine. Vegans have lower blood taurine than meat-eaters, but there’s no good evidence that taurine supplements improve exercise performance.
Collagen. Collagen supplements aren’t vegan, but vegans aren’t missing out: the supplements haven’t meaningfully reduced exercise-related joint pain or improved recovery, and whey (a more typical dietary protein) built more muscle than collagen in the one trial that compared them. Your body makes its own collagen; getting enough protein and vitamin C supports it.
For the details, read the full article: Sports Nutrition.
