Macro partitioning
Recreational athletes can maintain endurance and muscular strength performance on predominantly plant-based diets (whole food or meat alternatives) compared to an omnivorous diet, provided protein and carbohydrate intake meet standard sports nutrition recommendations.
If you are a recreational athlete, you do not need to eat meat to maintain your running speed or strength. You can switch to a whole-food plant-based diet or use plant-based meat alternatives (like Beyond or Impossible burgers) as long as you eat enough protein (0.8-1.2g/kg/day) and carbohydrates (3-5g/kg/day). Ensure you are eating enough total calories and maintaining your training routine.
Our findings suggest recreational athletes can maintain athletic performance on both an omnivorous diet and two diets that are predominately plant-based.
Why this rating
Randomized crossover trial with a relatively small sample size (n=22) and short duration (4 weeks per diet), limiting generalizability to elite athletes or long-term adaptations.
Source
SWAP-MEAT Athlete (study with appetizing plant-food, meat eating alternatives trial) – investigating the impact of three different diets on recreational athletic performance: a randomized crossover trial
Aubrey Roberts et al. · Nutrition Journal · 2022
DOI 10.1186/s12937-022-00820-x
Related findings · Macro partitioning
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