Macro partitioning
Vegan athletes can achieve satisfactory dietary needs and performance outcomes through strategic food selection and supplementation, despite inherent challenges in protein quality and micronutrient density.
To succeed as a vegan athlete, prioritize total protein intake (aim for 1.4-2.0 g/kg daily, higher if cutting weight) and ensure you are eating enough calories to support your training volume. Focus on high-protein plant foods like lentils, beans, tofu, and soy. Supplement with Vitamin B12 and consider a microalgae-based Omega-3 supplement to ensure adequate EPA/DHA levels, as plant-based ALA conversion is inefficient.
via the strategic management of food and appropriate supplementation, it is the contention of this article that a nutritive vegan diet can be designed to achieve the dietary needs of most athletes satisfactorily.
Why this rating
The paper is a narrative review acknowledging a lack of direct empirical research on vegan athletes specifically.
Source
Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers
David Rogerson · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2017
DOI 10.1186/s12970-017-0192-9
More from this paper
- Achieving high energy and protein requirements on a vegan diet is challenging due to the high fiber content and low energy density of plant foods, which promote early satiety.Good
- Vegan athletes may benefit more from creatine and beta-alanine supplementation than omnivorous athletes due to lower baseline muscle stores of creatine and carnosine.Moderate
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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