Macro partitioning
Recreational athletes can maintain endurance and strength performance by switching to a well-planned plant-based diet without significant performance loss compared to an omnivore diet.
If you are a recreational athlete, switching to a plant-based diet does not require you to sacrifice performance. Ensure you are eating at least two servings of plant protein daily and meeting your overall calorie and carbohydrate needs. You may need to experiment with different plant protein sources (like whole foods vs. processed alternatives) to find what tastes good and keeps you satisfied.
Recreational runners and resistance trainers may be able to adopt a plant-based diet without significant changes in athletic performance.
Why this rating
Randomized crossover design with multiple sites, though sample size is small (n=36) and duration is short (4 weeks per phase).
Source
Plant-Based vs. Omnivore diets for athletic performance outcomes among recreational athletes in university dining halls: a randomized crossover study
Chloe Raygoza et al. · Nutrition Journal · 2026
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