IS A VEGETARIAN DIET OK FOR RUNNERS?

Self-improvement by running we already know about, right? But what about switching to a vegetarian diet as well, good idea or not? How will this affect our health and performance? Is a vegetarian diet ok for runners? Join us as we try to get a definitive answer on whether you can be vegetarian, and also be successful as a runner.

Vegetarianism is not really a diet in the common understanding of the word, it is more of a lifestyle. People take up this vegetarian lifestyle for many reasons, but usually to improve their health, on moral grounds around the use of or cruelty to animals, or environmental considerations.

The whole subject of diet and food choice is undoubtably a bit of a minefield, but for runners who are thinking of making the switch to a plant-based diet, even more so. This article will hopefully make your decision-making a little easier with some helpful information around what going meat-free means for us runners.

Runners have questions. Will a vegetarian diet affect my performance? I am worried about getting enough protein from a plant-based diet. Will I be healthier? Are there any important nutrients I will miss out on? Do I need to supplement? How will going vegetarian help the environment? I am concerned about animal welfare. Can I live this way forever?

As a vegetarian myself for over two decades, and an active runner in all that time, I can help you understand some issues around the plant-based diet lifestyle, and, answer some of those important questions you might have.

With no barrow to push, and respect for the personal choice’s people make, my job here is to simply set out the facts and my experiences in a way that will, hopefully, help you with your personal decision-making.

DID YOU KNOW: Interesting environmental fact. If everyone in the world turned vegan overnight, greenhouse gas emissions from food production would decrease by 70%. Given that food production accounts for about 30% of all human GHG emissions, this would result in an immediate reduction of around 21% of human created GHG.

Let’s start off by having a look at the different types of vegetarian diets there are.

What Types Of Vegetarian Diets Are There?

You would think that a vegetarian diet simply means going meat-free. Not so, there are many forms of vegetarian diets that people follow. Let’s now take a look at six of the most common vegetarian diets.

• Veganism. No animal products at all. Let’s start with the purest and most strict type of vegetarianism. Vegans reject the use of animal products entirely, whether it be for food, clothing, entertainment, or any other human use. It does not matter if the animal product in question required the slaughter of the animal or not, products such as eggs, cheese, and honey, for example, will be ruled out.
• Ovo-vegetarianism. Will eat eggs. This variation of the vegetarian diet allows the consumption of eggs, however, many people insist upon genuine free-range eggs. Eggs derived from battery hen farms are off limits. Eggs are particularly rich in nutrients, including protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins D, B12, and mineral iodine. Vitamin B12 is hard to get in a strict vegetarian diet.
• Lacto-vegetarianism. Allows dairy, but disallows eggs. This is one for you cheese lovers out there. No meat or eggs, but milk, cheese, yoghurt, and butter are on the menu. Dairy products contain protein, calcium, and vitamin B12.
• Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. Allows dairy and eggs. Similar to ovo-vegetarianism, but adding dairy products. Once again, when sourcing these products, there is a high priority on good moral and ethical treatment of the animals.
• Pescatarian. A pescatarian will eat fish and seafood, but will not eat any other form of meat. Followers of this diet have the choice of including eggs or dairy, this is an individual choice. Other than fish, this is primarily a plant based diet. Fish and seafood products are a good source of protein and omega-3.
• Flexitarian. As far as vegetarianism goes, veganism is the strictest, flexitarians are the least rigid. Followers of this diet are essentially vegetarian, but will occasionally consume a small amount of meat or other animal products. A flexitarian diet can be a great stepping stone for people looking to shift to a more traditional vegetarian lifestyle.

TIP: Still want to eat eggs, but are concerned that supermarket ‘Free Range’ eggs aren’t truly free-range? Try your local Farmer’s Market, you can buy genuine free-range eggs directly from the farmer.

Some Famous Vegetarian Athletes.

Over the years, there have been many highly successful vegetarian and vegan athletes, let’s now take a look at a few of them.

• Venus Williams. Tennis player. World number one tennis player with four Olympic gold medals and five Wimbledon titles. Vegan since 2011.
• Scott Jurek. Ultra-marathoner. Famous and highly successful long distance runner. Winner of 16 ultra-marathon titles. Vegan since college.
• Novak Djokovic. Tennis player. World number one and Wimbledon champion. Vegan since 2010.
• Lewis Hamilton. Formula One racing driver. Four time Formula One world champion. Vegan since 2017
• Morgan Mitchell. Aussie sprinter. Olympian in 2016. Vegan since 2014.
• Bill Pearl. US Body builder and Mr Universe. Vegetarian for 35 years.
• Carl Lewis. Athlete and world-famous track runner. Vegan since 1991.
• Dotsie Bausch. Pro cyclist. Silver at the 2012 Olympics. Vegan since 2009.
• Bill Walton. One of the greatest players in NBA history. Vegetarian for entire career.
• Mike Tyson. Retired US boxer. Switched to a vegan diet later in life to help alleviate problems in his joints and to help control his weight.
• Fiona Oakes. World record marathon runner. Vegan since age 6.
• Barney du Plessis. Bodybuilder and Mr Universe. Vegan since 2013.
• Tia Blanco. Surfer. Back to back gold medallist in the World Surfing Championships. Vegetarian, later switching to vegan.

This is just a small example of highly successful athletes who follow a vegetarian diet in one form or another. Many claim that the health benefits of plant-based have helped them in their careers, others sight animal cruelty and moral reasons.

What Are The Benefits Of A Vegetarian Diet For Runners?

We saw in the previous examples of some elite athletes, that they perform at the highest level of their chosen sport whilst also following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Many of these athletes declare their diet has helped them achieve such elite level performance. But, what exactly are the benefits of a vegetarian diet for athletes, and for us runners?

Here are some of the health and performance benefits that may be achieved by following a vegetarian diet.

• Weight reduction or maintenance. Running is cardio, and will therefore help reduce body weight in any case, but even better results can be achieved in combination with a vegetarian diet. A quality plant-based diet will typically contain more fruit, vegetables, and plant derived protein, these are generally lower in calories and fat. The trick is eating good quality foods and keeping away from highly processed or fast-foods.
• Lower risk of heart disease. Studies have shown a 30% reduced risk of heart disease in people following a vegetarian or vegan diet. This is mainly attributed to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Many of these studies have demonstrated improvements in cardiovascular health when switching to a meat-free diet.
• Improved stamina. A quality vegetarian diet will often contain more carbohydrates. This can contribute to higher glycogen stores, which is attributed to enhancements in endurance and stamina. This is great news for long-distance runners.
• Faster repair. Improvements in cardiovascular health can also have the follow-on effect of improving recovery times in athletes. With greater blood flow, less plaque in arteries, and reduced inflammation, vegetarian athletes can also experience quicker recovery times.
• Helps prevent Type 2 diabetes. Some studies have shown a vegetarian diet can result in a 50% reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Prioritising low GI (Glycemic Index), vegetarian foods are excellent for controlling blood sugar levels because you digest and absorb them more slowly.
• Increases VO2 Max. VO2 Max refers to the amount of oxygen you use during aerobic activity. Vegetarian athletes typically maintain low body fat via their diet, studies have shown this subsequently increases VO2 Max, or the increased ability to use oxygen to power-up your exercise.
• Anti-inflammatory. Eating meat, particularly red meat, and other animal products often causes higher cholesterol levels, which consequently raises inflammation levels. Vegetarian runners who also avoid other inflammation causing foods such as refined carbohydrates in the form of white bread and pastries, or fried take-away foods, will have the best results. Less inflammation leads to better performance and quicker recovery.
• More antioxidants. Vegetables and fruits contain antioxidants, which help the body fight off free-radicals. Numerous studies have shown that free radicals attack immune cells and cause impaired immunity.
• Reduces cancer risk. Another significant benefit of a vegetarian diet is the reduction in risk of certain cancers. The abundance of antioxidants in fruit and vegetables may also play a hand in this result.

Some of these health benefits are available for anyone switching to a meat-free diet, athlete or not. But for us runners, we can see from these examples that there are many potential performance benefits to be gained as well.

DID YOU KNOW: Around 80% of all food poisoning cases result from eating bad, off, or infected meat.

What Are The Dangers Of A Vegetarian Diet For Runners?

Eating should be about nutrition. Especially if you are looking for self-improvement in terms of fitness, health, and weight management.

You can eat fast-food, fried food or, highly processed foods all day long and, vegetarian or not, all these foods lack any proper nutrition and will make you sick, as well as impair your performance as a runner.

So for us runners, it’s all about eating nutritious vegetarian food to not only improve your health, but improve your athletic ability as well. With a naughty little indulgence thrown in even now and then … hot jam donuts are my nemesis!

However, even a wholesome, fresh and varied vegetarian diet can still lack certain nutrients if we are not careful. It’s important to be aware of these and plan accordingly.

Let’s take a look at some possible pitfalls of the vegetarian diet to be aware of.

• Vitamin B12. For this you will need to supplement, B12 is only available in animal products. This is readily available in capsule or under-tongue spray.
• Protein. It’s perfectly possible to get enough protein from a plant-based diet, many elite athletes have proven this. However, if you are switching from eating meat, you may not be aware that you need to pay attention to sufficiently replacing the meat-based protein. You cannot simply cut out meat and expect that you are getting enough protein, especially as an active runner.
• Iron. Red meat, pork, poultry, and seafood contain good quantities of iron, so when switching out these animal products, ensure you replace the iron source. Try dark green leafy vegetables, including spinach. Ladies, this especially important for you, you can supplement if required.
• Omega-3’s. These are an essential nutrient for good health. Most people associate Omega-3 with seafood, particularly fish, however, it is also available in many plant-based foods. To be sure you are getting enough of this vital nutrient, it may be a good idea to take a supplement in the form of a capsule, or using an omega-3 rich oil, such as flaxseed oil. Most omega-3 capsules are derived from marine life such as fish or krill, vegetarians can substitute these for hemp seed oil capsules.

TIP: The trick to a highly nutritious vegetarian diet for runners, or anyone else, is variety. Don’t just stick to the same old food choices, mix it up with different fresh fruit and vegetables as they come into season, plus nuts, legumes, grains, and seeds.

Protein : The Importance Of Protein As A Vegetarian Runner.

As stated earlier, it’s important to make sure you are getting enough protein from your new vegetarian diet. You need to replace the protein you were getting from consuming animal products, especially if you are exercising regularly, or in our case, running.

Here are a few great vegetarian protein sources.

• Tofu and tempeh. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, and that was me too, but these days I incorporate this great protein source in many of my dishes, and have now grown to love it. Cooked properly, tofu and tempeh can be delicious. Try it in curries, Asian cooking, stir-fries, salads, stews, plus many more dishes. Have a look at this website for some great ideas.
• Many fruit and vegetables.
• Plant based protein powder. These days, there is plenty of choice when choosing a plant-based protein powder. To be honest, when I first started using these it was like eating powdered chalk, and they tasted gross. Luckily, that’s not the case any more. It’s always a good idea to take a protein hit after a solid workout to help with quick recovery. I also have another small protein powder drink mid-afternoon, this ensures I am getting enough daily protein, especially if I have worked out earlier in the day.
• Plain Greek yoghurt, and other dairy products if you follow the lacto-vegetarian, or ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet.
• Soy milk, and other plant milks.
• Nuts.
• Legumes, such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, and peas.
• Eggs, if you follow the ovo-vegetarian diet.
• Spirulina.
• Nutritional yeast.

How much protein do runners really need?

We’ve already highlighted the importance of enough protein in your diet to support health, performance, and recovery. But how much protein do we really need, especially as regular runners?

• Everyday minimum. World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines recommend between 0.8 to 1.0g of protein per kilogram of body weight for average adults who are not overweight. Taking a 60 kg person as an example, that would work out to between 48—60g per day. Women generally require around 25% less than men, unless pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Runners. Active runners are going to require a boost in their protein intake, especially on workout days. A deficient protein intake on these days will negatively affect performance and recovery. In this case, runners, or anyone engaging in physical exercise, should increase their protein intake from at least 1.0g to 1.6g protein per kilogram of body weight. Around 1.2g is a good minimum to aim for on workout days. In the above example, our 60 kg runner would need around 72g.
• Marathon training or hard workout days. Long distance running, marathon training, or very intense exercise sessions will require an even bigger boost in protein intake. For hard workout days, runners should aim for between 1.5 to 1.7g of protein per kilogram of body weight.

For our North American friends, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to give the kilogram equivalent. For example, our 60 kg runner above would weigh around 132 pounds.

TIP: Don’t skimp on your protein intake, even if you are running to lose weight. Keep in mind that vegetarian sources of protein won’t increase your weight, unless you are also pumping serious iron to deliberately add muscle mass.

Important Supplements For Vegetarian Runners.

As mentioned above, there are a couple of nutrients that may be insufficient or missing in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

These are vital for your health and can be easily obtained through supplementation.

The most important supplements to consider are-

• Vitamin B12. This vitamin is virtually impossible to get from a vegetarian diet and should be obtained via supplementation. These are available as inexpensive and easily obtained capsules or under tongue spray. Most chemists or supermarkets stock them.
• Omega-3. Unless you are pescatarian and eating omega-3 rich fish, you will probably have to supplement. Some plant-based food sources do contain this vital nutrient, but it may not be enough. Some vegetarian or vegan foods containing omega-3 are-
  • Hemp seeds. These contain all sorts of healthy goodies such as magnesium, protein, and iron. Available in easy to consume hemp seed oil capsules.
  • Canola oil.
  • Spirulina, seaweed, chlorella, and nori.
  • Flax seeds.
  • Chia seeds.
• Vitamin D. Most people are vitamin D deficient, including non-vegetarians. Vitamin D is made by the skin when exposed to direct sunlight, so if you mainly train indoors on a treadmill or similar, you will definitely need to supplement.
• Iron. Women need to pay particular attention to this.
• Calcium. This nutrient is vital for healthy bones. For vegetarian runners it is important to include calcium rich foods such as broccoli, dark leafy greens, bok choy, spinach, and some soy products.
• Magnesium. Deficiency in magnesium can often result in muscle cramping. For runners suffering regular leg cramps, supplementing magnesium may help. Check out our article about Leg Cramps for more information.
• Creatine. Supplementation is often necessary for vegetarian athletes, including runners, as this necessary nutrient is mainly derived from animal sources.

TIP: Many vitamin D supplements these days also have added vitamin K2, which is mainly derived from animal sources, and is therefore not vegetarian or vegan. You can get this important vitamin from many fermented foods such as sauerkraut, tempeh, or kombucha.

Pro’s And Con’s of Vegetarianism For Runners.

Are There Any Runners Who Should NOT Follow A Vegetarian Diet?

Eating meat is a convenient way to get plenty of protein and all the amino acids the body needs. However, the western diet generally includes far too much of this protein intake, causing issues such as –

• Increased weight. Obesity and large amounts of abdominal fat.
• Health problems. Including higher risks of cancer, heart disease, stroke, kidney stones, inflammation, constipation, and lack of energy.
• Lack of other vital nutrients. Diets that prioritise meat often don’t include enough vegetables or fruit, which leads to a lack of other important nutrients.

In the same way as a diet high in animal products can be very unhealthy, so can some vegetarian diets. Just cutting out meat is not a panacea for great health. You cannot expect optimum health by prioritising vegetarian foods such fried food, takeaway foods, highly processed foods, or a lack of variety in fruit and vegetables.

A healthy vegetarian diet will afford you all the protein and amino acids you need, plus most of the other important vitamins and nutrients, you can supplement the others required such as vitamin B12. It’s all about quality food choices and variety. It also requires you to be aware of and vigilant of all your body’s optimum health needs.

An active runner needs extra protein intake, more carbs for energy, plus more of all the other vitamins and nutrients. All this is available, and more, with a healthy, well planned vegetarian diet.

So, are there runners who should not follow a vegetarian diet? Yes! Lack of knowledge regarding food choice or preparation can actually render some people who are giving up meat less healthy, which will affect performance and ultimately cause all manner of health issues.

DID YOU KNOW: Two out of three vegetarians are deficient in vitamin B12, which you cannot get from a plant based diet? Supplement people, don’t ignore this vital nutrient.

Wrapping It Up.

Looking at all the research, studies, athlete testimonials, and my own vast experience, a vegetarian or vegan diet CAN be a very beneficial and successful choice for runners who want to choose this lifestyle. However, there’s a but … it MUST be nutritionally rich with varied, fresh whole foods, low in highly processed foods, and supported with the appropriate supplements.

I don’t believe you can simply drop eating meat and expect to thrive without conscientiously replacing the protein, amino acids, calories, and other nutrients that an active body needs.

Personally, I don’t feel the need to ‘replace’ meat with vegetarian meat substitutes like vegan sausages or vegan beef mince, for example. These are often highly processed and, for me, contain dubious ingredients. But that’s just my opinion, these products can often act as suitable transitional food for people who have traditionally consumed a lot of meat, in the same way Nicotine Patches help smokers quit.

TIP: Forget everything you think you know about vegetarian foods, plant-based cooking these days is main-stream, delicious, tasty, and exciting, as well as nutritionally rich. Grab some cook books or visit any of the thousands of vegetarian cooking websites for ideas and, have fun trying new recipes.

There are also many professional dieticians or nutritionists who can help you along your vegetarian journey, you don’t have to do this on your own. At the very least, you should always consult your healthcare professional before making such a big change to your diet, tell them what you are planning to do, get advice, or specialist referrals.

TIP: Get your doctor to order a blood test for you before switching diets, take notice of any deficiencies or problem markers, and plan your diet and supplements around addressing these … with your doctor’s advice. Get a new blood test annually or every six months to help you keep track of how you are progressing.

From restaurants, to supermarkets, farmers markets, whole food stores, and vegetarian food specialists, there is a vast range of plant-based food options available. Explore, experiment, and have fun trying all these exciting options.

I hope this article has been helpful and informative, answering some of those questions you have about transitioning to becoming vegetarian or vegan, as a runner. Let me know in the comments section below if you have any more tips, ideas, suggestions, or questions, we’d love to hear from you.

Happy running

Steve

Frequently Asked Questions.

This article is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to act on any of its content. It is always recommended you consult your healthcare practitioner before engaging in any activity that may affect your health.

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