Considerations for vegan athletes
Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or plant based athlete there are a number of considerations that are worth taking into account with day to day exercise demands. Some animal products have higher or more bioavailable options but this doesn’t mean a vegan athlete can’t have a strong dietary intake that supports performance. Athletic requirements can be met with a vegan diet & it is up to the athlete to be knowledgeable & focus on some aspects of their intake. It is not up to others to comment on what any athlete is ‘missing’ in their diet when they are informed of a vegan athlete. It is up to the individual and any coach/nutrition professional they may be working with to discuss.
The below is highly variable based on the amount of animal products in someone’s diet. Someone who has eggs, dairy or occasional meat in their diet may not need as many considerations. The information below can be useful information for anyone with a high percentage of plants in their diet.
Considerations for vegan athletes
Calorie requirements
Depending on your sport and the demands it places on your body, making sure you’re energy intake meets energy output can be critical. Without this, it can create a house of cards which starts to tumble; not just in performance but in other areas of life such as fatigue and hormones. Plant foods are high in nutrients but often low in calories. If you are an endurance athlete with long sessions, make sure you’re finding good sources of calorie dense food as well. Replacing whole grains with refined grains every now and then is an easy swap to increase calorie density. If you have ongoing fatigue, noticeable weight loss or long periods of ongoing injuries, looking into RED-S and chatting to a sports dietitian may also be worth your while.
2. Awareness of micronutrients
Similar to the protein requirements below, the bioavailability and absorption rate of micronutrients in foods needs to be considered. Iron & B12 are probably the most important in this space for vegan athletes. Iron is especially important consideration for all female athletes (regardless of dietary intake).
Iron: As mentioned previously, the bioavailability of iron in plant food means intake needs to be higher or there may need to be supplementation.
B12: is a micronutrient only naturally found in animal products so without these it’s essential to find fortified foods or supplementations. Supplementation is probably the easiest here for vegan athletes but fortified nutritional yeast, some soy milks and vegetarian burgers/meats can also help intake.
Calcium: is also an important consideration as vegan diets do not include dairy products. It’s important to note, not all milk alternatives are a good source of calcium. Look on the label for at least 120mg of calcium per 100mL of milk. Fortified milk alternatives, green leafy vegetables, almonds and tofu are all good sources of calcium.
Zinc: again has lower bioavailability in plant foods (and not many plant foods have high zinc) so either food intake needs to be higher or consider supplementation. This is more important in male athletes and can be found in beans, nuts, seeds, oats and nutritional yeast.
Omega-3 fats: Our body cannot make omega 3 fats by itself (ALA). This is why dietary intake is important for cellular function, heart and brain health (among other things). Marine sources are the best source of omega 3 fats (as they contain both DHA & EPA) but there are a few alternatives for vegan athletes. Linseeds/flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds and canola oil can be great additions to a vegan diet if not already consumed.
Vitamin D: plays a critical role in supporting bone health and calcium absorption. Most people know the main source of vitamin D is actually from safe, moderate sun exposure so whether you are a vegan or not, this can be an important consideration. There are few foods which contain Vitamin D but almost all are not considered vegan. This can be seen as a risk factor for deficiency but so too is living in darker seasons/climates, older Australians and those living with osteoporosis.
3. Protein requirements
General daily recommended intakes for protein aren’t usually too difficult to obtain (0.86g/kg/day). This would be 65g of protein per day for a 75kg person. Athlete’s protein requirements jump a little to 1.4-2.2g/kg/day. This can be up to 165g per day for the same sized athlete. As the amino acid profile of plant foods are slightly different to animal products, it is wise for vegan athletes to aim for the upper levels of athletic protein intake (~2.2g/kg/day). If you are struggling to get this with whole foods, soya protein or pea protein powders are a great way to supplement intake. It’s important to note that a wide variety of plants contain all nine essential amino acids. One plant based food may not be seen as complete protein sources but when consumed as a whole dietary pattern (and ticking off the amounts above), there is no problem with this diet from a protein point of view.
4. Gastrointestinal issues
Gastro intestinal issues can occur when food spends too long in our GI tract. This is especially true with endurance efforts where blood is pumping to our working muscles and less emphasis is placed on digestion. For this reason, reducing fibre intake to 50g or below per day can help vegan athletes avoid unwanted GI issues. Being considerate of this in race week and on race day will be beneficial.
Well managed vegan diets can be successfully achieved for athletes who choose this eating pattern. This often takes time and needs some consideration to the specific sport demands and lifestyle outside of sport. Working with a health professional or sports dietitian in this space can also be helpful for athletes just starting out or with more questions. Know an athlete who is plant based, vegetarian or vegan? Reach out with this link.