Whether you’re a sunny-weather jogger, just starting out with the Couch to 5K, or an avid all-season athlete, you’ve probably discovered that running has a variety of benefits. Not only is running great for your physical health, it’s also great for your mental health thanks to endorphins. Whatever your fitness level, once you’ve started to enjoy the benefits of running regularly, you might be wondering: What’s the best way to fuel yourself to keep it going?
Runners eat in a variety of ways, but many are beginning to lean more toward a plant-based diet that’s high in vegetables. In fact, vegan diets are becoming more popular among athletes in general, with standouts in their fields including Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Patrick Baboumian all following, you guessed it, a plant-based diet.
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Why a plant-based diet is good for you Anyone Anyone who wants to be healthy and active, whether that be a Grand Slam winner or someone who likes to run down the runway every morning before starting their day.
What is the best diet for runners?
Research published in the journal in 2023 NutrientsThe aim of the study was to answer the question: “Does diet affect running performance?” The study involved 245 runners, of whom 45 followed a vegetarian diet and 91 followed a vegan diet. All the other runners were omnivorous. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the groups.
“General dietary pattern (omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan) does not appear to make a difference to best running performance. [half marathon] and [marathon] “Even when considering the confounding factors of different training behaviors and experiences, we acknowledge that more research is needed in racing among recreational athletes,” the authors wrote, acknowledging that more work is needed in this area of research.
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While the study doesn’t favour one diet over another, it helps refute the notion held by many that a vegan diet makes people weaker and a meat-based diet makes people stronger.
Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN, an avid runner and volunteer running group coach, is a passionate advocate of plant-based nutrition when it comes to running.
“As an endurance sport, running is very taxing on the body, so proper nutrition is essential for optimal performance and recovery,” she told VegNews, “which is why plant-based diets are becoming more mainstream among athletes, including runners.”
Why is a plant-based diet good for runners?
With or without running, a growing body of research suggests that a vegan diet is associated with a healthier lifestyle. In particular, a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases and conditions, including certain types of cancer and heart disease.
That’s because the fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds that are abundant in the WFPB diet are packed with nutrients, including vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which is why these foods make sense for runners, Costa points out.
“A plant-based diet is an excellent source of essential nutrients that support overall health and performance,” she says, explaining that a plant-based diet can help with many positive factors, including reducing inflammation, improving blood flow, improving blood pressure, reducing oxidative stress and “optimizing body composition.”
“By choosing a plant-based diet, athletes can access a range of vitamins and minerals, including folate, magnesium and iron, which are essential for energy production and muscle recovery,” Costa explains. “Plant-based athletes generally have healthier serum ferritin (iron) levels, which is essential for maintaining adequate oxygen delivery to muscles, which is essential for optimal performance, especially in endurance sports.”
Like most people who eat a plant-based diet, you may need to supplement with vitamin B12, but “other nutrients are easily accessible with a diverse, plant-based diet,” she adds.
Can you get enough protein on a plant-based diet?
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding a plant-based diet is that it’s difficult to get enough protein, but Costa explains that “a balanced plant-based diet meets all the nutritional needs of an athlete, including adequate protein intake and all the essential amino acids, which are the biggest concerns for many people.”
Plant-based protein sources include tofu, beans, lentils, seitan, tempeh, nuts (and nut butters), seeds, spinach, but there are plenty more, including vegan meats.
But if you’re still worried about getting enough protein after your run, you could also opt for a protein powder. While there are plenty of options on the market that contain animal products (such as whey), the vegan protein powder market is growing. In fact, according to Grand View Research, the global plant-based protein supplement market is worth more than $2.5 billion. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the top vegan options:
Vega
1 Vega Sports Premium Vegan Protein
Available in five delicious flavors, including chocolate, vanilla and peanut butter, Vega’s premium vegan powder contains 30 grams of plant-based protein, is a source of probiotics and is gluten-free.
Find it here
Naked Nutrition
2 Naked Nutrition Naked Shake
Made with premium pea protein, Naked Nutrition’s Naked Shakes come in a variety of delicious flavors, including Strawberry Banana, PB Blueberry, and Chocolate Coconut Almond. They’re packed with 20 grams of protein and are gluten-free, GMO-free, and soy-free.
Find it here
Plant Works
3 Plantworks Plant-Based Protein Powder
Plant Works protein powder contains 7 grams of fiber, 20 grams of protein, and adaptogens like ashwagandha and camu camu. It’s made with a proprietary blend of four plant-based proteins (pea, rice, pumpkin, and mushroom) and comes in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla.
Find it here
shape
Four Foam Super Blend Protein
Get your veggies and protein together by choosing Foam’s Super Blend Protein option, which also boasts 20 grams of protein. taste Green. Delicious flavor options include Chocolate Peanut, Key Lime, and Chocolate Salted Caramel.
Find it here
My Vegan
Five myprotein pea protein isolate
This soy-free, unsweetened protein powder is packed with 23 grams of protein per serving, all of it derived from peas, and it comes in several delicious flavors that are perfect for your morning (or afternoon) smoothie, including Chocolate Salted Caramel, Coffee & Walnut, and Strawberry.
Find it here
For more information on vegan nutrition, read on:
Charlotte is an editor and writer at VegNews based in sunny Southsea on the south coast of England.
At VegNews, we live the vegan lifestyle and only recommend products that we feel will make your life amazing. Our articles may contain shopping links, from which we may earn a small commission. This does not in any way influence VegNews’ editorial policy.
