Efficacy of Popular Diets Applied by Endurance Athletes on Sports Performance: Beneficial or Detrimental? A Narrative Review

Devrim-Lanpir, Aslı; Hill, Lee; Knechtle, Beat

doi:10.3390/nu13020491

Cited by 33 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 192 publications

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“…In line with the increasing number of athletes who follow plant-based diets, the vegan diet has become more acceptable for improving endurance performance [ 35 , 77 ]. While it has been reported that about 10% of marathoners follow plant-based diets [ 78 ], the distance runners in the present study were 36% vegans and 18% vegetarians, with a significant sex-based difference in the distribution of dietary subgroups, as the number of female runners was higher than males in the vegan and vegetarian subgroups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Supplement Intake in Recreational Endurance Runners—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

et al. 2021

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It has been well-documented that female and male athletes differ in many physiological and psychological characteristics related to endurance performance. This sex-based difference appears to be associated with their nutritional demands including the patterns of supplement intake. However, there is a paucity of research addressing the sex differences in supplement intake amongst distance runners. The present study aimed to investigate and compare supplement intake between female and male distance runners (10 km, half-marathon, (ultra-)marathon) and the potential associations with diet type and race distance. A total of 317 runners participated in an online survey, and 220 distance runners (127 females and 93 males) made up the final sample after a multi-stage data clearance. Participants were also assigned to dietary (omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan) and race distance (10-km, half-marathon, marathon/ultra-marathon) subgroups. Sociodemographic characteristics and the patterns of supplement intake including type, frequency, dosage, and brands were collected using a questionnaire. One-way ANOVA and logistic regression were used for data analysis. A total of 54.3% of female runners and 47.3% male runners reported consuming supplements regularly. The frequency of supplement intake was similar between females and males (generally or across dietary and distance subgroups). There was no significant relationship for sex alone or sex interactions with diet type and race distance on supplement intake (p < 0.05). However, a non-significant higher intake of vitamin and mineral (but not CHO/protein) supplements was reported by vegan and vegetarian (but not by omnivorous) females compared to their male counterparts. In summary, despite the reported findings, sex could not be considered as a strong modulator of supplement intake among different groups of endurance runners.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Supplement Intake in Recreational Endurance Runners—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

et al. 2021

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“…Additionally, the common belief that omnivores consuming meat products do not have vitamin B12 deficiency may cause a vitamin B12 deficiency to go undiagnosed [ 62 ]. A well-planned vegan diet can provide all these nutrients for the athletic population [ 62 , 63 ]. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ position statement on vegetarian diets has described well-planned vegan diets as healthy and nutritionally adequate diets that provide currently recommended dietary intakes and follow current dietary guidelines and are beneficial for preventing and treating certain diseases and are suitable for sedentary and athletes of all ages [ 64 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegan vs. omnivore diets paradox: A whole-metagenomic approach for defining metabolic networks during the race in ultra-marathoners- a before and after study design

et al. 2021

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Background The effect of vegan diets on metabolic processes in the body is still controversial in ultra endurance athletes. The study aims to determine gut microbiome adaptation to extreme exercise according to vegan or omnivore diet consumed in ultra-marathoners. We also seek to evaluate long-term vegan diets’ effects on redox homeostasis, and muscle fatigue, and assess energy availability. Methods Seventy participants will be assigned to the study, including 35 vegan ultra-marathoners and 35 omnivores competing in the Sri-Chinmoy ultra marathon race. Research data will be collected from the participants at four steps (three visits to the research laboratory and the race day) throughout the study. At the first visit (seven days before the race), fecal samples, and anthropometric measurements will be collected. Body composition will be measured using DXA. Participants will be informed about keeping detailed food records and will be asked to record their diet data and activity logs during the entire study period. At second visit, maximum oxygen consumption will be measured on treadmill. On race day, blood samples will be collected immediately before, and 0. min, 2 hours, and 24 hours after the race. Body weight will be measured before and after the race. The blood and fecal samples will be stored at -80 C until analysis. Plasma malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen metabolites, total antioxidant capacity, Heatshockprotein-70, and serum Orosomucoid-1 will be analyzed in blood samples. Fecal samples will be analyzed with shotgun metagenomic analysis and interpreted using bioinformatics pipeline (HumanN2). Statistical tests will be analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and R Software. Discussion Study findings will determine the effects of the vegan diet on sports performance, revealing the multiple interactions between host and gut microbiome at the whole metagenomic level. Additionally, results will show the possible adaptation throughout the race by analyzing blood and fecal samples. Furthermore, by assessing energy availability and determining host-metabolite crosstalk for ultra-endurance athletes, possible nutritional deficiencies can be identified. Thus, advanced nutritional strategies can be developed based on metabolic needs. Trial registration Current controlled trials, ISRCTN registry 69541705. Registered on 8 December 2019.

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“…The low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet has become popular as a treatment for excess weight, epilepsy and type 2 diabetes in recent decades [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The first LCHF diet study to optimize fat oxidation in endurance athletes was conducted in 1983 by Phinney et al [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of a Ketogenic Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Diet on Aerobic Capacity and Exercise Performance in Endurance Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

et al. 2021

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A low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet has been proposed to enhance the fat utilization of muscle and the aerobic capacity of endurance athletes, thereby improving their exercise performance. However, it remains uncertain how the macronutrient intake shift from carbohydrate to fat affects endurance exercise training and performance. This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the effects of a ketogenic low-carbohydrate, high-fat (K-LCHF) diet on aerobic capacity and exercise performance among endurance athletes. Searches were carried out in five electronic databases, and we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search included studies using an LCHF diet as an intervention protocol and compared data on factors such as maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) from the graded exercise test. In this case, 10 studies met the criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. We did not find a significant effect of K-LCHF diet interventions on VO2max, time to exhaustion, HRmax or RPE. However, a significant overall effect in the substrate oxidation response to respiratory exchange rate was observed. The meta-analysis showed that K-LCHF diets did not affect aerobic capacity and exercise performance. Therefore, high-quality interventions of a K-LCHF diet are needed to illustrate its effect on various endurance training programs.

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Efficacy of Popular Diets Applied by Endurance Athletes on Sports Performance: Beneficial or Detrimental? A Narrative Review

Cited by 33 publications

References 192 publications

Sex Differences in Supplement Intake in Recreational Endurance Runners—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

Sex Differences in Supplement Intake in Recreational Endurance Runners—Results from the NURMI Study (Step 2)

Vegan vs. omnivore diets paradox: A whole-metagenomic approach for defining metabolic networks during the race in ultra-marathoners- a before and after study design

The Effect of a Ketogenic Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Diet on Aerobic Capacity and Exercise Performance in Endurance Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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