Vegan Triple-Ironman (Raw Vegetables/Fruits)

Abstract

Endurance sport requires a healthy and balanced diet. In this case report we present the findings of an ultra-triathlete (three times Ironman, means 11.4 km swim, 540 km bike, 125 km run in 41:18 h as a whole) living on a raw vegan diet and having finished the competitions under these nutritional conditions. To this end, the vegan ultra triathlete and a control group of 10 Ironman triathletes of similar age living on a mixed diet were investigated, using echocardiography and spiroergometry. In addition, blood samples were taken from the vegan athlete both in the sporting season and in the off-season. The vegan athlete showed no signs of dietary deficiencies or impaired health. In comparison with the control group, the vegan athlete showed a higher oxygen intake at the respiratory compensation point. This case demonstrates that even top-class sporting performance, like that of a three-time Ironman, is possible on a vegan diet. Whether a vegan diet offers advantages or disadvantages for the performance of endurance athletes remains an open question.

Plant-Based Diets: Considerations for Environmental Impact, Protein Quality, and Exercise Performance

“…Additionally, recent case studies have also highlighted the capabilities of prominent vegan endurance athletes [115,116]. A case study by Wirnitzer and Kornexel (2017) reported energy intake and performance data for a female vegan cyclist competing in the 8-day Transalp Challenge 2004 (662 km, total altitude: 22,500 m).…”

“…Left ventricular end diastolic diameter, end diastolic volume, and stroke volume also appeared higher in the vegan athlete. No dietary deficiencies or impaired health were indicated by bloodwork [116]. While such case reports are hardly sufficient for making recommendations about the adequacy of a vegetarian or vegan diet for endurance athletes, a large study (target n = 1500) is in progress comparing running performance among omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan runners, and results are forthcoming [117].…”

Plant‐based eating patterns and endurance performance: A focus on inflammation, oxidative stress and immune responses

“…Other studies have investigated plant‐based dietary patterns and endurance performance, but these have small sample sizes with cross‐sectional study designs (Hanne et al 1986; Nieman et al 1989; Nebl et al 2019) or are case studies (Leischik & Spelsberg 2014; Wirnitzer & Kornexl 2014). Deriving conclusions pertaining to the ability of a plant‐based diet to modulate endurance performance from these studies would be disingenuous as natural differences in physiology between groups could influence the results irrespective of diet.…”

Vegan und trotzdem Leistungssport?

“…B. in Obst oder Fruchtsäften, und Getreideflocken oder Vollkornbackwaren, Zeitraum vegan ernährenden Athleten im Vergleich zu Omnivoren fehlen. Es existieren lediglich Studien mit Vegetariern und Mischköstlern oder von einzelnen, veganen Fallbeispielen, die keine Nachteile für die Leistungsfähigkeit aufzeigen (7, 10,14).…”