A Vegetarian Athlete

Sports Nutrition MSc I Ruchi Mandot 08 Namrata Gulati 12 Bhumika Shah 14

Overview
History Demographics Different forms of vegetarianism Why do people choose this diet? Health advantages Effect of this diet on exercise performance Nutrients of concern Diet for vegan athlete Healthy food choices

Brief history
Vegetarianism is first mentioned by the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos around 500 BCE. The first vegetarian society was formed in 1847 in England. Three years later, Rev. Sylvester Graham, the inventor of Graham crackers, co-founded the American Vegetarian Society. In November 1944, a British woodworker named Donald Watson announced that because vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he was going to create a new term called "vegan" to describe people who did not eat. Veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism, and though the term was coined in 1944, the concept of flesh-avoidance can be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies. November 1 is World Vegan Day, a celebration of people who don't eat meat, eggs, cheese, mayonnaise, honey, whey, gelatin. Nor do they use any clothing, accessory or object made from an animal.

Demographics

In 2006, based on a nationwide poll, approximately 2.3% of the US adult population (4.9 million people) consistently followed a vegetarian diet, stating that they never ate meat, sh, or poultry. About 1.4% of the US adult population was vegan. In 2005, according to a nationwide poll, 3% of 8- to 18-year-old children and adolescents were vegetarian; close to 1% were vegan. According to ADA and dietitians of Canada approximately 2.5% of adults in the United States and 4% of adults in Canada follow vegetarian diets. Close to 1% were vegan. In India, 20-40% of people follow a vegetarian diet (lacto-vegetarian)

Reasons to be a vegetarian
Religious Ethical / Animal Welfare Health Environmental Economical

Types of vegetarians
A vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat, sh, or fowl or products containing these foods. The eating patterns of vegetarians may vary considerably.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian Does not eat meat, fish or fowl. Eats dairy and egg products

Ovo-vegetarian Does not eat meat, fish, fowl or dairy products. Eats egg products

Lacto-vegetarian Does not eat meat, fish, fowl or eggs. Eats dairy products.

Vegan Does not eat any animal products including meat, fish, fowl, eggs, dairy, honey, Most vegans do not use any animal products such as silk, leather, wool, etc.

Effect of vegetarianism on exercise performance

Several reviews have confirmed that vegetarian diets are conducive of maximizing performance and nutrient intakes of most vegetarians are adequate compared with recommended nutrient standards or non-vegetarian controls. (ADA 1997; Barr & Rideout 2004) There is no difference in aerobic and anaerobic capacities of lacto-ovo vegetarian and lacto-vegetarian athletes, compared with non-vegetarian contols (Hanne et al. 1986) The performance advantages of consuming a high-CHO diet, which is achieved more easily with a vegetarian or quasi- vegetarian diet than an omnivorous diet(simonsen et al. 1991) Athletes who consume vegetarian diets are likely to meet the recommendations for CHO and protein and low fat intakes. However , the effect of vegetarian diets on performance capacity in welltrained athletes require further research.

Ref: Louis Burke

Nutrient intake of vegetarian vs. non vegetarian athlete

Nutrients of concern in Vegetarian Athletes

With focus on vegan athletes

Macronutrients of concern
PROTEINS
Food sources: meat, fish & poultry, dairy products, cereals & legumes RDA: 0.8-1.0 g/kg BW/d RDA for athletes -Strength training athletes: Begginer-1.2-1.5 g/kg BW/d Intermediate-1.5-2g/kg BW/d Advanced-2-2.5g/kg BW/d -Endurance athletes: 1.2-1.4g/kg BW/d

ENERGY
RDA-2320Kcal

RDA for athletes: Reference sportsman:3600Kcal Reference sportswomen:2900Kcal

ISSA cutoffs

ENERGY

Energy
Meeting energy needs is a nutrition priority for athletes. Optimum athletic performance is promoted by adequate energy intake. ENERGY BALANCE Energy intake = Energy expenditure Inadequate energy intake relative to energy expenditure compromises performance and negates the benefits of training. In addition, long-term low energy intake results in poor nutrient intake, particularly of the micronutrients, and may result in metabolic dysfunctions associated with that nutrient

Energy intake

Energy expenditure

www.acsm.messe.org

Vegetarianism & Energy

Vegetarian diets are associated with low energy intakes Mainly due to fiber content and bulk in vegetarian foods Legumes, whole grains and cereals, soya been, fruits and vegetables are high fiber, relatively low fat foods and very satiating

For a vegan, incorporating energy-dense foods such as nuts, tofu, textured vegetable protein & commercially prepared meat analogues helps increase energy density (the vegetarian athlete, Clinical sports nutrition, Louis Burke)

PROTEIN

Protein
The JISSN position stand exercise training individuals require more proteins than sedentary individuals Exercise

Changes in a.a metabolism Role in endurance performance: Serious endurance athletes do need considerable amounts of protein, far above the normal adult RDA, because maintenance, repair, and growth of lean muscle mass all depend on it, as well as optimum immune system function. Low dietary protein lengthens recovery time, causes muscle weakness, and suppresses the immune system Role in strength training : Strength athletes, who are interested in gaining muscle size and function, require more protein in the early stages of very intensive resistance exercise Decades of research exist supporting protein's role in enhanced muscle protein synthesis, both when considered as daily intake and when timed close to resistance exercise (Lowery et al,2012)

Protein & Vegetarianism

Protein recommendations for athletes higher than normal population The ability of vegetarian athletes, in particular vegans, to meet suggested daily protein intakes has been questioned(Grandjean 1987; Ruud 1990) Vegetable or Plant proteins may be limiting in one or more indespensible a.a,so food sources need to be combined in such a way to ensure that all a.a are consumed

For vegetarians avoiding all animal foods, the Institute of Medicine (2000) states that total protein intakes may need to exceed protein recommendations to meet amino acid metabolism. This is linked with low digestibility of vegetable proteins

Micronutrients of concern

Iron
RDA:17mg/dsedentary man For athlete:1518mg/d

Calcium
RDA: 600mg/d RDA for athlete: 13001500mg/d

Zinc
RDA: 12 mg/d
For athlete:1115mg/d

Vit.B12
RDA:1.2 g For vegan athlete:6g

Ref:NIN,Burke and Deakin,,ACSM

IRON

Fe & athletic performance

Low ferritin conc & depleted bone marrow Fe stores have been found in both men and women runners. Poorer Fe stores have also been observed in women athletes competing in other including field hockey, cross country skiing, basketball & softball. Athletes have low Hb conc than normal population attributed to: 1) plasma volume expansion 2) Increased red blood cell destruction (intravascular hemolysis) Studies have reported evidence of intravascular hemolysis in runners & swimmers.

Ref- Ira Wollonsky

Causes of Fe Deficiency in Athletes & its Effect on Performance

Causes of Fe deficiency in Athletes
Inadequate Fe intake Reduced Fe absorption due to diets with low bioavailability Excessive Fe loss through menses Excessive Fe loss through sweating Gastrointestinal blood loss Excretion of Fe in the urine

Effect on performance
When Hb concentration is low, the amount of oxygen transported by blood is reduced Reduces endurance capacity & aerobic capacity (Hilton et at. 2000;Brownlie et al .2002, 2004)

Fe repletion restores maximal oxygen uptake & hemoglobin conc. faster than muscle enzyme activity & endurance which follow similar patterns

Vegetarianism & Fe
The bioavailability of Fe from individual plant foods & from a total vegetarian diet is much lower than in meat- based diet because of the presence of naturally occurring inhibitors in plants that bind Fe from plant sources (non heme Fe) in the gut & reduces its absorption ( Hunt 2003) Also, the absence of meat, an enhancer of Fe absorption from Fe rich plant sources, further reduces Fe bioavailability

Vegan athletes should include iron-rich plant foods in their

diets, but iron supplementation is not essential except in cases of iron insufficiency marked by a very low ferritin or anemia, or in women with heavy menstrual bleeding (McClung JP, et at.2009).

CALCIUM

Ca & athletic performance

Calcium growth, maintenance and repair of bone tissue, maintenance of blood calcium levels, regulation of muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and normal blood clotting. Inadequate dietary calcium and vitamin D increase the risk of low bone mineral density and stress fractures Female athletes are at greatest risk for low bone mineral density if energy intakes are low, dairy products and other calcium-rich foods are inadequate or eliminated from the diet, and menstrual dysfunction is present Current recommendations for athletes with disordered eating, amenorrhea, and risk for early osteoporosis are 1500 mg of elemental calcium

www.acsm-msse.org

Vegetarianism & Ca
Main sources: Other than dairy products, cereal grains, dglvs, Ca fortified foods Ca bioavailability : decreased due to phytates & oxalates in plant foods Ca balance: high salt foods & high protein foods increase Ca excretion

Vegan females had significantly lower mean Ca intakes compared tp lacto-ovo-vegetarians & omnivores(578, 875 and 950mg Ca /d ) ( Janelle & Barr,1995) However, this was not evident in another study of untrained vegans where there was no difference in mean Ca intakes between vegan males & females compared to non-vegetarian control groups (Haddad et al)

VIT.B12

Vit.B12 & Athletic performance

Sources: meat, chicken, fermented foods, dairy products, eggs No active B12 is found in any plant foods, including meat analogues or fermented soy products or mushrooms, contrary to popular belief ( Herbert 1988) Functions: production of red blood cells, for protein synthesis, and in tissue repair and maintenance including the CNS Strict vegetarians following vegan , fruitarian or macrobiotic diets have lower serum Vit.B12 levels than lacto-ovo-vegetarians or those who ocassionally eat meat ( Obeid et al.2002) and can slowly develop Vit B12 deficiency( Herbert 1994).
Although short-term marginal deficiencies of B vitamins have not been observed to impact performance, severe deficiency of vitamin B12, folate, or both may result in anemia and reduced endurance performance
www.acsm-msse.org

ZINC

Zinc & Athletic performance

Causes of deficiency in Athletes : Low dietary intake Excess Zn loss during exercise Expansion of blood volume during training which dilute plasma Zn conc Zinc plays a role in growth, building and repair of muscle tissue, energy production, and immune status. Decreases in cardiorespiratory function, muscle strength, and endurance have been noted with poor zinc status(Lukaski HC,2004) 1) 2) 3)

Vegetarianism & Zinc

Sources: red meat, white meat, fish Lower Zn intakes have been reported in dietary surveys of female vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians (Gibson, 1994)

Creatine & vegetarianism on performance

The recent evidence supports the use of creatine supplements as a means of enhancing the ability of athletes to train and recover more quickly from repeated high-intensity workouts and this effect offers some resistance to fatigue (ACSM 2000) The performance- enhancing effects of creatine supplements are greatest when creatine stores are low. Increases of creatine muscle content levels of <20% after supplementation show no performance enhancement (greenhalf et al. 1994) The response to creatine supplementation and uptake into muscle are likely to be high in vegetarians who already have low levels of muscle creatine as a consequence of meat avoidance. The potential performance benefits of creatine supplementation in vegetarians with low creatine muscle stores is likely to be more pronounced than in those who have meat.

Diet for a VEGAN ATHLETE

Hypothetical case: Wt: 66 kgs Endurance athlete Training session: 6:30-8:30 am (three times/week) Calculations: Protein: 1.2 g /kg bwt. = 79.2 g/ day i.e 317 Kcals from prot. CHO: 1 x bwt x 24 = 264 g/day i.e 1584 Kcals from CHO. Fat : (60:20:20), 20% of 1901 (1584+317) Kcals = 380 Kcals i.e 42.2 g/day Total calories/day = 2300 Kcals/day Therefore, per meal (6 meals a day): Energy: 383 Kcals/meal CHO: 44g Protein: 13g Fat: 7g

Sample diet for Vegan Athlete

Meal Preworkout Postworkout Menu Smoothie Banana Walnut Pancake + Veg Juice with Spirulina Khakra + vegs (tomato, onion, cucumber and coriander chutney) 3-4 nos 1 med.bowl 1 big bowl 1 big bowl 2-3 nos. 200 ml Instead of pulses, tofu can be added. Prefer rajma, kabuli chana, chole as sabji Mixed roti flour (wheat+ soy + barley or bajra, jowar roti) Sambar (1 bowl) + coriander mint chutney can be accompained. Amount 1 med. glass Ingredients / Comments Soy curd/ yogurt +muesli + raisins, almonds +strawberry +sugar

Mid-morning Khakra chaat or Crackers (wheat, oats etc) Lunch Roti (w/o ghee) Sabji Dal Salad Veg. rawa idli (w/o butter & cheese) Soy milk Same as lunch

Snacks

Dinner

Healthy food choices for vegans

Soy and soy products (soy milk, yogurt, tofu) Different combinations of pulse + cereal and varieties within each group Flax seeds Sunflower seeds Fermented products Different combo juices (Avacado, mixed vegetable juice) Spirulina Different pulses (kidney beans, moth beans, chick peas), sprouts Different grains (ragi, wheat germ, bajra, soy beans etc)

CASE STUDY

Case Study
Name: Venkatraman Pichumani Age: 56 yrs Medical history: CABG Diet history: Previously a lacto-ovo vegetarian Converted into a Vegan 3 yrs back Physical Activity: Half Marathon (21 kms)/ month) 6-10 kms, 2-3 / week Reasons to turn Vegan: Nutritional Ethical

Diet chart
Meal timings Early morning Post work-out Menu 1 bowl of Nuts 1 med. glass Vegetable juice + spirulina Amonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, methi, raisins. Spirulina 2tbsp (60g)

Breakfast

Dosa / idli/ oats upma/ cereal+ soy milk/ bread+ homemade peanut butter + green tea
Salad + fruit Fruit + sunflower seeds (30g)

Lunch Snacks

Dinner

1 roti+ rice+ 2-3 bowls of dals + sabji

Other foods preferred: Coconut water, sesame crackers, alfa alfa, brown rice, avacado juice, soy pacchadi , beet root juice

Clinical Reports (2012)

Observed value
B 12 HBA1C Creatine 510 pg/ml 4.8 % 1.1 mg/dl

Ref value
187-883 4-6 0.6- 1.4

Case 2
Short term effect: 2 months on vegan diet.

There was no significant differences in the lipid parameters. No weight changes were noticed.

Conclusion
POSITION STATEMENT:

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.

Bibliography
www.vrg.org www.veg-soc.org www.vegansociety.com www.acsm-msse.acsm.org www.vegsoc.org/health Clinical Sports Nutrition - Louis Burke Trace Minerals and Exercise- Ira Wollonsky

Thank you!

Vegan athletes
Serena williams and venus williams Carl lewis (9 olympic gold medal winnermarathoner) John salley (NBA star)