The Impact Plant-Based Diets Have on Athletic Performance and Body Composition: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Plant-based diets have gained popularity among athletes in recent years. Some believe that plant-based diets will improve performance owing to higher intakes of carbohydrates and antioxidants. Some believe it that will harm performance due to lower intakes of complete protein and creatine. This systemic review was conducted using Covidence software. A literature search of PubMed, Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL Plus (EBSCO), and Web of Science was completed on 22 March 2022. Following the development of clear objectives and a research question that identified the population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes, initial search criteria and keywords were identified. Extracted results totaled 2249, including 797 duplicates. The initial screening resulted in 1437 articles being excluded. The remaining 15 articles proceeded to full-text screening. A final 8 articles were included in the review, with 7 excluded. This paper will review the impact plant-based diets have on athletic performance and body composition in healthy young adults aged 18 to 45 years.

KEY TEACHING POINTS

• Following a plant-based diet does not harm athletic performance.

• Plant-based diets may improve maximal oxygen consumption, vertical countermovement jumps, and relative strength.

• There is no evidence that plant-based diets are detrimental to athletic performance or body composition.

• The long-term implications and the affect following a plant-based diet has on athletic performance in professional athletes are still unknown.

Keywords:

• Vegetarian
• vegan
• omnivore
• nutrition
• exercise

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).