The Vegetarian Useful resource Group Weblog

photograph from FreePik

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Suppose of a professional soccer participant. What phrases come to thoughts? Maybe muscle, energy, energy, velocity. Relying on their place, gamers are estimated to require between 5,300 energy per day for a quarterback and 6,350 energy per day for an offensive lineman. Protein wants are excessive. The Worldwide Olympic Committee recommends that high-performance athletes get 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram physique weight per day with a view to maximize energy and muscle mass (1). That’s 0.73 grams of protein for each pound {that a} participant weighs. Thus, a 315 pound offensive lineman would wish 230 grams of protein day by day.

Not surprisingly, soccer gamers are generally inspired to eat meat, a lot of meat, together with different animal-based protein sources (2). Additionally, not surprisingly, cardiovascular ailments (situations that may result in occasions like coronary heart assaults, strokes, and coronary heart failure) are the most typical explanation for dying amongst former NFL gamers (3). What if there’s one other, more healthy option to meet dietary wants that doesn’t contain a lot of meat and different animal merchandise however that provides advisable quantities of energy and protein and different vitamins?

Can a vegan eating regimen be deliberate to fulfill the dietary wants {of professional} soccer gamers? Researchers used present knowledge about NFL athletes to calculate calorie wants of professional soccer gamers (2). They then used data on the dietary intakes of vegans and scaled up the quantities of meals these vegans ate to develop theoretical vegan diets that will meet the calorie wants of professional soccer gamers. Once they did this, the ensuing diets simply met or exceeded advisable protein intakes for professional soccer gamers. The theoretical vegan diets additionally provided the advisable quantity of leucine, an amino acid, for these wanting to maximise muscle growth. The diets met suggestions for all vitamins. Fortified meals or dietary supplements are wanted to fulfill suggestions for nutritional vitamins B12 and D.

Vegan diets can be utilized by athletes with excessive nutrient and calorie wants like skilled soccer gamers. They will additionally meet the wants of leisure athletes and fewer energetic people.

References

1. Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC Consensus Assertion: dietary dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018;28:104-125.
2. Goldman DM, Warbeck CB, Karlsen MC. protein necessities for maximal muscle mass and athletic efficiency are achieved with utterly plant-based diets scaled to fulfill power wants: A modeling research in skilled American soccer gamers. Vitamins. 2024;16:1903.
3. Nguyen VT, Zafonte RD, Chen JT, et al. Mortality amongst skilled American-style soccer gamers {and professional} American baseball gamers. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2:e194223.

To learn extra about vegan diets for athletes see:

Athletes & Vegan/Vegetarian Diets

Vegan/Vegetarian Athlete’s Plate®: A Visible Information Developed by the College of Colorado, Colorado Springs