The VegPlate for Sports: A Plant-Based Food Guide for Athletes

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2023 Apr 13

PMID 37049586

Authors

Luciana Baroni

Ettore Pelosi

Francesca Giampieri

Maurizio Battino

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Nutrition strategies improve physiological and biochemical adaptation to training, facilitate more intense workouts, promote faster recoveries after a workout in anticipation of the next, and help to prepare for a race and maintain the body's hydration status. Although vegetarianism (i.e., lacto-ovo and veganism) has become increasingly popular in recent years, the number of vegetarian athletes is not known, and no specific recommendations have been made for vegetarian dietary planning in sports. Well-planned diets are mandatory to obtain the best performance, and the available literature reports that those excluding all types of flesh foods (meat, poultry, game, and seafood) neither find advantages nor suffer from disadvantages, compared to omnivorous diets, for strength, anaerobic, or aerobic exercise performance; additionally, some benefits can be derived for general health.

Methods: We conceived the VegPlate for Sports, a vegetarian food guide (VFG) based on the already-validated VegPlate facilitating method, designed according to the Italian dietary reference intakes (DRIs).

Results: The VegPlate for Sports is suitable for men and women who are active in sports and adhere to a vegetarian (i.e., lacto-ovo and vegan) diet, and provides weight-based, adequate dietary planning.

Conclusions: The VegPlate for Sports represents a practical tool for nutrition professionals and gives the possibility to plan diets based on energy, carbohydrate (CHO), and protein (PRO) necessities, from 50 to 90 Kg body weight (BW).

Citing Articles

A Plant-Based Food Guide Adapted for Low-Fat Diets: The VegPlate Low-Fat (VP_LF).

Baroni L, Rizzo G, Zavoli M, Battino M Foods. 2025; 13(24.

PMID: 39766992 PMC: 11728239. DOI: 10.3390/foods13244050.

Nutritional Profile and Chlorophyll Intake of Collard Green as a Convenience Food.

Canazza E, Tessari P, Mayr Marangon C, Lante A Nutrients. 2024; 16(23).

PMID: 39683408 PMC: 11643711. DOI: 10.3390/nu16234015.

Attitudes and Beliefs of Primary Care Physicians and Nurses in Spain Toward Vegan Diets.

Trujillo-Garrido N, Sanchez-Sanchez E, Santi-Cano M Nutrients. 2024; 16(23).

PMID: 39683386 PMC: 11643786. DOI: 10.3390/nu16233992.

Protein and Leucine Requirements for Maximal Muscular Development and Athletic Performance Are Achieved with Completely Plant-Based Diets Modeled to Meet Energy Needs in Adult Male Rugby Players.

Goldman D, Warbeck C, Karlsen M Sports (Basel). 2024; 12(7).

PMID: 39058077 PMC: 11281145. DOI: 10.3390/sports12070186.

Completely Plant-Based Diets That Meet Energy Requirements for Resistance Training Can Supply Enough Protein and Leucine to Maximize Hypertrophy and Strength in Male Bodybuilders: A Modeling Study.

Goldman D, Warbeck C, Karlsen M Nutrients. 2024; 16(8).

PMID: 38674813 PMC: 11054926. DOI: 10.3390/nu16081122.

References

Schaafsma G . The Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)--a concept for describing protein quality in foods and food ingredients: a critical review. J AOAC Int. 2005; 88(3):988-94. View

Teixeira F, Matias C, Faleiro J, Giro R, Pires J, Figueiredo H . A Novel Plant-Based Protein Has Similar Effects Compared to Whey Protein on Body Composition, Strength, Power, and Aerobic Performance in Professional and Semi-Professional Futsal Players. Front Nutr. 2022; 9:934438. PMC: 9355667. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.934438. View

Burke L, Hawley J, Wong S, Jeukendrup A . Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011; 29 Suppl 1:S17-27. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2011.585473. View

Simopoulos A . Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002; 21(6):495-505. DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2002.10719248. View

Melina V, Craig W, Levin S . Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016; 116(12):1970-1980. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025. View

Burdge G, Calder P . Conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human adults. Reprod Nutr Dev. 2005; 45(5):581-97. DOI: 10.1051/rnd:2005047. View

Kahleova H, Petersen K, Shulman G, Alwarith J, Rembert E, Tura A . Effect of a Low-Fat Vegan Diet on Body Weight, Insulin Sensitivity, Postprandial Metabolism, and Intramyocellular and Hepatocellular Lipid Levels in Overweight Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020; 3(11):e2025454. PMC: 7705596. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25454. View

Bischoff-Ferrari H, Willett W, Wong J, Giovannucci E, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B . Fracture prevention with vitamin D supplementation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA. 2005; 293(18):2257-64. DOI: 10.1001/jama.293.18.2257. View

Baroni L, Goggi S, Battaglino R, Berveglieri M, Fasan I, Filippin D . Vegan Nutrition for Mothers and Children: Practical Tools for Healthcare Providers. Nutrients. 2018; 11(1). PMC: 6356233. DOI: 10.3390/nu11010005. View

10.

Barnard N, Goldman D, Loomis J, Kahleova H, Levin S, Neabore S . Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports. Nutrients. 2019; 11(1). PMC: 6356661. DOI: 10.3390/nu11010130. View

11.

Hopwood C, Bleidorn W, Schwaba T, Chen S . Health, environmental, and animal rights motives for vegetarian eating. PLoS One. 2020; 15(4):e0230609. PMC: 7117663. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230609. View

12.

Fritzen A, Lundsgaard A, Kiens B . Dietary Fuels in Athletic Performance. Annu Rev Nutr. 2019; 39:45-73. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-082018-124337. View

13.

Hoffman J, Ratamess N, Kang J, Falvo M, Faigenbaum A . Effect of protein intake on strength, body composition and endocrine changes in strength/power athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008; 3:12-8. PMC: 2129168. DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-3-2-12. View

14.

Aragon A, Schoenfeld B . Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013; 10(1):5. PMC: 3577439. DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-5. View

15.

Pohl A, Schunemann F, Bersiner K, Gehlert S . The Impact of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets on Physical Performance and Molecular Signaling in Skeletal Muscle. Nutrients. 2021; 13(11). PMC: 8623732. DOI: 10.3390/nu13113884. View

16.

Mozaffarian D, Wu J . Flavonoids, Dairy Foods, and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health: A Review of Emerging Biologic Pathways. Circ Res. 2018; 122(2):369-384. PMC: 5781235. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.309008. View

17.

Rogerson D . Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017; 14:36. PMC: 5598028. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0192-9. View

18.

Baroni L, Goggi S, Battino M . Planning Well-Balanced Vegetarian Diets in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: The VegPlate Junior. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2018; 119(7):1067-1074. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2018.06.008. View

19.

Breuckmann F, Mohlenkamp S, Nassenstein K, Lehmann N, Ladd S, Schmermund A . Myocardial late gadolinium enhancement: prevalence, pattern, and prognostic relevance in marathon runners. Radiology. 2009; 251(1):50-7. DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2511081118. View

20.

Kniskern M, Johnston C . Protein dietary reference intakes may be inadequate for vegetarians if low amounts of animal protein are consumed. Nutrition. 2010; 27(6):727-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.08.024. View