Whether you’re already fully plant-based or are contemplating becoming a vegan runner, you might be wondering how to best meet your nutrition needs. It is certainly possible to optimize performance on a vegan diet – it just requires a little more planning than the average person. In this post, we’re going to go over some tips for making sure that you are getting all of the proper nutrients needed as well as giving you specific sports nutrition tips for fueling your body.
Disclaimer: This post was written and reviewed by Chrissy Carroll, Registered Dietitian and RRCA Running Coach. It is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be individualized advice. Consult your doctor or dietitian for any nutrition questions.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links; as an affiliate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
What is a vegan diet?
A vegan diet excludes all animal products. While vegetarian athletes do not eat meat and fish, vegan runners also avoid other animal-derived products, including eggs, honey, and dairy.
Instead of animal products, a vegan diet focuses on vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
(Note: As a dietitian, I personally do not believe a vegan diet is necessary for optimal health or performance. However, it’s certainly an option if it is something you are passionate about pursuing – and I hope these tips will help you do so in the best way possible).
How to fuel your body for running
Whether you are a vegan or omnivore, a balanced everyday diet with nutrient-dense foods is key to fueling your body for running.
A proper vegan diet for runners should include all three macronutrients – carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each of these macronutrients plays an important role:
- Carbohydrates – These are your body’s primary fuel source, so runners need to eat enough of them. Most people should get around 45-65% of your calories from carbs – but the specific amount will depend on your genetics, health status, medical conditions, and training routine. Your body stores these healthy carbohydrates in your muscles as glycogen. The tougher and more intense your workout, the more your body relies on this glycogen.
- Protein – Protein helps maintain muscle mass. While exercising, the body experiences tears to the muscle fibers. We need protein to rebuild these.
- Fat – Eating fat is crucial for vegan runners because it helps absorb vitamins from food, supports hormonal balance, and also helps you feel satiated.
Like any eating plan, a vegan diet can be unhealthy if not done properly. For example, eating too many vegan convenience foods (hello, Oreos!) and not eating enough nutrient-dense whole foods will not optimize your performance. There’s certainly room for desserts and snacks, but make sure that most of your meal plan is focused on foods that truly fuel your body.
Along those lines, nutrient-dense foods are those which contain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. One of the easiest ways to ensure you’re getting enough? Ensure there’s lots of bright colors in your daily meals! {For example, these fruits and vegetables for runners all have very specific benefits.)
Consider planning and prepping your some of your meals on the weekend to make it easier to ensure you’re reaching for performance-boosting foods throughout the week. Our guide to athlete meal prep has some great ideas for this.
Nutrient concerns for vegan runners
There are a few nutrients that tend to be more difficult to get without animal products, but are very important for runners. Here are some tips on making sure you meet your needs:
Protein
Protein helps repair those hard-worked muscles, and it also helps keep you full longer. (And for vegan runners or triathletes who are actively trying to lose weight, eating enough protein may help to spare some of the loss of lean muscle mass that can occur with weight loss.)
The protein needs of runners are higher than the average person, as their bodies are in a constant state of breakdown and repair from their training. Runners generally need around 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (compared to sedentary individuals that need around 0.8 grams per kilogram). Recent research suggests some athletes may need as much as 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Recreational runners and those doing a high proportion of comfortable paced runs would likely fall towards the lower end of this range. More competitive athletes with tougher training regimens, as well as athletes attempting to lose weight, would fall towards the higher end of this range.
To put this in perspective, that means a 150 pound (68 kilogram) athlete would need about 81 grams of protein per day at 1.2 g/kg, up to 122 grams of protein per day at 1.8 g/kg.
It can be more difficult to meet protein needs on a vegan diet, but it’s certainly not impossible. Plant based sources of protein include:
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Beans
- Lentils
- Nuts (especially peanuts, almonds, and pistachios)
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Peas
- Quinoa
- Hemp seeds
- Seitan (a meat substitute made from wheat)
- Tempeh (made from fermented soybeans)
- Plant-based protein powders (read more about protein powders for runners)
Keep in mind that while animal proteins contain all the essential amino acids, plant proteins do not. As such, each day you’ll want to consume a variety of these different protein sources to get the full spectrum of amino acids. (In particular, the amino acid leucine is very important for athletes.)
Calcium
This is another nutrient that can come up short in a vegan diet, and is important to bone health – which is essential for athletes!
While running, your bones are undergoing constant repetitive stress. This can increase the risk of a bone stress injury, which can progress to a stress fracture. These injuries are more likely in those who are brand new to the sport and progressing quickly in mileage, as well as experienced athletes who are ramping up training intensity or volume.
Research is mixed on whether calcium (and Vitamin D) play a role in preventing stress fractures among runners – but most prospective studies seem to skew towards calcium’s protective role. One study on young female runners found that higher calcium intake was associated with lower rates of stress fractures. It’s prudent to ensure adequate intake of these nutrients knowing their role in overall bone health.
Dairy products are one of the best sources of calcium, but since they’re not included on a vegan diet, you’ll need to look into some other sources instead:
- Tofu
- Collard greens
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Fortified orange juice
- Fortified plant-based milks
If you’re worried about meeting your calcium needs, you could also take a calcium supplement if your doctor recommended such.
Iron
Iron is also especially important for vegan runners to pay attention to. The body needs iron to form hemoglobin – which carries oxygen throughout the body and helps muscles work efficiently during exercise.
Falling short in iron can lead to fatigue and eventually anemia, which can derail your training. This may be more of a concern for female athletes, who lose iron during their monthly cycle.
Aim to include many plant-based sources of iron in your diet, including:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Tofu
- Leafy greens
- Cashews
- Fortified cereal
- Pumpkin seeds
- Dried apricots
Bonus tip: Foods with Vitamin C help to enhance the absorption of plant-based iron. For example, combine beans with tomatoes, or enjoy a snack of berries with pumpkin seeds.
Vitamin D
You’re probably familiar with Vitamin D’s role in bone health, which was mentioned earlier – but more research is alluding to the role of Vitamin D in strength and immunity (both of which are important for runners).
For example, authors of a recent study in Nutrients state “Vitamin D is important in bone health, but recent research also points out its essential role in extraskeletal functions, including skeletal muscle growth, immune and cardiopulmonary functions and inflammatory modulation, which influence athletic performance.” Some studies suggest that Vitamin D supplementation may impact lower limb strength, which could potentially impact running stride.
Vitamin D needs are challenging to meet on any diet, but particularly challenging on a vegan diet. The main dietary sources of Vitamin D are fatty fish, liver, and egg yolks – all of which are a no-go on a vegan diet. And while you can make Vitamin D via your skin when exposed to sunlight, this also has to be weighed against the risk of skin damage & cancer.
On a vegan diet, you can get some Vitamin D via fortified products. Keep in mind that some products that are fortified with Vitamin D3, a type usually derived from animals – so if you are following a strict vegan diet you may not feel comfortable with this.
Vitamin D2 is a vegan alternative, though, and can be found in many fortified dairy alternatives, like soy milk or almond milk. Double check the label of the product you’re purchasing, though, as not all products are fortified. Vitamin D2 can also be found in special irradiated mushrooms (they’re grown under a light that increases Vitamin D production in the produce).
For many vegan athletes, a Vitamin D supplement may be a good option, as it will ensure you’re consistently getting enough Vitamin D each day. Generally, 1000-2000 IU supplement is a good amount, but always check with a doctor first as they’ll be able to give you individualized advice. (Doctors can also run bloodwork to check Vitamin D levels, which may impact the amount they recommend supplementing).
Supplements can be found in both Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2 forms (though this Vitamin D2 may not have the same muscle health benefits as D3, according to this study). These days, there is a variety of vegan D-3 available which is derived from lichens, a plant species that comes from a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient for metabolism, as well as keeping the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy.
A deficiency in Vitamin B12 can cause megaloblastic anemia, which is characterized by abnormally large red blood cells. This reduces the amount of oxygen that can be carried to your muscles, causing fatigue and reducing run performance.
Vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods, so a vegan diet increases the risk of a deficiency. However, it’s also present in many fortified vegan food sources like cereals, plant milks, or nutritional yeast (often added to vegan recipes to give a savory, cheese-like flavor).
If you’re not eating many foods fortified with B12, the only other way to meet your needs is via a B12 supplement. Discuss with a doctor if this is right for you.
Omega-three fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for good cardiovascular and brain health – and they also may have a role in exercise. For example, a 2018 study stated “There is some scientific evidence that n-3PUFA supplementation may improve endurance capacity by reducing the oxygen cost of exercise. Moreover, several studies report a benefit of n-3PUFA supplementation in promoting recovery from eccentric-based muscle damaging exercise.”
DHA and EPA are the two omega-3 fatty acids that are thought to be responsible for many health benefits. However, the best source of these is fatty fish, which is not an option on a vegan diet.
There are several plant-based sources of omega-3s, including walnuts. chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flaxseeds. However, the dominant fat in these is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This can be converted to DHA in the body, but the process is not overly efficient.
As such, if you’re vegan, consider supplementing with DHA and EPA derived from algae. This type of vegan supplement does not contain fish or other animal products.
Training nutrition tips
Now that everyday diet has been covered, what about training nutrition? Here are some helpful guidelines for vegan athletes:
Pre-exercise nutrition
Eating before a workout generally helps improve performance, especially before long runs. If you’re heading out the door in the morning for a quick run you don’t have to eat beforehand, but it may help you feel more energized during your training session.
A good pre-exercise meal should be high in carbs, moderate in protein, and low in fat and fiber. Choose foods that you know sit well in your stomach, and also be sure to hydrate.
A classic vegan favorite before a long run or race? Peanut butter on a bagel with sliced bananas.
During-workout fueling
During a hard workout or race lasting longer than 75-90 minutes, it’s best to consume carbohydrates during your workout. Aim for around 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
These carbohydrates can come from sports drinks, energy gels, bloks, bars, or standard supermarket food.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to evaluate each option to see if it’s vegan-friendly. For example, many runners may use gummy bears as a source of fuel, but these typically contain gelatin (which is derived from animals) and as such, would be a no-go on a vegan diet.
At the time of publish*, vegan fueling products include:
- CLIF gels
- CLIF blocks
- GU energy gels
- Muir energy gels
- Skratch labs sports hydration mix
- Supermarket food products like bananas, raisins, dates, salted potatoes, etc.
Drinks like Gatorade and Powerade may also be acceptable on a vegan diet, depending on how strict you are. Note that some forms of sugar go through bone char filtering, which strict vegans avoid. Many products do not specify if the sugar goes through this process. If you choose to avoid products with bone-char filtered sugar, you’ll need to contact each manufacturer to ask about their sugar sourcing, unless a product is labeled vegan.
Examples of products that are not vegan include those by Honey Stinger (which contain honey), Accel Gel (which contains whey protein), GU Stroopwafels, GU Rocktane Electrolyte Capsules, GU Rocktane Recovery drink, CLIF Whey Protein, CLIF Recovery Protein Drink Mix, CLIF Bar Peanut Butter & Honey w/ Sea Salt. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a few examples.
*Always check labels prior to purchasing, as manufacturer formulations can change.
Post-workout nutrition
If you’re a competitive athlete doing two-a-day workouts, recovery nutrition is quite important. For most recreational athletes, your everyday diet will support recovery – but it’s still a good idea to plan a meal or snack after your long or intense runs.
This should contain carbohydrates to replenish energy (glycogen) stores, as well as protein to support muscle repair and recovery.
This can be done with whole-food options, which are great because they also come packed with vitamins and minerals. Examples include:
- Banana Peanut Butter Recovery Smoothie – banana, peanut butter, dark chocolate chips, and soy milk
- Homemade Trail Mix – Whole grain cereal, pretzels, raisins, nuts, and seeds
- Peach Oatmeal – Oats made with soy milk topped with sliced peaches & pecans
- Tropical Smoothie – Kiwi, mango, shredded coconut, vegan protein powder, and soy milk
- Cereal & Dairy-Free Milk – Higher protein breakfast cereal with soy milk
- Loaded Potato – Baked regular or sweet potato topped with beans & salsa
- Breakfast Treat – Frozen vegan waffle topped with fruit & nuts along with a glass of chocolate soy milk or protein-fortified almond milk
- Cuban Bowl – Rice, beans, tomatoes, chiles, sweet potatoes, and plantains
- “Burger” & Fruit – Vegan burger patty (look for at least 10 grams of protein per patty) on a bun with a side of fruit
You can also use commercial recovery products, however remember that many shakes and powders are made with whey (a milk product). You’ll want to look specifically for vegan products (like hemp or pea protein).
A Final Word
A vegan diet is not a required eating pattern for overall health or performance – but may be something you desire to do, and that’s completely fine! As a vegan runner, you’ll have to be a little more aware of certain nutrients and more carefully evaluate sports fueling products. However, with a little planning, you can definitely continue to fuel your training and achieve success.
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