IS essay

Are Plant-Based Diets Better for Athletes

For many years, it was commonly assumed that animal-based diets provide the most protein. Because of this, athletes have been conditioned to operate on a dominantly animal-based diet. However, as more research has surfaced, and more people have discovered the benefits of plant-based dieting, these assumptions have been revised. If there is evidence to support that plant-based diets provide greater benefits than animal-based diets, then all athletes should be on a plant-based diet. There is evidence to support that plant-based diets provide greater benefits than meat diets, therefore all athletes should be on a plant-based diet. Modus Ponens. Deductive

The Netflix movie Game Changers explains why and how athletes are benefiting from switching to a plant based diets. The film was released in 2018 and it challenges the notion that plant based diets have less protein than animal based diets. From little known athletes like ultra-runner Scott Jurek, to superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, several well known athletes appear in the film, to give their opinion on following a plant based diet. For example, Partick Baboumian one of the world’s top strongmen has stated that if it wasn’t for his vegan lifestyle he wouldn’t be able to achieve the world records that he is so widely known for. The director Louie Psihoyos reveals that the vegetarian diet has more benefits than an omnivore diet ever will. After showing how vegan diets benefit some of the world’s top athletes, viewers are then shown the science behind this change in eating habits. In the documentary, experts demonstrated what happens to the blood after eating a meal with animal proteins versus a vegetarian meal. Doctors asked three football players to participate in an experiment. They gave two of the men burritos that contain meat, like chicken and beef, and one of the men a bean burrito. Their blood was taken and spun in a centrifuge to test the viscosity of the plasma in the blood, the more translucent the plasma, the better blood will flow. The experiment resulted in cloudy plasma samples for the two men that ate the meals that contained animal meat and clear plasma for the athlete on a plant based diet. The next day, the athletes were all given bean burritos and tested again, the results yield clear plasma across the board. The effects kicked in immediately after the meal and shocked the players. The documentary showed many other health benefits and experiences of various athletes, and their heartfelt success stories making a solid argument as to why athletes should make the switch to a plant based diet.

The recurrent concern for athletes is that they will not receive enough protein in a plant based diet. But, that misconception has been debunked across multiple studies. A plant based diet can provide more than enough protein needed for an athlete. In fact, vegetarian diets consist of many forms of proteins. Some of which include nuts, beans, and seeds. Nutritionist Marco Borges explains in an article published to the Center of Nutritional Studies that animal based diets for athletes can be worse for their body’s performance than vegan diets. Athletes are hesitant to partake in a plant based dieting because of the uncertainty of whether the body will be able to grow muscle. However, research has shown that the effects of plant based diets on muscles are actually very beneficial for bodybuilders and other athletes looking to preserve muscle. For instance, A 2017 study confirmed that a “non-calorie-restricted plant-based diet burned body fat while preserving muscle”. Borges explains, “When you’re in the recovery process after exercise, your body wants to reduce that inflammation so your muscles can properly repair themselves and grow. Eating meat actually worsens inflammation”. Plant based diets have been proven to reduce inflammation in muscles, leading to healing rates far better than meat-eaters. A study in 2015 by Complementary Therapies in Medicine was conducted by putting 600 participants on a plant based diet. Over the course of 3 weeks, results began to emerge. These results showed that after switching up the participants’ diet, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were reduced. CRP is a well known indicator of arthritis. Arthritis is a disease that forms when there is inflammation due to different factors. Due to the results of the experiment proving reduced CRP levels, the conclusion of the study is that when on a plant based diet, people are less likely to contract joint and muscle inflammation. Plant based diets have proven through these tests that making the switch not only preserves muscle, but helps burn fat and heals fast. Marco writes that those are just a few of the benefits that he has observed from the plant based athletes he’s examined. Some of the other things that have been reported are increased; cardiovascular health, improved overall endurance, and more energy. These kinds of benefits can be a result of the higher intake of healthy carbohydrates on a plant based diet, as compared to an animal protein diet. 

Aside from protein intake, there are many other benefits to a plant based diet as well. For an athlete to be successful, their heart and blood circulation need to be at peak productivity. The more blood circulation, the better they can perform. “Athletes who follow plant-based diets could see improvements in their heart health, performance and recovery,”(1)  Research shows that a plant based diet is more beneficial to an athlete than animal products. One reason for this is the fat content in animal based foods. Saturated fats in foods such as meat and dairy products over produce lipids, leading to coronary plaque build up in the arteries. The lipids congest the arteries slowing or restricting blood flow in an occurrence called dyslipidemia. The vegan diet not only lessens the fat in blood, but improves the blood itself. Because plants are low in fats, the blood becomes less viscous, or thick. A study showed that 48 people following plant-based eating diets and 41 controls, plasma viscosity, blood viscosity, and cell volume were lower in vegetarians (4). Efficient moving blood, coupled with a high carb intake will turn any athlete into a machine. 

Plant based diets have been shown to reduce body fat, turning athletes to lighter, stronger, and more lean bodies. The low fat and high fiber fruits and veggies reduce the energy density of meals, leading to a reduction in energy intake, spending less energy digesting a meal could transfer into more game time. The results don't stop at endurance, studies have shown that there are so many more positive outcomes when it comes to the plant based diet. One very important benefit of adopting a plant based diet would be the amount of VO2 max increasing. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in. Therefore, an increase in the max will allow the body to take in more oxygen during exercise, a second way plant based diets help lengthen endurance. This is beneficial while exercising because breathing provides your muscles with oxygen in order to help them contract(8). These high VO2 levels are found also in long distance athletes. The more oxygen that gets to your muscles, the farther those muscles will take you.

Athletes should heavily consider switching to an all plant based diet if they want to perform to the best of their ability. Taking organic proteins and nutrients from the source and cutting out the meaty middle man is proven to have numerous benefits on an athletes game and overall well being. With a healthy and efficient blood flow, low-fat body build, increased VO2 power in the muscles, and as much protein as any meat eater, vegan athletes are the future of sports.

Citations:

1)Esposito, Lisa. “Athletes Can Thrive on Plant-Based Diets.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 11 Jan. 2019, health.usnews.com/wellness/fitness/articles/2019-01-11/athletes-can-thrive-on-plant-based-diets

(2)Fuhrman.com, Dr. “Fueling the Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete : Current Sports Medicine Reports.” LWW, 2010, journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2010/07000/Fueling_the_Vegetarian__Vegan__Athlete.13.aspx . 

(3) Psihoyos, Louie. “The Game Changers.” Netflix, 16 Oct. 2019, www.netflix.com/watch/81157840?trackId=13752289.  

(4)Barnard, Neal D, et al. “Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports.” Nutrients, MDPI, 10 Jan. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356661/.  

(5)Mangels, Reed. “Protein in the Vegan Diet.” Return to Vrg.org, 2006, www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php. 

(6)Borges, Marco. “Plants Have All the Power We Need.” Center for Nutrition Studies, 12 Apr. 2019, nutritionstudies.org/plants-have-all-the-power-we-need/ . 

(7)Baltazar, Amanda. “Do Vegan or Vegetarian Diets Help Reduce Arthritis Inflammation?” Www.arthritis.org, 2019, www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/vegetarian-diet-arthritis . 

(8)Barnard, Neal. “Six Reasons Athletes Are Running Toward a Vegan Diet.” Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, FACC, 10 Jan. 2019, www.pcrm.org/news/blog/six-reasons-athletes-are-running-toward-vegan-diet .