In this article we look to tackle the issues faced by long distance runners on a vegetarian diet. By its very nature, a vegetarian diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies through the complete omission of a main food group, meat. Nonetheless, there are smart choices you can make to ensure your vegetarian diet gives you everything you need to be a successful athlete and we are here to show you how.

Here are our top tips…

1. A primary consideration to all vegetarians, but especially to those who are very active such as marathon runners, is protein and amino acids (AA). Simply put, amino acids can be thought of as the building blocks to our muscles and are divided into essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids are essential because the body does not make them and therefore it is crucial that they are obtained through our diet. The easiest way to do this is through eating meat and in some cases this is the only way to get certain AAs. Subsequently this means that vegetarians have to think a little harder about what to eat and how to obtain sufficient essential and non-essential AA. Good sources include lentils, beans, whole grains, dairy products such as eggs and milk, and nuts. The typical diet of a vegetarian should include much more of these foods than a meat eater to ensure they get enough protein to sustain a heavy training programme. Additionally using certain supplements can do the trick. We will discuss this in detail in point 4.
2. The next thing to consider is your level of fat intake. For years we have been told that a high fat diet is bad and linked to various indicators of health and mortality…this is simply not the case. Though we will admit that there are good fats (including saturated fats) and bad fats (trans fats) it is a common misconception that a low fat, high carbohydrate diet is the way forward. Essentially, for endurance athletes such as marathon runners the main source of energy is going to come from fats, making them even more vital. Good sources of fats include avocados, nuts, full fat milk and yoghurt, eggs, cheeses such as mozzarella, cottage and feta cheese, seeds such as hemp, pumpkin, sesame seeds and green leafy vegetables.
3. With this in mind it’s important to know that it isn’t the fats we eat that lead to weight gain, but rather the carbohydrates. Once ‘carbs’ are consumed the level of glucose in the bloodstream rises rapidly. To compensate for this the pancreas then increases the level of insulin to take the excess glucose out. Insulin is the hormone responsible for fat storage. As the body can only store a limited amount of glucose, the rest is stored as fat and this is the process of putting on weight. So people should not be concerned that a high fat diet will lead to weight gains. Instead the saturated fats we consume are used to do things like regulate menstruation and help keep our hair shiny and skin looking good. However this isn’t to say that carbs are the devil either, especially not for a long distance runner. We know that carbs are a great energy source and great to aid recovery post work-out, hence eating carbs around training is still a good idea.
4. As the vegetarian diet rules out a whole food group, the use of supplements is certainly something that can help ensure your body gets enough of everything it needs. We are going to look at 3 key supplements you can start taking right now to stay healthy and improve your performance.

i.      Protein – As mentioned earlier some essential AAs can only be found in meat. Therefore, the easiest way to make sure you don’t miss out on these AAs is to use a protein powder. Powders such as whey, hemp and soy are good choices and will aid your health and performance.

ii.      Omega 3S – The second supplement we are going to recommend is Omega 3S. There are some plant-based sources of Omega 3-fatty acids however, your body will not convert these into the substances we need as efficiently. Using an Omega 3 supplement is a great way to ensure your body gets exactly what it needs easily and efficiently. Though the benefits of Omega 3 can be thought of as health related, a daily dose of 1000mg will in turn aid performance too.

iii.      Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, is one of the most popular research topics at present. This is being driven by the discovery of a Vitamin D deficiency epidemic, especially in countries like the UK where the exposure to the sun is too low even for marathoners who spend hours of training outside. The sun exposure from November-April is too low in the UK so supplementation is key for training and improved health. A daily supplement of 1000IU’s has been shown to safely increase Vit D levels.

Zinc and Iron – Zinc and iron deficiencies are common amongst the majority of the population but especially in vegetarians. Found in red meat, fish, chicken and oysters zinc aids with cell division, protein synthesis, insulin and thyroid function, taste, smell, and reproductive health, whilst iron, found in red meat and egg yolks (to name a couple) serves to carry oxygen around the bloodstream to the cells in our body (this is why low iron levels, known as anemia, leads to feelings of tiredness). The recommended daily allowance of iron for women aged between 19-50 is 18mg, and zinc is 11mg.