Unlocking Endurance: Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Health and Athletic Performance

This is a summary of the research paper “Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports” published in Nutrients journal in January 2019 by Neal D. Barnard, David M. Goldman, James F. Loomis, Hana Kahleova, Susan M. Levin, Stephen Neabore and Travis C. Batts.

The authors reviewed evidence on the health and performance impacts of plant-based diets for endurance athletes. Surprisingly, elite endurance athletes may face higher than average risk of atherosclerosis and heart damage over time. However, plant-based diets improve multiple cardiovascular risk factors:

- Lower cholesterol and blood pressure

- Reduce atherosclerotic plaque buildup

- Facilitate weight loss and lower body fat percentage

- Improve blood viscosity and arterial flexibility for better oxygen circulation

In addition, plant-based diets provide antioxidants to counter exercise-induced oxidative damage, reduce inflammation, and make glycogen storage and carbohydrate intake easier compared to typical athlete diets.

The review concludes that plant-based nutritional approaches offer safety benefits by improving heart health markers in athletes. They also offer direct performance advantages including leaner body composition, better blood flow and tissue oxygenation, less oxidative stress and inflammation, and more efficient carb loading.

While optimal doses of antioxidant supplements are still debated, getting antioxidants naturally from whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts is consistently beneficial. Overall, the scientific evidence suggests plant-based diets can safely optimize athletic performance while also preventing long-term health risks.

Barnard ND, Goldman DM, Loomis JF, Kahleova H, Levin SM, Neabore S, Batts TC. Plant-Based Diets for Cardiovascular Safety and Performance in Endurance Sports. Nutrients. 2019 Jan 10;11(1):130. doi: 10.3390/nu11010130. PMID: 30634559; PMCID: PMC6356661.