by Katharina Wirnitzer, Derrick Tanous, Mohamad Motevalli, Gerold Wirnitzer, Claus Leitzmann, Renato Pichler, Thomas Rosemann and Beat Knechtle
Abstract:
This study aims to investigate vegetarian and mixed diet type prevalences among distance runners at running events around the world and associations with running-related patterns and performance. Following a cross-sectional approach, linear regression analyses were carried out to identify potential associations among body mass index (BMI), diet type, and average best performance times of half-marathon and marathon events for males and females. From a sample of 3835 runners who completed an online questionnaire, 2864 all-distance runners (age: 37 years; 57% females) were included in inferential analyses and categorized into dietary subgroups according to self-reports: 994 vegans (34.7%), 598 vegetarians (20.9%), and 1272 omnivores (44.4%). Significant associations were identified between kind of diet and best average time to finish (i) half-marathons in females where vegans (p = 0.001) took longer than omnivores, (ii) half-marathons in males where vegans (p < 0.001) and vegetarians (p = 0.002) took longer than omnivores, and (iii) marathons in males where vegans (p < 0.001) and vegetarians (p = 0.043) averaged slower than omnivores. Increased units of BMI (+1.0) in males influenced best runtimes: 2.75 (3.22-2.27) min slower for HM and 5.5 (5.69-4.31) min slower for M. The present study did not take detailed confounders into account such as runner motives or training behaviors; however, the results may provide valuable insight for running event organizers, nutrition experts, coaches, and trainers advising runners who adhere to a general diet type regarding the basic question of who participates in running events around the world.
Reference:
Prevalence of Female and Male Vegan and Non-Vegan Endurance Runners and the Potential Associations of Diet Type and BMI with Performance-Results from the NURMI Study (Step 1) (Katharina Wirnitzer, Derrick Tanous, Mohamad Motevalli, Gerold Wirnitzer, Claus Leitzmann, Renato Pichler, Thomas Rosemann and Beat Knechtle), In Nutrients, volume 14, 2022.
Bibtex Entry:
@article{wirnitzer_prevalence_2022,
abstract = {This study aims to investigate vegetarian and mixed diet type prevalences among distance runners at running events around the world and associations with running-related patterns and performance. Following a cross-sectional approach, linear regression analyses were carried out to identify potential associations among body mass index (BMI), diet type, and average best performance times of half-marathon and marathon events for males and females. From a sample of 3835 runners who completed an online questionnaire, 2864 all-distance runners (age: 37 years; 57\% females) were included in inferential analyses and categorized into dietary subgroups according to self-reports: 994 vegans (34.7\%), 598 vegetarians (20.9\%), and 1272 omnivores (44.4\%). Significant associations were identified between kind of diet and best average time to finish (i) half-marathons in females where vegans (p = 0.001) took longer than omnivores, (ii) half-marathons in males where vegans (p \< 0.001) and vegetarians (p = 0.002) took longer than omnivores, and (iii) marathons in males where vegans (p \< 0.001) and vegetarians (p = 0.043) averaged slower than omnivores. Increased units of BMI (+1.0) in males influenced best runtimes: 2.75 (3.22-2.27) min slower for HM and 5.5 (5.69-4.31) min slower for M. The present study did not take detailed confounders into account such as runner motives or training behaviors; however, the results may provide valuable insight for running event organizers, nutrition experts, coaches, and trainers advising runners who adhere to a general diet type regarding the basic question of who participates in running events around the world.},
author = {Wirnitzer, Katharina and Tanous, Derrick and Motevalli, Mohamad and Wirnitzer, Gerold and Leitzmann, Claus and Pichler, Renato and Rosemann, Thomas and Knechtle, Beat},
date-modified = {2023-01-08 11:57:10 +0000},
doi = {10.3390/nu14183803},
issn = {2072-6643},
journal = {Nutrients},
keywords = {Vegan, Vegetarian, Diet, Athletic Performance},
language = {eng},
month = sep,
number = {18},
pages = {3803},
pmcid = {PMC9501964},
pmid = {36145179},
title = {Prevalence of {Female} and {Male} {Vegan} and {Non}-{Vegan} {Endurance} {Runners} and the {Potential} {Associations} of {Diet} {Type} and {BMI} with {Performance}-{Results} from the {NURMI} {Study} ({Step} 1)},
volume = {14},
year = {2022},
bdsk-url-1 = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183803}}