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Plant-based diets benefit aerobic performance and do not compromise strength/power performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 October 2023

Yancka Oliveira Damasceno ,
Cauã V. F. S. Leitão ,
Gabriel Moraes de Oliveira ,
Fernando Augusto Barcelos Andrade Open the ORCID record for Fernando Augusto Barcelos Andrade [Opens in a new window] ,
André B. Pereira ,
Rodrigo S. Viza ,
Renata C. Correia ,
Helton O. Campos ,
Lucas R. Drummond  and
Laura H. R. Leite
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Yancka Oliveira Damasceno
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Cauã V. F. S. Leitão
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Gabriel Moraes de Oliveira
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Fernando Augusto Barcelos Andrade
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
André B. Pereira
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Rodrigo S. Viza
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Renata C. Correia
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Helton O. Campos
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais - Unidade Ubá, Ubá, MG, Brasil
Lucas R. Drummond
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil Departamento de Educação Física, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais – Unidade Divinópolis, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
Laura H. R. Leite
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil
Cândido C. Coimbra*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
*
*Corresponding author: Cândido Celso Coimbra, email coimbrac@icb.ufmg.br
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Abstract

Plant-based diets have emerged as athletic performance enhancers for various types of exercise. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of plant-based diets on aerobic and strength/power performances, as well as on BMI of physically active individuals. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted and reported according to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. A systematic search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus, was performed. On the basis of the search and inclusion criteria, four and six studies evaluating the effects of plant-based diets on aerobic and strength/power performances in humans were, respectively, included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Plant-based diets had a moderate but positive effect on aerobic performance (0·55; 95 % CI 0·29, 0·81) and no effect on strength/power performance (–0·30; 95 % CI −0·67, 0·07). The altogether analyses of both aerobic and strength/power exercises revealed that athletic performance was unchanged (0·01; 95 % CI −0·21, 0·22) in athletes who adopted plant-based diets. However, a small negative effect on BMI (–0·27; 95 % CI −0·40, –0·15) was induced by these diets. The results indicate that plant-based diets have the potential to exclusively assist aerobic performance. On the other hand, these diets do not jeopardise strength/power performance. Overall, the predicted effects of plant-based diets on physical performance are impactless, even though the BMI of their adherents is reduced.

Keywords

Plant-basedPerformanceVeganAerobic exercise
Type
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 131 , Issue 5 , 14 March 2024 , pp. 829 - 840
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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