Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal: Nutrients

Volume number: 14

Issue number: 18

eISSN: 2072-6643

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183803

Publisher: MDPI

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.

Harvard Citation style: Wirnitzer, K., Tanous, D., Motevalli, M., Wirnitzer, G., Leitzmann, C., Pichler, R., et al. (2022) 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), Nutrients, 14(18), Article 3803. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183803

APA Citation style: Wirnitzer, K., Tanous, D., Motevalli, M., Wirnitzer, G., Leitzmann, C., Pichler, R., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2022). 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). Nutrients. 14(18), Article 3803. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183803