What do professional cyclists Simon Geschke and Michael Gogl have in common? Both have Grand Tour experience, of course: they have both competed in the Giro d'Italia, with the Vuelta a Espana and with the Tour de France. But there's more: they both abstain from meat and fish. While Gogl is a vegetarian, Geschke has even been vegan since 2016, eating exclusively plant-based food.
Vegetarian diets are in vogue: around 6.5 million people in Germany did not eat meat in 2020 - 23 per cent more than in 2016. Those who prefer broccoli to schnitzel often do so for ethical reasons, for animal welfare. In addition, climate change is the reason for many people to give up meat: factory farming is considered the largest CO2 producer on earth, with 12.3 kilograms of CO2 being released into the atmosphere for every kilogramme of beef. By comparison, the same amount of apples only produces 250 grams of the greenhouse gas.
Are vegetarians faster?
So giving up meat makes perfect sense for the climate and animals. But does this also apply to performance on the bike? Do muscles work if they lack protein from meat? Does a plant-based diet provide all the nutrients the body needs for peak performance? Does a vegetarian diet perhaps even make athletes faster, as professional cyclist Michael Gogl claims? Not necessarily, according to scientists at Leibniz University in Hanover, after comparing the performance of runners on the cycle ergometer. Their training volume and frequency were similar, only their diet differed: some test subjects ate everything, others ate a vegetarian or vegan diet. Nevertheless, the maximum performance and lactate values of the study participants did not differ on the ergometer.
"The data suggest that none of the diets have advantages or disadvantages for athletic performance," the researchers concluded. "A vegan diet can also be a suitable alternative for ambitious recreational runners." And Australian scientists, who analysed various studies on the vegetarian diet of athletes in 2016, came to the conclusion that it appears to neither improve nor worsen the performance of athletes.
Vegetarian cyclists eat more consciously
Nevertheless, Helen Bauhaus, nutritionist at the Institute of Biochemistry at the German Sport University Cologne, can well imagine that the Austrian Gogl feels better on a meat-free diet: "It is not possible to generalise that switching to a meat-free diet makes you more efficient. However, in many cases, taking a closer look at your own diet leads to a more conscious intake of nutrients, which in turn can result in better nutrition." In addition, giving up meat is often accompanied by an increase in carbohydrate consumption, which can certainly boost performance. One thing is certain: vegetarians pay more attention to their diet, eat more fruit and vegetables than meat eaters and consume more digestive fibre. The fact that they consume less saturated fatty acids could have a positive effect on the heart and circulation.
Protein from plant-based foods
Bauhaus is convinced that vegetarian cyclists can cover their nutritional requirements without much difficulty - as long as they keep a few things in mind. "Milk, dairy products and eggs provide sufficient protein, and chickpeas, beans, lentils, soya drinks and yoghurt, tofu, seitan and tempeh are also good sources of protein." The body can utilise animal protein better than plant protein. "However, this does not lead to a deficiency in our latitudes," promises the nutritionist from Cologne.
Nevertheless, it makes sense to combine different sources of protein: Protein consists of amino acids, not all of which the body can produce itself. Methionine, for example, but also leucine, histidine and lysine are among the nine indispensable (essential) amino acids. The Academy of the German Football Association therefore advises vegetarian athletes to eat muesli with yoghurt, jacket potatoes with quark, wholemeal bread with cheese, scrambled eggs with bread, bean and corn stew, fried potatoes with fried egg or potato soup with lentils, for example. "Pulses and cereals have proven to be a good combination for vegans, as the amino acid profiles of these food groups complement each other well," says Bauhaus. While pulses contain a small amount of methionine but a lot of threonine, tryptophan and some lysine, the opposite is true for cereals. This allows the body to obtain more protein from a meal overall. The nutrition expert recommends vegans, for example, pasta with lentil Bolognese or chickpea curry with rice.
Danger for sportsmen and sportswomen: Iron deficiency
Iron is a micronutrient that hardly ever ends up on the plate in a meat-free diet because it is mainly found in meat and liver. The trace element is particularly important for endurance athletes because, as a component of haemoglobin in the blood, it is responsible for transporting oxygen. However, it is constantly being lost: through sweat during sport and, in women, also through menstruation. "Iron is the most critical nutrient when endurance athletes follow a vegetarian diet," says Bauhaus. If you don't eat meat, you should regularly eat other iron-rich foods: Oatmeal, wheat bran, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, soya beans, quinoa, pistachios or linseed. The latter also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which non-vegetarians usually get from fish.
Bauhaus generally advises people who follow a vegetarian diet to eat as wide a range of foods as possible to prevent nutrient deficiencies: "If you restrict yourself, it is all the more important to eat as varied and diverse a diet as possible in all other food groups." Carbohydrate sources should therefore not only be rice, pasta and potatoes, but also quinoa or sweet potatoes. It also makes sense for vegetarians to visit their GP once or twice a year to take a blood test to check whether the body is getting everything it needs.
Bauhaus only advises dietary supplements if the blood count clearly shows a deficiency: "The supplements are expensive and can be harmful in overdoses. Under no circumstances should athletes substitute nutrients on their own, but should always discuss their intake with a doctor or nutritionist." A visit to the doctor is also advisable if typical deficiency symptoms occur for an unusually long time: Fatigue, tiredness, poor performance, difficulty concentrating, weight fluctuations or an increased susceptibility to infections.
If in doubt, amateur athletes can seek advice from nutrition experts before changing their diet. "Mistakes often occur, especially during the changeover phase," warns Bauhaus. "Nutritionists know what is in which foods and what sporty vegetarians and vegans should look out for." Reputable, certified experts are listed by the professional association Oecotrophologie (VDO). There are sports-related nutritionists at Olympic training centres who sometimes advise amateur athletes on a freelance basis.
The challenge for vegetarians in top-class sport
So much for the theory. In practice, however, nutritionist Bauhaus admits that a vegetarian or even vegan diet is not always easy to implement - especially in professional sport or when amateur cyclists are travelling a lot. "You have to take a lot of things with you, it's best to talk to the local kitchen in advance and always remain flexible so that you can make an exception."
Robert Gorgos, nutrition consultant at the professional team Bora-Hansgrohe, can only confirm this: "We don't have a chef or our kitchen truck with us on every trip. We often have to rely on the organiser's catering. And if you then stay somewhere in Spain or France outside the metropolises, the quality and choice for vegetarians is sometimes not so good." A meat-free diet is then hardly practicable. However, there are some drivers who tend to eat less meat or at least avoid red meat.
Gorgos can well understand why someone might reject an animal on their plate for ethical reasons: "That's absolutely fine. But you don't have to buy the cheapest meat, you can also look for species-appropriate husbandry when you buy it". The nutritionist is so hesitant because he fears that a vegetarian diet increases the risk of deficiency symptoms in professional athletes. "There are of course positive examples. But the less you restrict yourself, the lower the risk of problems. I would rather advise a top athlete against a meat-free diet." Gorgos sees particular dangers when it comes to iron intake because the trace element is so important for haematopoiesis. "If you're training at altitude, for example, you absolutely need iron. Otherwise, altitude training is less effective if the body can't form new blood as well."
For amateur athletes, however, a vegetarian diet is possible, says nutrition specialist Gorgos - as long as the total energy and protein intake does not decrease as a result of the change: "Otherwise the immune system and muscle mass will suffer."
Vegan nutrition in sport - is it possible?
Those who follow a vegan diet completely avoid animal products, i.e. not only meat, but also milk, butter, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, honey and so on. The choice of processed foods is very limited, as they often contain whey powder or egg.
In 2020, 1.1 million people in Germany said they were vegan - 41 per cent more than in 2016. Vegans have to be even more careful than vegetarians to avoid nutrient deficiencies. For example, they should consume the vital vitamin B12 separately, which is only found in animal products. "There's no other way," warns Helen Bauhaus from the German Sport University Cologne. "The vitamin B12 stores in the liver last for perhaps two years. But you shouldn't let it get to the point where they run out." The consequences of a deficiency can be serious: Anaemia and exhaustion, depression, nerve damage, digestive and memory disorders. A doctor can prescribe vitamin B12 supplements and recommend dosages. They will probably also prescribe zinc: Although small amounts of the trace element can be found in tofu, almonds and wholemeal products, they are usually not enough to cover the requirement.
Bauhaus also advises vegans to pay attention to their calcium intake and recommends mineral water "that contains at least 400 milligrams per litre". Anyone who drinks tap water can enquire about a mineral analysis at the local public utility company. Contrary to what many people think, vegans rarely have difficulty getting enough protein. Protein requirements can be easily met with pulses such as lentils, chickpeas or beans. This is also confirmed by the few studies: according to a team of Canadian scientists, a vegan diet does not impair endurance or muscle strength. It is not detrimental to performance - as long as athletes ensure that they take in missing nutrients in good time and in sufficient quantities through alternative foods or the right nutritional supplements.
- Three very simple vegetarian dishes to recreate you can find here
- There are also Here are three delicious recipes for a day of cycling, compiled by Robert Gorgos, nutritionist for the professional team Bora-Hansgrohe.
