Long-distance cyclists can preserve fat-free body mass while on a plant-based diet, according to new research involving a University of Alberta nutrition expert.
Carla Prado’s team measured the energy balance of two cyclists — one male and one female — on a plant-based diet who crossed Canada in 30 days in the spring of 2024.
“Both cyclists preserved or slightly increased fat-free mass, and the female athlete maintained body weight despite substantial energetic demands,” write the authors, adding that male cyclist and Faculty of Science post-doc Timm Döbert gained muscle and lost fat, possibly because of sex-based differences in metabolism.
The findings suggest that a well-planned plant-based diet high in protein can support performance while “minimizing loss of fat-free mass during ultra-endurance cycling among recreational athletes.”
The study is the first to assess energy balance in ultra-endurance athletes on a plant-based diet during a sustained, 30-day effort, adds Prado, with results similar to studies of athletes in events lasting from 12 hours to 17 days.
“Participation in ultra-endurance events has increased in recent years,” say the authors, making these results important for “the growing number of vegetarian and vegan athletes whose plant-based diets may be higher in fibre and lower in energy and protein, posing challenges for meeting nutritional needs during extreme endurance efforts.”
Carla Prado is a professor and Canada Research Chair in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences, and a member of the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute and the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta.