The Vegan Diet - Benefits & Concerns

Research indicates that a vegetarian diet does not negatively impact athletic performance. On the contrary, an energy restrictive and nutrient poor diet leads to a variety of deficiencies that diminish health and impede dance training. Is a vegan diet guaranteed to make you healthier and give you more energy? Not necessarily. A plate of fries may be free of animal products, but offers zero nutrients and contains hydrogenated oils. The effect of a vegan diet is also influenced by your training, lifestyle habits, and body weight. 

Benefits of a vegan diet include: 

• Plant sources of protein contain antioxidants and are lower in fat
• Carbohydrates from plant sources optimize muscle glycogen
• Plant carb intake also provides polyphenols, tannins, phytate and fiber
• Reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease (Melina et al., 2016)

Concerns about a vegan diet include:

• Lack of key nutrients - calories, protein, fat, vitamin B12 and calcium: For most vegan foods, you need to eat larger volumes in order to get the same amount of calories. For example, you would have to eat 35 cups of green beans to get the same number of calories in a pound of hamburger meat. Dancers burn more calories than the average person so they need to fuel adequately - eat more, not less. By eating calorie-dense foods, like avocados and dried fruit, your energy needs can be met. It is also crucial to eat something starchy at every meal such as whole-wheat varieties of cereal, pasta, bread, rice or potatoes. Nuts and seeds are also excellent options for snacking.
  • ​Vitamin B12 only exists in animal products (IOM, 1999). Animals obtain vitamin B12 by eating foods that are covered in bacteria or from the bacteria that already line their own guts. One study showed that over 85% of vegans were B12 deficient. This is alarming, considering the role of B12 in nerve function and neurological function. Over time, deficiency can cause severe anemia and paralysis (Pawlak et al., 2014).  Solution: The daily requirement for adults is 2.4 micrograms of B12 per day. Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (mcg or µg) of B12 a day. As an alternative, take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms or a 2000-mg B12 supplement weekly.
  • ​Dancers are prone to stress fractures, so bone-building calcium is especially important. It is true that there are plant sources of calcium,but in limited amounts that are a fraction as absorbable as the equivalent of calcium. Solution: females ages 9 to 18 should aim for 1,300 mg of calcium a day from sources like tofu fortified with calcium, kale, broccoli and calcium-fortified soy foods or cereals. A calcium supplement with magnesium may also be helpful if you are concerned about your intake.
• Protein from plant sources is not as complete as animal sources, This means that individual plants do not provide all the essential amino acids needed by your body. Examples of appropriate protein combinations include a peanut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread, brown rice and black beans, or lentils and barley.
  • Because animal and soy products are complete proteins, they can be consumed with any grain, legume, or nut/seed. Quinoa also happens to be a complete protein, although it has fewer grams of protein per serving compared to animal products.
• Not having enough fat in your diet can lead to inadequate body fat, which can influence your hormones and  menstrual cycle. Vegans have to get the fat elsewhere which can include avocados, nuts, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. 
• Excess fiber and phytate may interfere with mineral absorption. Green leafy vegetables are a great source of vitamin C and K as well as minerals such as iron and magnesium. Vegetables also contain high amounts of fiber and a substance called phytates. Both bind minerals and hinder their absorption. Include these foods, but be conscious of consuming them too frequently and avoid juices with high concentrations of green vegetables.

To prevent long-term deficiencies, vegan dancers should be especially diligent when preparing and managing food intake and should consider working alongside registered dietitian to ensure their needs are being met.

References:
Melina, V., Craig, W., & Levin, S. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: vegetarian diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(12), 1970-1980
Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.
Brown, D. D. (2018). Nutritional Considerations for the Vegetarian and Vegan Dancer. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 22(1).