1. The influence of a vegan diet on body composition, performance and the menstrual cycle in young, recreationally trained women– a 12-week controlled trial
- Author
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Eduard Isenmann, Isabella Trojak, Alessio Lesch, Jan Schalla, Tim Havers, Patrick Diel, and Stephan Geisler
- Subjects
Vegan diet ,menstrual cycle ,plant-based diet ,physical performance ,body composition ,recreationally trained women ,Nutrition. Foods and food supply ,TX341-641 ,Sports medicine ,RC1200-1245 - Abstract
Background An increasing number of people, including recreational trained individuals, choose not to consume animal products and follow a vegan diet. Young women in particular are switching to a vegan diet. Studies have shown no difference in performance and muscle adaptations between a balanced vegan and an omnivorous diet. However, there are hardly any studies on the transition phase from an omnivorous to a vegan diet and the potential difficulties. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of a vegan dietary transition and its effects on body composition, physical performance, and menstrual cycle in young, recreationally trained women.Methods Ten young healthy women (23.8 ± 2.0 years, 173.0 ± 5.8 cm) were recruited to participate in this 12-week controlled study (4-week omnivorous phase, 8-week vegan intervention). At the beginning and before the vegan phase, all participants were informed about a balanced diet for fitness-oriented individuals and a vegan lifestyle. They were supervised by a sports dietitian for the entire 12 weeks. Explicit instructions and regular checks on macronutrient distribution were not carried out but had to be implemented independently. The diet was documented using FDDB Extender. The training habits were not explicitly specified, but should not be changed over the entire period. At baseline (T0) and 4-week intervals (T1, T2, T3), body composition (body weight, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass) and performance (squat, countermovement jump) were tested. In addition, the menstrual cycle was examined every two days using saliva samples and a cycle diary.Results Between treatments, there was a significant decrease in absolute (T0: 94.44 ± 20.37 kcal; T3: 71.67 ± 27.64 kcal; p
- Published
- 2024
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