Active Vegetarians Show Better Lower Limb Strength and Power than Active Omnivores
Int J Sports Med DOI: 10.1055/a-1753-1322Vegetarian diets have become popular among athletes and active individuals and
can have advantages for physical performance, but the results are still
conflicting regarding muscle strength and power. The aim of this study was to
evaluate the diet and physical performance of vegetarians through tests of
dynamic, isometric, and relative strength; muscle power; and aerobic capacity.
In this cross-sectional study, 32 vegetarians and 26 omnivores, who were
physically active, were evaluated for the Healthy Eating Index and performance
tested back squat, handgrip strength, isometric deadlift strength, jump with
countermovement, and maximum aerobic speed (MAS). Improved diet quality
(63.24±14.40 vs. 54±16.80, p<0.05), greater relative
strength (1.03±0.23 vs. 0.91±0.12, p<0.05), and greater
jump height (43.77±9.91 vs. 38.45±8.92, p<0.05) were
found among vegetarians. No difference was seen in MAS (13.5±2 vs.
11±3, p>0.05) or isometric strength of upper limbs
(77±29 vs. 70±50, p>0.05) and lower limbs (89±41
vs. 97±50, p>0.05). Thus, we conclude that vegetarians and
omnivores show similar performance in strength and aerobic capacity, but in our
sample, vegetarians show higher levels of relative strength and power. [...] Georg Thieme Verlag Rüdigerst...
Source: International Journal of Sports Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: de Souza, Alice Conrado da Silva Brand ão, Marcos Oliveira, David Lima de Carvalho, Felipe Garcez Costa, Marcela Larissa Arag ão-Santos, José Carlos do Nascimento, Marcus Vin ícius Santos Silva-Grigoletto, Marzo Mendes-Netto, Raquel Sim ões Tags: Training & Testing Source Type: research
More News: Diets | Men | Nutrition | Sports Medicine | Study | Training | Universities & Medical Training | Vegetarian