Plant-Based Foods Can Boost Your Exercise Performance

A recent study explored how eating plant-based versus animal-based foods before exercise affects our arteries and aerobic fitness (Ishiwata M, et.al., 2024).

Eleven healthy young men, around 23 years old, participated. They ate either a plant-based or animal-based meal on different days, with both meals having the same balance of proteins, fats, and carbs.

Researchers measured arterial stiffness and vascular function before and two hours after each meal. They found that plant-based meals reduced arterial stiffness and improved vascular function, while animal-based meals did not.

Additionally, participants had better aerobic capacity as maximal oxygen uptake was higher after the plant-based meal.

This suggests that plant-based foods may enhance exercise performance by improving arterial health.

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Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38394648/
Ishiwata M, Hata U, Hashimoto Y, Okamoto T. Effects of pre-exercise intake of plant- and animal-based foods on arterial function and aerobic exercise capacity in healthy young men: a randomized cross-over trial. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2024 Jul 1;49(7):880-889.