For various reasons more and more runners and athletes are starting to adopt a plant-based diet – one that excludes all animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs.

Until fairly recently veganism was considered both faddy and restrictive – the idea that you could run or compete at a high level without eating meat was pretty much unheard of. But since the introduction of Veganuary and Netflix’s 2019 documentary The Game Changers – which discusses the link between plant-based diets and athletic performance – the appeal of plant-based diets has soared. There are now vegan-specific run clubs (Vegan Runners, anyone?) and an increasing number of high-profile athletes, including the likes of Venus Williams and Lewis Hamilton, have switched to a vegan diet. The message? You don’t need to eat meat to perform well in sport.

Every athlete, vegan or not, should think carefully about their diet – and how it’s contributing to their training. But if you’re considering going vegan (and, ultimately, cutting certain food groups from your diet) you need to make sure you’re taking on enough nutrients that will fuel your workouts and promote recovery.

Running diet: how to train, recover and perform while eating vegan