Tripple-Ironman based on vegan raw vegetable/fruits diet: Physiological echocardiographic and blood analysis findings

Endurance sport required healthy and balanced diet. This case report presents the findings of an ultra triathlete (three times Ironman with 11.4 km swimming, 540 km cycling and 126 km running in 41 hours 18 minutes) living and finished competitions based on vegan raw diet. To this end, the vegan ultra triathlete and a control group of 10 Ironman triathletes of similar age living on a mixed diet were investigated, using echocardiography and spiroergometry. In addition, blood samples were taken from the vegan athlete both in the sporting season and in the off-season. The vegan athlete showed no signs of dietary deficiencies or impaired health. In comparison with the control group, the vegan athlete showed a higher oxygen intake at the respiratory compensation point. This case demonstrates that even top-class sporting performance, like that of a three times Ironman, is possible on a vegan diet. Whether a vegan diet offers advantages or disadvantages for the performance of endurance athletes remains an open question.