Ultramarathoners push their bodies to the limit, running for hours or days at a time to complete hundreds of miles on foot. Obviously, powerhouse nutrition is a requirement to keep the body running efficiently. So it might come as a surprise to some that a considered vegan diet can meet those needs. Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek spoke—and ran—with The New York Times’ Mark Bittman, addressing not only the sport itself but the power of the vegan diet he follows.
Jurek is preparing for the 2010 24-Hour-Run world championship with a goal of breaking the American record of 162 miles. His training weeks include 140 miles or more, with runs of 40 miles plus interval training to prepare for grueling races. And he has found consuming enough calories—5,000 to 8,000 a day—isn’t a problem if you plan ahead and understand the link between nutrition and health.
“The whole issue,” he told Bittman, “is exactly that: getting enough calories. The first thing to worry about isn’t so much what you eat, but how much you eat. You have to take the time to sit at the table and make sure your calorie count is high enough. And when you’re a vegan, to increase your calories as you increase training you need more food. This isn’t an elimination diet but an inclusion diet.”
Jurek follows a high-carbohydrate diet with appropriate amounts of protein and fat. Breakfast starts out with a high-calorie nutrient-dense smoothie—think oil, nuts, berries and protein powder—into lunches and dinners of salads, whole grains, potatoes and legumes. He noted most long-distance runners are fairly vegetarian-focused while racing as the body doesn’t digest protein or fat well under those circumstances.