SCIENTIFIC STUDY: Diet of Kenyan Athletes - Scientific StudyTitle: Food and Macronutrient Intake of Elite Kenyan Distance Runners

, By: Onywera, V. O., Kiplamai, F. K., Tuitoek, P. J., Boit, M. K., Pitsiladis, Y. P., Published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism RESEARCH: Diet of the Kenyan marathon and endurance distance runners. The subjects in the present study (Kenyan elite distance runners) consumed a diet with a variety of foods, mainly of vegetable origin. ( Elite athletes were 99% vegetarian). This study is in agreement with other published dietary studies of endurance athletes from other countries(5,6). (Tarahumara indians 96% vegetarian, Ethiopians 95% vegetarian) The staple foods--bread, boiled rice, boiled potatoes, porridge, cabbage, sugar, kidney beans, milk, and ugali (corn)-collectively accounting for 88% of total diet and energy intake, with meat (i.e., mainly beef - tiny portion and barely 4x a week) comprising only about 1% of total energy intake in the diet. This high contribution from vegetable sources is very similar to the 90% previously reported(5,6) [In other Kenyan studies]. The macronutrient distribution of the energy intake in the current study [carbs, protein, fat] is also very similar to the two previous studies: CHO 71%(5), 78%(4), 77% (current study); fat 15%, 9%, 13%; protein 15%, 13%, 10%, respectively. [A 77-13-10 diet, or approximately an 80-10-10 type plant-based diet. High carb, high grain, low fat, low protein, 99% vegetarian diet resulted in top record-breaking athletes.] Despite the number of foods, [and those of plant origin, vegetarian runners diet] there was No evidence of any malnourishment at the micronutrient level in these studies and the foods were generally considered to be of high nutritional quality. CONCLUSION: The diet of elite Kenyan runners met recommendations for endurance athletes for CHO, fat, and protein intake, but not for energy (i.e., negative energy balance) and fluid intake. It remains to be determined if dietary modifications in terms of energy balance and fluid intake will further enhance the performance of elite Kenyan runners.

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