Quality Of Life Of Female And Male Vegetarian And Vegan Endurance Runners Compared To Omnivores – Results From The NURMI Study(1)

Researchers conducted a study called NURMI (Nutrition and Running High Mileage) to examine whether dietary choices affect quality of life among endurance runners. They compared 281 recreational runners - 158 following vegetarian or vegan diets and 123 eating omnivorous (meat-including) diets. The participants included both men and women running various distances from 10km races to marathons and ultramarathons.

The study used a well-established questionnaire called WHOQOL-BREF to measure quality of life across four key areas: physical health, psychological wellbeing, social relationships, and environment. Overall, all runners reported high quality of life scores regardless of their dietary approach. Men generally scored higher than women, particularly in physical health and psychological wellbeing categories.

Interestingly, the researchers found only minor differences between dietary groups. Omnivorous female runners had slightly different environmental scores, while omnivorous male runners showed small differences in social relationship scores compared to their plant-based counterparts. However, these differences were minimal, suggesting that both dietary approaches can support good quality of life in active individuals.

For patients interested in metabolic health and longevity, this research suggests that well-planned plant-based diets don't compromise wellbeing in physically active people. In clinical practice, this supports individualized nutrition counseling that respects patient preferences while ensuring adequate nutrient intake, particularly for those combining dietary changes with regular exercise as part of their health optimization strategy.