we examine physiological effects of plant-based diets that present potential safety and performance advantages in endurance sports. These include improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, improved blood flow, leaner body composition, reduced oxidative stress, reduced inflammation, and improved glycogen storage, among others. Several studies have shown that plant-based dietary patterns have particular benefits for heart health. A low-fat, vegetarian diet, along with other healthful lifestyle changes, has been shown to reverse arterial plaque. Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians are 32% less likely to develop coronary heart disease. In this review, the terms "plant-based" and "vegan" will be used interchangeably to refer to a diet without animal-derived products. Variants of vegan diets, e.g., vegetarian diets that may include dairy products or eggs, will be identified when relevant.
