4. Discussion
This pilot study aimed to obtain initial findings on the influence of a change to a plant-based diet on the strength capacity of trained individuals. At the present time, no data are available on this topic to the authors’ knowledge, especially for the period of an acute dietary change.Based on the results, it seems that a change in diet does not influence the absolute strength capacity in the lower and upper body if the total calorie requirement and carbohydrate content are covered. However, a clear difference in the absolute and relative protein intake was detected. Additionally, a dietary change seems to have a trivial influence on the body weight and BMI during the first 8 weeks in physically active persons.With the assumption that a plant-based diet is associated with a healthier lifestyle, more and more people, including athletes, are changing their diets and reducing or avoiding animal-based foods [Besides the important new findings from this study, it also has some limitations. Due to the sample size, the significance of the effects on the individual parameters is limited and must therefore be considered as a pilot project. Additionally, the data collected are mainly based on the athletes’ self-documented food diaries and probably does not reflect their actual intake. However, this bias is present in all phases of the study and in previous studies, so this can be partially neglected. Furthermore, no conclusions can be made about the influence on the fat or fat-free mass. In addition, the majority of the population was female, so in future studies, the menstrual cycle of the participants should be considered to identify possible correlations between physical performance, dietary habits, and the hormonal system. However, for neither of the two biological sexes is the sample size sufficient to be able to make clear statements. However, no gender-specific difference could be observed in the individual courses either. Nevertheless, the results of this study provide important initial indications about athletically active individuals and their performance.