While many use risk of fractures and lower bone mineral density against adopting a plant-based diet, recent study from Austria shows that people on a plant-based diet who strength trains have bones just as strong as people on an omnivorous diet and stronger than those on a plant-based diet that do not strength train.

The investigators compared data from 43 men and women on a plant-based diet for at least five years and 45 men and woman on an omnivorous diet for at least five years.

That found that those who are on a strictly plant-based diet who did resistance and strength training such as using machines, free-weights, or bodyweight exercises at least once a week had stronger bones than those on a plant-based diet who did not engage in those activities.

Comparing those with different diets, the plant-based diet group that also strength trained had similar bone structures as those on an omnivorous diet.

“People who adhere to a vegan lifestyle should perform resistance training on a regular basis to preserve bone strength,” concluded author Christian Muschitz.

Poor bone-health is actually a not good argument against a plant-based diet because for the most part, a sedentary lifestyle is going to lead to poor bone-health and no one should be living a sedentary lifestyle and everyone should be strength training anyways.

Their study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

R Wakolbinger-Habel et al. Self-reported resistance training is associated with better HR-pQCT derived bone microarchitecture in vegan people. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2022). DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac445