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Sam Kosmacki

Ms. Bowman

Sports Nutrition

17 February 2020

Gluten-Free Diets in Nonceliac Athletes

Gluten-free diets are an up-and-coming health trend, especially in athletes, but why do

nonceliac athletes partake in a lifestyle as such? If individuals do not have any sort of gluten

sensitivity, then why do they find it necessary to remove it from their diet? Researchers are

starting to explore all of these questions. It is becoming a more popular topic with limited data at

the moment, but I had the opportunity to explore current research. Learning about the effects and

prevalence of gluten-free diets in nonceliac athletes is something that is important to me because

it has an impact on my lifestyle as well as others around me.

Go Gluten-Free Diets for Athletes and Active People is an article that provides information

on what gluten is and how it impacts the human body. Over the past 10 years, “gluten-free

products” have increased by 110% (Harris, M. M., & Meyer, N., 2013, p. 22). This astounding

statistic can be seen all around us; in grocery stores, restaurants, and other locations that sell

foods. The author writes that athletes are starting “GF diets under the idea that the diet provides

health benefits and improved athletic performance” (Harris, M. M., & Meyer, N., 2013, p. 22).

This statement does not have enough research to back it up and is considered to be anecdotal; it

is not true based on scientific information. Gluten is found in many products including, bread,

pasta, and preservatives. An issue that may arise with removing this type of protein from your

diet is that gluten-free foods are “energy dense but not necessarily nutrient dense (Harris, M. M.,

& Meyer, N., 2013, p. 24). With this being said, it is important that individuals find other foods
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to meet their daily nutrient requirements. In addition to exploring what gluten is, it is also

important to look at how people think it impacts their health.

Exploring the Popularity, Experiences, and Beliefs Surrounding Gluten-Free Diets in

Nonceliac Athletes focuses more on the way individuals think and their beliefs about the gluten-

free diet. In this survey and analysis, researchers used athletes, both men and women, with

varying skill levels to perform this study. These athletes completed an online survey, which

consisted of questions about the popularity of gluten-free diets in athletes, demographics, how

closely these athletes follow the diet, symptoms associated with eating gluten, beliefs in how this

diet affects performance, and what sources individuals get their information from (Lis, D. M.,

Stellingwerff, T., Shing, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J. W, 2015, p. 38). I am skeptical of

online surveys because you cannot guarantee that everyone is being completely honest in their

responses. Despite this, the article did provide us with great details in the responses of the

participants. About 5-10% of the population actually benefits from the gluten-free diet, which is

a much smaller percentage than the number of individuals that participate in it (Lis, D. M.,

Stellingwerff, T., Shing, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J. W, 2015, p. 43). This means that there

is a large number of people that follow this diet, but do not medically benefit from it. This

outcome did not surprise me because as an athlete myself and reading through different sources

such as media and news articles, it is apparent that many current athletes have been trying diet

changes. I believe that there are numerous nonreliable sources that athletes are referring to,

leading them to false information. One way to remedy this is to perform more research on the

topic and keep providing updated information to individuals. My stance on this subject thus far is

that there are possible benefits for nonceliac athletes going gluten-free, but it does not seem to be

a necessary diet. I believe that individuals should not completely remove gluten from their daily
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intake of food unless they have celiac disease. Additionally, I do not think there is sufficient

evidence to back up beliefs such as that it enhances athletic performance. I am extremely

interested in this topic and predict that in the future, researchers will find results that support

gluten-free diets in few athletes. There is not enough data and research yet to determine all of the

effects of this study. This peer reviewed article is still important because it could lead to further

research on the topic. When more data and statistics are combined, I think we will be able to find

all of the health benefits and what types of individuals can truly benefit from it. Overall, I think

this text provided strong research and was informative. It is a reliable source and can be

advantageous to future research.

Another peer reviewed article that explores this topic is No Effects of a Short-Term Gluten-

free Diet on Performance  in Nonceliac Athletes. The purpose of this research “was to

investigate the effects of a gluten-free diet (GFD) on exercise performance, gastrointestinal (GI)

symptoms, perceived well-being, intestinal injury, and inflammatory responses in nonceliac

athletes” (Lis, D., Stellingwerff, T., Kitic, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J, 2015, p. 2563).

Essentially, it looks at every effect a gluten-free diet could have on an individual. The

researchers hypothesized that a seven-day diet would not have an impact on performance in

“nonceliac athletes.” This questionnaire-based study was done on “thirteen competitive cyclists”

of multiple sexes and ages (Lis, D., Stellingwerff, T., Kitic, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J,

2015, p. 2564). Throughout the study, participants had to answer questions through

questionnaires and were provided with food to keep the study standardized. The blood results

revealed “no significant differences between males or females for any of the variables measured”

Lis, D., Stellingwerff, T., Kitic, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J, 2015, p. 2566). The main

reasons for athletes going on a gluten-free diet are that they believe it is healthier and some self-
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diagnose themselves with a form of a gluten condition. This was a short-term study so the results

may differ in a longer period, but overall, there was no positive or negative effects of eliminating

gluten from the cyclists’ diets. I found this article to be significant because it showed a study on

a specific population and the procedures provided us with clarifying data.

Overall, research and findings thus far prove that there is not enough information and

statistics to back up the benefits of gluten-free diets in nonceliac athletes. At this point in the

studies, it is best if athletes only partake in this lifestyle if recommended by doctors or

physicians. Due to the fact that there is not enough data to support true advantages, individuals

should not start this diet on their own. A few pros of going gluten-free are that it may make you

think you feel better or healthier and that you are performing better. On the other hand, some

cons are that you are removing nutrients out of your daily intake, food options are more limited,

and food tends to be more expensive. To this day, studies show that there is not enough

evidence-based scientific data to prove the necessity of a gluten-free diet in nonceliac athletes. In

my opinion, I do not think anyone should go on a gluten-free diet unless a doctor or physician

has told them to do so. If they do go on it, it is important that they find other ways of consuming

the necessary daily nutrients. This research study taught me so much about gluten-free diets, how

they make people feel, and the scientific data that has been analyzed so far. I would like to see

more studies done on a gluten-free diet in nonceliac athletes because it is something that could

affect myself and others in my life. To conclude, there is not enough research to prove that

gluten-free diets are beneficial to the health and performance of nonceliac athletes.
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References

Harris, M. M., & Meyer, N. (2013). Go Gluten-Free. ACSMs Health & Fitness Journal, 17(1), 22–26.
doi: 10.1249/fit.0b013e3182798371

Lis, D., Stellingwerff, T., Kitic, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J. (2015). No Effects of a Short-Term
Gluten-free Diet on Performance in Nonceliac Athletes. Medicine & Science in Sports &
Exercise, 47(12), 2563–2570. doi: 10.1249/mss.0000000000000699

Lis, D. M., Stellingwerff, T., Shing, C. M., Ahuja, K. D. K., & Fell, J. W. (2015). Exploring the
Popularity, Experiences, and Beliefs Surrounding Gluten-Free Diets in Nonceliac Athletes.
International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 25(1), 37–45.
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0247