

It has been proven that diet influences athletic performance and a vegetarian diet is able to supply all of the energy and nutrients that athletes need to successfully complete their next workout or competition.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a vegetarian diet is nutritionally sufficient for all stages of life and also for athletes. However, if you are a vegetarian athlete, it may require slightly more planning of your meals to get the necessary nutrients your body needs. Careful attention needs to be given to several different nutrients, such as protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12.

In many countries of the world where food is limited, vegetarianism is a necessity. Where food is plentiful, people choose vegetarianism for many different reasons. They choose this type of diet because of religious beliefs, concern for the environment, their concerns for cruelty to animals and/or for health reasons.

Although most vegetarians share a common practice of not consuming meat and meat products, they differ in specific dietary practices. Lacto-ovo vegetarians consume animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs. Vegans consume no animal-based ingredients. Some people consume a flexitarian diet, avoiding red meat but occasionally eating very small amounts of animal products such as pork, chicken or fish.

Vegetarian diets are linked to various health benefits including decreased incidence of heart disease, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of type 2 diabetes and lower body mass index. These benefits are a result of increased consumption of whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and beans and their associated beneficial nutrients – fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (compounds in plants).

Most vegetarian diets are able to meet the nutritional needs of athletes if they include an extensive variety of foods. The following suggestions can help ensure that you perform at your best possible ability.

• Protein: Vegetarians who include milk products and eggs in their diet can easily meet their protein needs and other essential nutrients but must be careful to choose low-fat dairy products and limit eggs to avoid excess saturated fat and cholesterol.

Since grains, vegetables and legumes (dried beans and peas) all provide protein, vegetarians and vegans who eat a variety of foods can also meet their protein needs easily. Although most plant sources do not contain complete proteins, eating complementary plant protein sources during the same day adequately meets the athlete’s needs for protein production. This would entail combining grains with beans, such as rice and beans, bread and split-pea soup, tofu and brown rice or corn bread and chili with kidney beans.

• Iron: Plant foods contain a form of iron called non-heme iron that is not as well absorbed as the heme iron found in animal foods. Consequently, vegetarians must include more iron-rich foods in their diets. Good sources of non-heme iron include whole grains, leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens), pistachios, cashews, chickpeas, dried apricots, sesame seeds and tahini.

Vitamin C and other compounds in fruits and vegetables aid iron absorption in the body. So it is a good idea to consume a combination of foods at each meal. Try to eat citrus foods with an iron-fortified whole-grain cereal or have a citrus fruit with beans.


