I am concerned about student-athletes who are vegetarians. Are they getting what they need for optimal performance? I am especially concerned that they may not be getting enough protein.
- Brendon

I understand your concerns about a restricted diet. Athletes require more energy and nutrients than non-athletes, so any diet, whether it’s vegetarian, non-vegetarian or vegan needs to supply enough energy and nutrients to aid the body’s recovery and repair. We tend to think mainly in terms of protein requirements, however calcium, iron and B vitamins are also important.

There’s a big difference between a healthy vegetarian diet and a non-healthy vegetarian diet. Google ‘vegetarian athletes’ and you’ll find a long list of successful sports people. Most of it comes down to good planning and meal preparation. Busy students lack the time to prepare good nourishing meals and the difficulty arises when they start eating a lot of high fat refined foods that are cheap or quick but not very healthy.  It’s relatively easy to get enough protein and calcium if you eat dairy foods and eggs but a vegan will find it more of a struggle. Some may need to use a meal replacement shake or bar containing protein to complete their diet.

Coaches need to discuss eating with their athletes, perhaps get them to keep a food diary for a while. All meals should be based around complex carbohydrates, a protein source and vegetables. There are a variety of vegetarian proteins available. The biggest problem I find with young athletes is that they don’t eat enough complex carbohydrates in the first half of the day and they don’t drink enough water. It would be a good idea to take a multivitamin for nutritional insurance and if they are not sure about their diet, seek professional advice.