Pros and Cons of a Vegetarian Diet for Athletes

A vegetarian diet can be healthy, but education is essential for those nutrients that require special attention. 

I often meet with a female teenage athlete and learn that she’s a vegetarian. It’s less common in middle-aged and older athletes and in men, in my experience, but I get those too. Sometimes these athletes understand the requirements of a healthy vegetarian diet, but sometimes they don’t – and their health and athletic performance are suffering.  Since education is the key to a healthy vegetarian meal plan, athletes improve their performance pretty quickly once they know what they’re doing. Read on for the pros and cons of a vegetarian diet for an athlete.

What is a vegetarian diet? 

A vegetarian diet excludes meat, so beef, pork, chicken, turkey, game and (maybe) fish/shellfish. There are several subtypes of vegetarians.  A lacto-vegetarian includes milk and dairy products. An ovo-vegetarian includes eggs.  A lacto-ovo-vegetarian contains both dairy and eggs.  Some people feel that pesco-vegetarians are a category as well, and they include fish.  Vegans include zero animal products at all in their diets.

A “healthy,” well-rounded vegetarian diet includes whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, chick peas, soy), fruits, veggies, nuts* and seeds.  An “unhealthy” vegetarian diet is mac-n-cheese, French fries, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and snack foods.  The healthy diet provides protein from the grains and legumes, plus whatever dairy and eggs the athlete consumes.  An unhealthy vegetarian diet is often low in protein and consists mainly of processed and junk food.

Pros:

1. A well-planned vegetarian diet provides essential nutrients and can support an athlete in training. Well-planned is the key adjective here.  Education is key to a successful vegetarian diet.
2. All of the six types of foods included in a healthy vegetarian diet have plenty of fiber, which leads to gut health, regular bowel habits, and maintained or improved gut microbiota.
3. There are so many cuisines with vegetarian options, so if an athlete likes variety, it’s there!
4. Vegetarians often have lower rates of chronic diseases.  The diet won’t affect genetic causes of disease, nor reduce bad luck.
5. Protein sources for a vegetarian diet are less expensive than meat.

Cons:

1. A vegetarian diet might indicate disordered eating. If an athlete is cutting out foods, it pays to know exactly why they’re doing so.
2. A poorly planned vegetarian diet does not supply all nutrients. If an athlete thinks they can just eat PB&J, they need to get help.  I’ll repeat myself: education is key to a successful vegetarian diet.  A poorly planned vegetarian diet is about on par with the Standard American Diet (SAD).  The SAD is low in fiber, protein and some nutrients, and high in sugar, which is really not so great and very sad indeed.

Nutrients to watch:

1. Protein is a problem, especially isolated protein sources.  When most of one’s protein comes from beans and grains, one must eat a significant amount of those beans and grains to get adequate protein.  That is a huge deterrent when beans are known to cause gas.  Also, if an athlete needs supplemental protein, they’re dependent on supplements.
2. Iron deficiency and anemia can be massive problems, especially for pre-menopausal women and endurance athletes. The most absorbable form of iron is attached to a heme molecule and is found in animal foods.  That leaves non-heme iron, which is blocked from absorption by a variety of plant compounds.  Absorption rates of vegetarian iron sources are very low.
3. Zinc and magnesium are found in legumes, whole grains and nuts and seeds. If you’re not eating theose foods, you’re not getting your zinc and magnesium. Together they’re responsible for growth and maturation, reducing oxidative stress and burning carbohydrates and fat for energy.
4. Calcium and vitamin D are necessary for strong bones. An athlete should consume about 8 servings of calcium containing vegetables every day, and make sure those vegetables are low in compounds that block calcium absorption.  Vitamin D isn’t found in many foods unless they’re fortified, but humans make it in their skin with sunlight.  If an athlete trains inside year round, they might not build up their vitamin D stores in the summer.
5. Vitamin B-12 is found exclusively in animal products and nutritional yeast.
6. Iodine comes from sea vegetables and plant foods grown in soil with high iodine levels. If the produce, grains and legumes a vegetarian consumes grow in soil that is not high in iodine, iodine levels in those foods will be low.  Sedimentary soils contain higher levels of iodine than igneous soils.

Options for ensuring a healthy vegetarian menu:

1. Get educated.
2. Consume a range of foods that are included in a healthy vegetarian diet: whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
3. Use fortified foods where needed. Calcium can come from fortified orange juice, or one can consume iodized salt.
4. Supplement when necessary. This is a personal decision and the supplements needed are person-specific.

*If you’re allergic to nuts, please avoid nuts! I’m talking about an aggregate, population level diet, not about a specific person.

Are you a vegetarian or thinking about becoming a vegetarian and you want to have a healthy vegetarian diet? Contact Dr. Schubert here! Need more info on iron? Find it here. Curious about whether or not you can justify chocolate? You can!

If you’re a vegetarian that understands the basics of the diet but aren’t implementing them to your satisfaction, consider some Nutrition Coaching to help you get on track!