THE
VEGETARIAN ATHLETE
Some athletes choose to
follow vegetarian diets. Nutrition recommendations
for these athletes should be formulated with consideration of the
effects of
both vegetarianism and exercise. The position of the American Dietetic
Association on vegetarian diets (147) provides appropriate dietary
guidance that
should be considered in conjunction with the information provided
herein.
Vegetarianism does not
necessarily affect energy needs, though energy
availability could be reduced slightly if a vegetarian has an extremely
high
fiber intake. As with all athletes, monitoring body weight and
composition is
the preferred means of determining if energy needs are satisfied. Some
people‹especially
women‹may switch to vegetarianism as a means of restricting energy
intake to
attain the lean body habitus favored in some sports. Occasionally, this
may be a
step toward development of an eating disorder (148). Because of this
association, coaches and trainers should be alert when an athlete
becomes
vegetarian, and ensure that appropriate weight is maintained.
Studies consistently report
that vegetarians have lower protein intakes than
omnivores. Although the protein quality of a vegetarian diet is
adequate for
adults (2,51,149), plant proteins are not as well-digested as animal
proteins
(2). Thus, to adjust for incomplete digestion, an increase of about 10%
in the
amount consumed may be made (2). Accordingly, recommended protein
intakes for
vegetarian athletes would be about 1.3 to 1.8 g/kg body weight, using
recommendations for athletes as a baseline (53,54,57). Vegetarian
athletes with
relatively low energy intakes may need to choose foods carefully to
ensure that
their protein intakes are consistent with these recommendations.
Vegetarian athletes may be at
risk for low intakes of vitamins B-12 and D,
riboflavin, iron, calcium, and zinc, because many of these nutrients
are high in
animal products. Iron is a nutrient that may be of particular concern
to
vegetarian athletes. Because of the lower bioavailability of iron in
plant-based
diets, the iron stores in vegetarians are generally lower than those of
omnivores, despite total iron intakes that are similar or even higher
(150).
When combined with data indicating that exercise may increase iron
requirements,
it is possible that vegetarian athletes, especially women, may be at
greater
risk of developing poor iron status. Accordingly, it would be prudent
for iron
status to be monitored routinely in female vegetarian athletes.
CARBOHYDRATES: How Much?;
Nutrition and Performance:PART
1;
Nutrition For Active Adults PART
2, Energy Needs: PART
3, Body Composition: PART
4, Carbs, Fat, Protein, REFERENCES
