Athletes often look at nutritional strategies as a way to improve their performance. A vegetarian diet can be a successful strategy for athletes, but it requires a significant amount of planning.[1]
One of the first concerns is protein intake. Athletes may need higher protein intakes than the general population, but this is easily achieved with a carefully planned diet.[2][3] Vegetarian diets tend to have higher carbohydrate intakes compared to omnivorous diets, and this can actually be of benefit to some athletes, especially in endurance sports.[1] For female athletes, it is important to plan ahead, because an insufficient intake of calories and fats in people who are highly active can interrupt the menstrual cycle.[1][4]
Overall, it seems that a vegetarian diet can support athletic performance, but is not superior to an omnivorous diet. To ensure that the athlete receives a nutritionally complete diet, careful planning of calorie intake, protein intake, and micronutrient intake is important.[5][6]