Vegetarianism and Exercise

Vegetarian diets are common among athletes. A balanced vegetarian diet, meaning one guided by thoughtful and informed food choices, certainly may meet the needs of athletes and even be the foundation for some healthful lifelong habits. For young athletes, however, because growth is still occurring, the priority is to provide enough calories and nutrients for optimal growth and development while still supporting higher activity needs. This entry discusses the vegetarian diet as it relates to sports nutrition.

Individuals choose vegetarianism for a wide variety of reasons. Some of these include ...