Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes - Plant-Based Edition

I recently recorded a podcast with my colleague debunking a lot of the information in the documentary, “The Game Changers.”

As a registered dietitian, I find it’s my job to spread awareness about the importance of sports nutrition education for young athletes as they are extremely impressionable. But what makes this part of my job difficult are sports nutrition articles, documentaries, social media pages and posts that spread misinformation or biased information. Plant-based, vegetarian and vegan diets go in and out of style, but I don’t think there’s always consideration for daily nutritional requirements for athletes in mind before making the switch.

So before making the switch, here are some sports nutrition facts to consider:

Protein

While the daily nutritional requirements for athletes (when it comes to protein) are lower than an adult’s, it’s important to remember that protein is a crucial nutrient for growth and development. There are certain building blocks of protein that the body cannot make and need to come from food. All animal proteins have these essential building blocks, but most plant proteins do not. And while being strategic and planning ahead can absolutely allow for adequate protein intake from plant sources, I’d bet that most child athlete meal plans don’t include tofu, quinoa, or lots of vegetables. Not to mention that as a busy student athlete or parent probably aren’t going to take the time to make sure each meal has all the essential nutrients by combining specific plant-based proteins. It’s not impossible and it absolutely can be done, but it does take work to do it right.

Volume

Among sports nutrition articles talking about the benefits of plant-based diets, I don’t think there are many that mention the volume of food, especially protein, that has to be eaten in order to meet daily nutritional requirements or to compare to animal-based sources of protein. On average, the protein intake for adult vegan athletes is only 83 g/day. That’s anywhere from 30-40% BELOW protein requirements. And in order to reach those requirements, that will take a larger volume of food from plant-protein sources than animal. I’d also like to mention that if those plant proteins are high in fiber, that increases fullness and will make getting enough protein even more difficult. Again, with a strategic plan it can be done, but it is not as easy as people make it seem. 

Lack of Variety

When you look at a child athlete’s meal plan or typical daily nutritional intake, most of the time there is little variety. A child’s palette is not as extensive as an adult’s, and often protein sources are the hardest to make a child eat more of because they’re less palatable than carbs and fats. To any of my athletes that choose to partake in a plant-based diet, I stress the importance of variety not only from protein sources but in general to maximize amino acid and micronutrient intake. Lack of variety is a huge reason for nutritional deficiencies in a plant-based diet. 

Ultimately, I want to emphasize the importance of sports nutrition education in young athletes. At such an impressionable age, sports nutrition articles, nutrition documentaries and influencers on social media hold so much power, but don’t always show the full picture. I am not discouraging athletes from becoming plant-based, but rather showing that it is not just making the choice and cutting out meat. There has to be a plan and strategy in place to ensure essential nutrients are being consumed, otherwise health and performance will suffer. And that’s the last thing we want!

For more of my thoughts on plant-based diets and a review of “The Game Changers” documentary, listen to this podcast episode. 

- Claire Igoe MS, RD