How can an athlete benefit from a vegetarian diet?

I am curious if there are any benefits from being on a diet such as this one? Any websites I can go to?

.NO WAY ... Need a balance diet ----carbs for quick energy BUT meat protein and fat for stamina. Don't be fooled

I'm nowhere close to being an athlete but I do know some who are vegetarian/vegan and they say it's helped them improve their athletic performance.

There are many vegan athletes out there, Carl Lewis being the most mentioned one in this area.

because eating red meat makes you tired faster

People like Carl Lewis and Brenden Brazier noted that vegetable protein tends to be consumed more easily and recovery is better.

Professor Chittenden of Yale University wrote a book about protein requirement which can be found at the below link (as it is around 100 years old). His studies compared meat and vegetable protein for people including athletic and military personnel. His conclusions were similar to what Carl Lewis and Brenden Brazier noted, that vegetable protein was at least as good if not better for fitness.

http://www.archive.org/details/physiolog...

I'm not sure. I'm considered athletic and I maintain a moderate, well-balanced diet with meditation. Being athletic involves all parts of the human being, IMO--body, mind and spirit. When you look at the best athletes in the world, you will find very few vegetarians among them. I don't see vegetarianism as any more of a benefit than a well-planned, well-balanced moderate diet.

By not constantly hampering the body with chronic saturated fat consumption.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lewis

'Lewis credits his outstanding 1991 results in part to the vegan diet he adopted in 1990.'

theres this lot too:
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=g...

dont believe the hype, both vegetarian and vegan diets are not only completely sustainable but beneficial too.

'Research has shown that a low fat,vegetarian diet can reduce the chance of cardiovascular disease and may also reverse conditions such as restriction of the blood vessels or "clogging."'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_disea...

pumping oxygen to muscles is a vital component of athletic performance, anything that benefits the heart will help performance.