Should Athletes Diet?

Teen athletes have very unique nutritional needs. Because athletes workout various times a day for a good period of time, they generally need to eat extra calories to fuel both their performance and their growth. Depending on how active they are, they can ingest anywhere from 2,000 - 5,000 calories. If an athletes does not eat enough calories in a day, they are less likely to reach their peak performance and may break down their muscle mass instead of building them up.

QUESTION: Since athletes require more calories to reach their peak performance, is it a good idea for athletes to diet?