Marius Baranauskas1, Rimantas Stukas2, Linas Tubelis3, Kęstutis Žagminas2, Genė Šurkienė2, Edmundas Švedas4, Vincentas Rolandas Giedraitis2, Valerij Dobrovolskij2, Jonas Algis Abaravičius5. 1. Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Lithuanian Olympic Sports Center, Vilnius, Lithuania. Electronic address: marius.baranauskas9@gmail.com. 2. Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. 3. Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Scientific Sports Institute, Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, Vilnius, Lithuania. 4. Lithuanian Sports Medicine Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania. 5. Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: For athletes, the main purpose of nutrition is to ensure the compensation of increased energy consumption and the need for nutrients in the athlete's body, thereby enabling maximum adaptation to physical loads. The aim of this study was to determine the habits of highly trained endurance athletes depending on sports type, sex and age in order to improve the planning and management of the training of athletes using targeted measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2009-2012, the dietary habits of 146 endurance athletes were analyzed. The actual diet of Lithuania endurance athletes was investigated using a 24-h dietary survey method. Data on the athletes' actual diet were collected for the previous day. RESULTS: It was found that 80.8% of endurance athletes used lower-than-recommended amounts of carbohydrates in their diet, and more than 70% of athletes used higher-than-recommended levels of fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol. The diet of female athletes was low in carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, and zinc. Athletes aged 14-18 years tended to consume quantities of protein that were either lower than recommended or excessive. CONCLUSIONS: The diet of highly trained endurance athletes does not fully meet their requirements and in this situation cannot ensure maximum adaptation to very intense and/or long-duration physical loads. The diet of highly trained endurance athletes must be optimized, adjusted and individualized. Particular attention should be focused on female athletes.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: For athletes, the main purpose of nutrition is to ensure the compensation of increased energy consumption and the need for nutrients in the athlete's body, thereby enabling maximum adaptation to physical loads. The aim of this study was to determine the habits of highly trained endurance athletes depending on sports type, sex and age in order to improve the planning and management of the training of athletes using targeted measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2009-2012, the dietary habits of 146 endurance athletes were analyzed. The actual diet of Lithuania endurance athletes was investigated using a 24-h dietary survey method. Data on the athletes' actual diet were collected for the previous day. RESULTS: It was found that 80.8% of endurance athletes used lower-than-recommended amounts of carbohydrates in their diet, and more than 70% of athletes used higher-than-recommended levels of fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol. The diet of female athletes was low in carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, and zinc. Athletes aged 14-18 years tended to consume quantities of protein that were either lower than recommended or excessive. CONCLUSIONS: The diet of highly trained endurance athletes does not fully meet their requirements and in this situation cannot ensure maximum adaptation to very intense and/or long-duration physical loads. The diet of highly trained endurance athletes must be optimized, adjusted and individualized. Particular attention should be focused on female athletes.
Authors: Catarina L Nunes; Catarina N Matias; Diana A Santos; José P Morgado; Cristina P Monteiro; Mónica Sousa; Cláudia S Minderico; Paulo M Rocha; Marie-Pierre St-Onge; Luís B Sardinha; Analiza M Silva Journal: Medicina (Kaunas) Date: 2018-05-30 Impact factor: 2.430
Authors: Anna Książek; Aleksandra Zagrodna; Małgorzata Słowińska-Lisowska Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-11-18 Impact factor: 3.390