Nutritional status of adventure racers

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2007-05, Vol.23 (5), p.404-411
• Main Authors: Zalcman, Ioná, M.S, Guarita, Heloisa Vidigal, R.D, Juzwiak, Claudia Ridel, Ph.D, Crispim, Cibele Aparecida, M.S, Antunes, Hanna Karen Moreira, Ph.D, Edwards, Ben, Ph.D, Tufik, Sérgio, Ph.D, de Mello, Marco Túlio, Ph.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adventure race; adventure racing; Athletes; athletic performance; biochemical pathways; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood Chemical Analysis; blood sampling; body composition; Body Composition - physiology; Cholesterol; Colleges & universities; diet; Diet Records; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; energy intake; Energy Intake - physiology; Fatigue; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Females; Food; Food intake; food records; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Humans; Lipoproteins; Magnesium; Male; men; Minerals - blood; nutrient reserves; nutrition assessment; Nutritional Requirements; Nutritional Sciences - education; Nutritional Status; optimal nutrition; Physical Endurance - physiology; Plethysmography; Sex Characteristics; sports nutrition; strength training; Training; Ultraendurance; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamins; Vitamins - blood; women
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2007.01.001

Abstract Objective We describe the usual food intake, body composition, and biochemical profile of adventure racers during their training season and evaluate their energy and nutrient intake in relation to current recommendations for ultraendurance athletes. Methods Twenty-four adventure race athletes (18 men and 6 women), 24 to 42 y of age, participated in the study. Food intake was determined with a 3-d food record and body composition by plethysmography. Blood samples were obtained from all subjects for biochemical analyses. All assessments were made during the usual training phase. Results Female athletes had a higher body fat percentage than did male athletes (20.2 ± 5.7% versus 12.5 ± 3.5%). For men and women, food intake was high in protein (1.9 ± 0.5 g/kg in men, 2.0 ± 0.4 g/kg in women) and fat (1.6 ± 0.3 g/kg in men, 1.5 ± 1.3 g/kg in women). Carbohydrate intake of male athletes was at the lower limit of that recommended (5.9 ± 1.8 g/kg). For most vitamins and minerals, athletes’ intake was adequate, with the exception of magnesium, zinc, and potassium in men and women and vitamin E and calcium in women, which presented a high probability of being inadequate compared with reference values. High blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were found in female athletes (201.0 ± 44.7 and 104.1 ± 43.1 mg/dL, respectively) and all other biochemical analyses were within normal reference values. Conclusion The adventure racers presented an inadequate nutritional profile when compared with recommendations for endurance exercise. These athletes need to be educated about consuming an adequate diet to meet the nutritional needs of their activity.