Collegiate Athlete Runner Study CARS: A Longitudinal Analysis of Dietary Intake in Comparison with Dietary Recommendations for Athletes
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Little is known about dietary intakes in female endurance runners over the course of a competition year.Diet periodization is a relatively new concept that may decrease injury rates and prevent long-term illness.Objectives: This study examines nutrition adequacy of female endurance athletes' dietary intakes (e.g., energy intake (EI), energy availability (EA), macronutrients, vitamin D, calcium, and iron) across a competitive year relative the nutrients of concern.Methods: This longitudinal study used three lab visits (pre-training, mid-training, and postrace/event) with female distance runners.Each lab visit included anthropometry, dual x-ray absorptiometry (iDXA), a modified activity questionnaire (MAQ), a three-day food record, and Vioscreen food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).Dietary intake was measured using an average of nutrients in the food record (evaluated in ESHA) and the Vioscreen FFQ.These values were compared to the current recommendations for sport.Statistical analyses consisted of the Wilcoxon matched paired sign rank test (SPSS version 25.0) to examine the frequency of runners meeting various nutritional guidelines across visits and Proc Glimmix linear modeling (SAS version 9.0) to evaluate the nutritional intakes across a competitive year while allowing each individual to act as her own control.Proc Glimmix was also used to evaluate the performance of Vioscreen with ESHA measures.iii Results: Nine runners ages 20-25 years with an average weight of 55.02 ± 4.7 kg and height of 162.4 ± 5 cm participated in the study.Seven runners provided complete dietary data, while 2 runners completed dietary data for two visits (n=25 total visits).At pre-training, mid-training, and post-race/event, participants averaged 38.7 ±10.7, 35 ± 12.5 and 46.1 ± 19.6 weekly miles and consumed EIs of 2,069 ± 332.5, 1,748 ± 318, and 1,806 ± 332 calories.EA decreased with increasing mileage from 35.7 ± 9.3, to 31 ± 9.5, and 30.3 ± 10.7 kcal/kg*Fat Free Mass (FFM) (p=0.0001).Within the 25 total study visits, all but one participant at one visit reported an EA under the recommended optimal threshold >45 kcal/kg*FFM, and 40% of participants ( n=10) falling at or below the insufficient threshold 30 kcal/kg*FFM over all visits.Few participants met sport-specific thresholds for carb (n=3, 12%), iron (n=10, 40%), and vitamin D (n=9, 36%) regardless of their point in training.The majority of participants appeared to meet the minimum protein threshold of 1.2 g/kg (n=16, 64%), and all athletes exceeded the fat recommendation of 20% of total energy intake and 13 athletes (52%) exceeded the upper recommendation of 35%.Conclusions: Most runners failed to meet all of the proposed dietary guidelines for sport for the majority of nutrients considered important for sport.This sample of female endurance runners did not appear to periodize their diet accompanying periodized training plans, which may negatively impact their injury risk and long-term health.
Author: Hinderer, Ashley
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7064795289