An Analysis of the Nutritional Practices of Club Level Cyclists before and during a Cyclocross Race
Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study investigated the pre- and during-race dietary intake of club-level cyclocross cyclist and its effects on performance. Ten male cyclists (age: 42 s=4 years, stature: 1.78 s=0.08m, mass: 73.2 s=9.3 kg) took part in this dietary survey and completed a 3-day food and training diary in the days leading up to a field-based cyclocross race. Finishing time was used to measure performance. Mean energy intake (EI), energy expenditure (EE), energy balance and macronutrient intake was calculated for each day. These variables were each compared between days using repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni adjustment. Pearson correlation was used to identify any relationships between performance and macronutrient intake. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare EI and EE and statistical significance was set at P≤0.05. EI was significantly greater 1 day before the race than EE (P=0.031), while EI was significantly lower than EE on race day (P=0.000). Mean carbohydrate (CHO) intake during the 3 days before the race was 5.1 s=1.7 g.kg -1 BM and at the lower limit of the recommendations of 5-7 g.kg -1 BM for endurance athletes. Pearson correlation revealed a strong negative relationship between average CHO intake (g.kg -1 BM) before the event and race time (r=-0.821; P=0.024). The results would suggest that there is a lack of nutritional strategy amongst cyclist and that behaviour and nutritional knowledge are not very well correlated. Thus, the nutritional knowledge of sub-elite athletes must be developed.
Authors: David Dixon, Cristina Hegeduş
Institution: University of East London
Language: English
Subfield: Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W74350022