Comparison Of Dietary Energy And Macronutrient Intakes Of Division Iii Athletes To Sports Nutrition Guidelines

Abstract

Sports nutrition guidelines have been proposed that aim to enhance sports performance and support overall health. However, collegiate athletes often struggle to meet these guidelines for several reasons (e.g., cafeteria meal plans, travel schedules, and lack of nutrition knowledge). PURPOSE: To determine if Division III athletes are meeting recommended intakes for energy and macronutrients based on the guidelines set forth by American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on Nutrition and Athletic Performance. METHODS: This retrospective chart review assessed energy and macronutrient intakes of 56 Division III athletes from 3-day food analyzed in Food Processor (Salem, OR). Data was summarized as means (standard deviations). Wilcoxon Sign Rank t-test was used to evaluated macronutrients intakes against recommendations. RESULTS: Energy and macronutrients intakes by sports are presented in Table 1. Overall, carbohydrate intake was 4.6(0.4) g/kg/d for all athletes and below targeted levels appropriate for their sports (p<0.0001). Protein intake of 1.4(0.4) g/kg/d was adequate across sports and greater than lower end of recommended range for protein of 1.2 g/kg/d (p=0.0013). However, ~one-third of athletes had intakes <1.2 g/kg/d. Dietary fat intake was on the upper end of recommendations (intake=32.6 (6.4)% of total kcal/d) with 19 athletes having intakes >35% of total kcal/d. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, collegiate athletes could benefit from strategies to include carbohydrate-rich foods in their diet and a possible reduction in saturated dietary fat intake.Table 1: Energy and Macronutrient Intakes by Sports Expressed as Means (SD)