DIETARY FAT INTAKE, CALORIC INTAKE AND VITAMIN E CONSUMPTION IN FEMALE ATHLETES 716

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the relationship between dietary intake of fat and vitamin E among collegiate females (n=105, 18-25 yr) from the University of Massachusetts. Subjects were as follows: runners (n=9), water polo players (n=9), divers (n=5), soccer players (n=18), swimmers(n=14), novice rowers (n=24), lightweight rowers (n=17), and heavyweight rowers(n=9). All subjects filled out food frequency questionnaires (NCI Dietary Analysis System) to assess estimated dietary intake for 1 year and were subsequently placed into groups based on their fat intake: >60g/day, high fat (HF), between 40-60g/day, medium fat (MF), and <40g/day, low fat(LF). The HF subjects (n=36) consumed significantly more vitamin E(15.2mg/day) than the MF (n=45)(12.7mg/day) and LF subjects(n=24)(9.9mg/day)(p<.01). Although it appears from the mean values that all groups received sufficient vitamin E (RDA>8mg/day), a significant number of subjects in each group did not consume the RDA. 50% of the HF, 38% of the MF, and 47% of the LF consumed less than 8 mg/day. When subjects were separated by caloric intake into high caloric (HC>2000cal/day, n=36) and low caloric(LC<2000 cal/day, n=69) intake, HC consumed significantly more vitamin E(17.2mg/day) than LC (9.9mg/day) (p<.01). However, 17% of the HC and 53% of the LC consumed less than the RDA. Thus, vitamin E intake for these female athletes appears to be more related to the amount of calories consumed rather than the amount of fat consumed.