Evaluation of Dietary Intakes and Supplement Use in Paralympic Athletes.

Robyn Madden,Jill Parnell,Jane Shearer

doi:10.3390/nu9111266

Abstract

Dietary intakes and supplement use in Paralympic athletes remains largely unexplored, and specialized recommendations are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate nutrient intakes and supplement use in high-performance athletes with physical disabilities using three-day food records and a validated dietary supplement use questionnaire. A secondary aim examined gender differences in nutrient and supplement intakes. Male (n = 18) and female (n = 22) athletes were recruited from nine Paralympic sports through sporting organizations, coaches, and social media. Athletes generally met able-bodied recommendations for macronutrients. Male and female athletes often failed to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Adequate Intake (AI) for vitamin D, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. On average, females did not meet the RDA for iron and calcium, whereas males did not meet the RDA for vitamin A and folate. Commonly consumed supplements were vitamin D, protein powder, sport bars, and sport drinks. Analysis of diet and supplement use within this population shows several micronutrient deficiencies and irregular use of specific supplements. Athlete support and education is required to optimize nutrition in Paralympic athletes.

Highlights

The Paralympic games are highly competitive, and athletes need to maximize performance—one crucial aspect of which is nutrition
Exclusion criteria included athletes who did not speak English or who were classified as having an intellectual impairment, as the questionnaires were not validated for these populations
Our findings show that elite Canadian athletes with physical disabilities tend to consume a diet that is adequate in most macro- and micronutrients

Summary

Introduction

The Paralympic games are highly competitive, and athletes need to maximize performance—one crucial aspect of which is nutrition. Proper sports nutrition should be incorporated into an athlete’s lifestyle, beginning at the training phase. Proper sports nutrition ensures that years of training and preparation do not go to waste. Sport nutritional needs are non-transferable between athletes and are dependent upon the type, duration, and intensity of the activity performed [3]. The addition of a physical impairment further challenges and complicates nutritional recommendations. Even with the recent increase in popularity of Paralympic sport, few studies have focused on the sport nutrition needs and behaviors of these athletes [5]. With no general nutritional guidelines, these athletes are forced to default to able-bodied recommendations

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