Abstract
Dietary assessment methods that are recognized as appropriate for the general population are usually applied in a similar manner to athletes, despite the knowledge that sport-specific factors can complicate assessment and impact accuracy in unique ways. As dietary assessment methods are used extensively within the field of sports nutrition, there is concern the validity of methodologies have not undergone more rigorous evaluation in this unique population sub-group. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare two or more methods of dietary assessment, including dietary intake measured against biomarkers or reference measures of energy expenditure, in athletes. Six electronic databases were searched for English-language, full-text articles published from January 1980 until June 2016. The search strategy combined the following keywords: diet, nutrition assessment, athlete, and validity; where the following outcomes are reported but not limited to: energy intake, macro and/or micronutrient intake, food intake, nutritional adequacy, diet quality, or nutritional status. Meta-analysis was performed on studies with sufficient methodological similarity, with between-group standardized mean differences (or effect size) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) being calculated. Of the 1624 studies identified, 18 were eligible for inclusion. Studies comparing self-reported energy intake (EI) to energy expenditure assessed via doubly labelled water were grouped for comparison (n = 11) and demonstrated mean EI was under-estimated by 19% (−2793 ± 1134 kJ/day). Meta-analysis revealed a large pooled effect size of −1.006 (95% CI: −1.3 to −0.7; p < 0.001). The remaining studies (n = 7) compared a new dietary tool or instrument to a reference method(s) (e.g., food record, 24-h dietary recall, biomarker) as part of a validation study. This systematic review revealed there are limited robust studies evaluating dietary assessment methods in athletes. Existing literature demonstrates the substantial variability between methods, with under- and misreporting of intake being frequently observed. There is a clear need for careful validation of dietary assessment methods, including emerging technical innovations, among athlete populations.
Highlights
IntroductionIndividual dietary requirements are influenced by a range of factors such as age, gender, body mass, stature, and growth and development needs (for child or adolescent athletes) [1,2]
Adequate dietary intake is important for normal growth and development, maintaining health and well-being, reducing the risk of illness and injury, and optimizing sports performance [1].Individual dietary requirements are influenced by a range of factors such as age, gender, body mass, stature, and growth and development needs [1,2]
The current review identified a limited number of studies (n = 7) that evaluated the validity of a novel dietary assessment tool or instrument when compared to one or more reference method(s) [29,49,50,51,52,53] and/or a biomarker in an athlete population [50,54]
Summary
Individual dietary requirements are influenced by a range of factors such as age, gender, body mass, stature, and growth and development needs (for child or adolescent athletes) [1,2]. A range of sport-specific factors, such as type of sport, training volume and intensity influence dietary requirements, which are not static due to the periodisation of training load across days, weeks, or months of a competitive season [1,2]. Dietary assessment is routinely undertaken by nutrition professionals to evaluate whether an individual is achieving specific health and/or sports nutrition targets [4]. Accurate dietary assessment of athletes is complex due to the influence of sport-specific factors, such as periodised training, large portion sizes, and the widespread use of rapidly evolving sports foods and supplements. Chronic low energy availability may lead to the modification of body composition, which can compromise health and performance [1,2,3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
