Body composition, dietary intake and supplement use by swimmers at the High Performance Centre, Pretoria

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Date
2006-06
Authors
Mennen, Liesl
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The development of sports institutions and High Performance Centres are on the increase worldwide and also in South Africa. These hotels and ‘athlete villages’ can provide unsuitable food choices and lack of supervision may further encourage poor eating patterns among young swimmers. A swimmer’s diet needs to be adequate in the essential nutrients to support his energy expenditure during training, pre-competition, competition and recovery. The mean ages for elite swimmers fall into the stage of puberty; and this also has an influence on nutrient requirements. The body composition of a swimmer as well as the percentage body fat has a direct relationship with body drag, because body fat increases the resistance of the body in the water. Physiological adaptations of the body take place when an efficient training programme is followed in combination with adequate nutrition. The purpose of this study was to determine: a) the body composition (including the body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat, lean body mass (LBM), mid-arm muscle area (MAMA) and mid-upper arm fat area (MAFA) of swimmers, b) the energy, macronutrient and micronutrient content of the usual diet of swimmers (including the training, pre-competition, competition and recovery diet) and c) the use of supplements by swimmers. A descriptive study design was used for data gathering on demographics, anthropometrics, usual dietary intakes as well as information on the use of supplements. The study was done on the University of Pretoria club (TUKS) swimming team practising at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. Anthropometrics included skin-fold measurements to predict percentage body fat and to calculate LBM (lean body mass); MUAC (mid upper arm circumference) to determine MAMA (mid arm muscle area) and MAFA (mid arm fat area). Demographical data with information on the use of supplements was obtained by a questionnaire, and the usual dietary intake data was obtained from food records. The data was then compared to the recommended amounts or the RDA (recommended dietary allowances) and AI (adequate intakes). The swimmers had an adequate BMI, a low percentage body fat level and greater proportion of LBM for muscular mass, which correlates with an ideal body composition profile for swimmers. The usual dietary intake (training, pre-competition, competition and recovery diet) was inadequate for most of the swimmers. Three of 12 males and all the female swimmers (n = 8) had an inadequate energy intake during training. Fifty percent of the swimmers had a lower CHO intake than recommended. These swimmers might have been at risk of not maintaining blood-glucose levels during training. Twelve out of 20 swimmers were not meeting their protein needs. The fat intake of 40 % of the swimmers was higher than recommended. Before competition all the swimmers had a lower CHO intake than recommended. They might not have had the beneficial effect of a high CHO diet before competition. The group had a high fat intake during competition. Ninety five percent of the swimmers had a lower CHO intake than recommended after competition. Most of the swimmers were at risk of not replenishing glycogen stores. Sixty five percent of the swimmers used supplements. A need for nutritional intervention was identified, focusing on the nutritional needs of a swimmer during training, pre-competition, competition and recovery.
Afrikaans: Die ontwikkeling van sportinstitusies en hoëprestasiesentrums (‘High Performance Centres’) is wêreldwyd en ook in Suid-Afrika aan die toeneem. Hierdie hotelle en ‘atleetdorpe’ kan ongeskikte voedselkeuses bied en gebrek aan toesig mag by ‘n jong atleet ‘n ongewenste eetpatroon tot gevolg hê. ‘n Swemmer se dieet moet genoegsame essensiële voedingstowwe voorsien om energieverbruik tydens oefening, voor deelname / kompetisies en in die herstelfase te ondersteun. Kompeterende swemmers is meestal in hul puberteitsjare en dit het ook ‘n invloed op voedingsbehoeftes. Die liggaamsamestelling van ‘n swemmer asook vetpersentasie het ‘n direkte invloed op liggaamsweerstand, want ‘n verhoogde persentasie liggaamsvet vermeerder liggaamsweerstand. Fisiologiese veranderinge vind plaas met ‘n effektiewe oefenprogram en optimale voeding. Die doel van die studie was om die voldende te bepaal: a) die liggaamsamestelling (insluitenede ligaamsmassa-indeks (BMI), persentasie ligaamsvet, maer liggaamsmassa (LBM), middelarm-spierarea (MAMA) en middelarm-vetarea (MAFA) van (swimmers XX) swemmers, b) die energie, makronutriënt- en mikronutriëntinhoud van dieetinname van swemmers (insluitende die oefening-, voor-kompetisie-, kompetisie en nakompetisiedieet) en c) die gebruik van supplemente by swemmers. ‘n Beskrywende studie-ontwerp is gebruik om data van demografika, antropometrika, dieetinname en inligting oor die gebruik van supplemente in te samel vanaf die Universiteit van Pretoria (TUKS-klub) se swemspan wat oefen by die hoëprestasiesentrum (High Performance Centre) in Pretoria. Antropometrika het vetvoumetings ingesluit wat persentasie liggaamsvet bepaal en maer liggaamsmassa bereken. Middel-boarmomtrek is gemeet om middel-armspierarea en middel-armvetarea te bereken. Demografiese data en inligting oor die gebruik van supplemente met behulp van vraelyste ingesamel, en die dieetinname is deur voedselrekords ingesamel. Die data is vergelyk met die aanbevole hoeveelhede of die RDA (aanbevole daaglike hoeveelhede) en AI (toereikende inname). Die swemmers het ‘n geskikte BMI, lae persentasie liggaamsvetvlak en ‘n groot persentasie LBM vir spiermassa gehad, wat gekorreleer het met die ideale liggaamsamestellingsprofiel van swemmers. Die gewone inname (oefening-, voor-kompetisie-, tydens-kompetisie-, en nakompetisiedieet) was ontoereikend vir meeste van die swemmers. Drie van die 12 mans en al die vroulike swemmers (n = 8) het ‘n ontoereikende energie-inname tydens oefeninge gehad. Vyftig persent van die swemmers het ‘n laer CHO-inname as die aanbevole hoeveelheid gehad. Hierdie swemmers kon die risiko geloop het van onvoldoende bloedglukosevlakke tydens oefeninge. Twaalf uit die 20 swemmers het ‘n ontoereikende proteïeninname gehad. Die vetinname van 40 % van die swemmers was meer as die aanbevole hoeveelheid. In die voor-kompetisiefase het al die swemmers ‘n laer CHO inggeneem as die aanbevole hoeveelheid, en kon hulle moontlik nie die voordelige effek van ‘n hoë koolhidraatdieet in dié fase benut nie. Die groep het ‘n hoër vet inname tydens deelname gehad. Vyf en negentig persent het nie hulle glikogeenvoorraad voldoende hervul na deelname nie. Vyf en sestig persent van die swemmers het supplemente gebruik. Daar is ‘n behoefte geïdentifiseer aan voedingsintervensie identifiseer wat fokus op die voedingsbehoeftes van ‘n swemmer tydens oefening, voor deelname, tydens deelname en na deelname.
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Keywords
Body composition, Body mass index, Skin-fold measurements, Percentage body fat, Lean body mass, Mid upper arm circumference, Usual dietary intake, Supplements, Dietary supplements, Swimmers -- Nutrition, Physical fitness -- Nutritional aspects, Dissertation (M.Sc. (Dietetics (Sports Nutrition))--University of the Free State, 2006
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