title: Relationships between nutrient intake, nutritional status and activity levels in an elderly and in a younger population; a comparison of physically more active and more inactive people.
abstract: Differences in absolute nutrient intakes, nutrient densities, and nutritional status between more physically active and more physically inactive elderly persons were analyzed from data of the Heidelberg-Michelstadt-Berlin Study. Comparisons were made in the different sex groups for older persons, the same comparisons were made for a group of younger persons. Although there was no significant statistical difference, the active persons had higher absolute energy intakes compared with inactive persons in all groups, except in the younger female group. Active older women have statistically significant higher vitamin B2, iodine, and calcium intakes than less active older women. Active older men have higher energy, carbohydrate, carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, and calcium intakes than the less active older men. A totally different pattern of intakes is seen in the group of younger persons. The more active younger women show lower absolute intakes of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B1, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and sodium in comparison with the less active young women. Active young men show higher iodine intakes compared with the inactives. The differences in intakes however are not reflected in the nutritional status. The nutritional status of more active people is therefore neither endangered nor improved in comparison with less active.
authors.affiliation: Bundesgesundheitsamt Berlin, Abt. Epidemiologie von Gesundheitsrisken.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Mensink
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arab
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001361:Avitaminosis / Q000209:etiology; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status