title: Dietary status of elite female high school gymnasts: inadequacy of vitamin and mineral intake.
abstract: In general, the diets of these athletes appeared to be nutritionally inadequate. Diets were judged to be inadequate for vitamins B-6, folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium in 30% to 60% of gymnasts studied. Several reasons seem to make this population somewhat more vulnerable: (a) the desire to be light, lean, and aesthetically appealing; (b) the anaerobic nature of their sport, which does not lend itself to excessive levels of energy expenditure; and (c) the fact that these athletes are teenagers, subscribing all too often to typical teenage diets. It seems clear that this is a population which could benefit from nutrition counseling.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006173:Gymnastics; D006801:Humans; D008903:Minerals; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D014815:Vitamins
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008903:Minerals; D014815:Vitamins