title: Many non-elite multisport endurance athletes do not meet sports nutrition recommendations for carbohydrates.
abstract: Little is known regarding the dietary intake of non-elite athletes involved in multisport endurance events. The primary objective of this observational study was to characterize the dietary intake of non-elite athletes participating in winter triathlon (snowshoeing, skating, and cross-country skiing), winter pentathlon (winter triathlon sports + cycling and running), Ironman (IM: swimming, cycling, running), and half-distance Ironman (IM 70.3) in relation with current sports nutrition recommendations. A total of 116 non-elite athletes (32 women and 84 men) who had participated in one of those events in 2014 were included in the analyses. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a validated online food frequency questionnaire. Participants (22-66 years old) trained 14.8 ± 5.3 h/week, on average (±SD). Only 45.7% [95% confidence interval, 36.4%-55.2%] of all athletes reported consuming the recommended intake for carbohydrates, with the highest proportion (66.7%) seen in IM athletes. On the other hand, 87.1% [79.6%-92.6%] of all athletes reported consuming at least 1.2 g protein·kg(-1)·day(-1), while 66.4% [57.0%-74.9%] reported consuming more than 1.6 g protein·kg(-1)·day(-1). The proportion of athletes consuming the recommended amount of protein was highest (84.6%) among IM athletes. There was no difference in the proportion of athletes achieving the recommended carbohydrate and protein intakes between men and women. These findings suggest that many non-elite multisport endurance athletes do not meet the current recommendations for carbohydrates, emphasizing the need for targeted nutritional education. Further research is needed to examine how underreporting of food intake may have affected these estimates.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Pavillon des Services, bureau 2549, 2440 Hochelaga Blvd., Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.|Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Pavillon des Services, bureau 2549, 2440 Hochelaga Blvd., Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Pavillon des Services, bureau 2549, 2440 Hochelaga Blvd., Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.|Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Pavillon des Services, bureau 2549, 2440 Hochelaga Blvd., Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamarche
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056352:Athletes; D001642:Bicycling; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000592:standards*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012420:Running; D064133:Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013550:Swimming; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: apport alimentaire; carbohydrate; dietary intake; endurance sports nutrition; glucide; multisport event; protein; protéine; sports d’endurance; triathlon; évènement multisports