Evaluation of Dietary Intake and Body Composition of Collegiate American Football Players

Main Article Content

Bartu Eren Güneşliol https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0472-7835
Murat Baş

Keywords

American football, sports nutrition, dietary intake, body composition, obesity

Abstract

Aim: The data obtained from previous studies on dietary intake and body composition of American football players, which may pose a health risk, also raise concern for collegiate American football players, especially for linemen. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the dietary intake and body composition of collegiate American football players by position groups. Methods: One-hundred and eighty-five collegiate American football players voluntarily participated in this observational study. Body composition was evaluated by both anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis. 3-day diet records were taken to determine dietary intake. Results: Energy, carbohydrate and protein intakes of defensive linemen (DL) (27.84±12.85 kcal/kg/day, 2.73±1.35 g/kg/day, and 1.29±0.68 g/kg/day respectively) and offensive linemen (OL) (25.98±9.17 kcal/kg/day, 2.47±0.85 g/kg/day, and 1.21±0.61 g/kg/day, respectively) were significantly lower than receivers (R) (41.49±20.12 kcal/kg/day, 4.31±2.34 g/kg/day, and 1.81±0.91 g/kg/day respectively). Collegiate American football players consumed high amounts of fat, dietary cholesterol, and sodium but were low in carbohydrates and potassium. Average body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) values of DL (31.38±4.43 kg/m² and 26.13±8.79%, respectively) and OL (32.95±4.77 kg/m² and 30.06±7.33%, respectively) were significantly higher than other position groups. Conclusions: In this study, collegiate American football players followed an unbalanced diet in terms of many nutrients. Most DL and OL were obese. We concluded that it would be useful to provide nutritional education for collegiate American football players, and specific nutritional strategies should be developed to reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases in linemen.

Abstract 1527 | PDF Downloads 292

References

1. Harp JB, Hecht L. Obesity in the National Football League. JAMA 293 (9): 1058–62. doi: 10.1001/jama.293.9.1061-b.
2. Kraemer WJ, Torine JC, Silvestre R, et al. Body size and composition of National Football League players. J Strength Cond Res 2005; 19 (3): 485–9. doi: 10.1519/18175.1.
3. Anzell AR, Potteiger JA, Kraemer WJ, Otieno S. Changes in height, body weight, and body composition in American football players from 1942 to 2011. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27 (2): 277–84. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827f4c08.
4. Abbey EL, Wright CJ, Kirkpatrick CM. Nutrition practices and knowledge among NCAA Division III football players. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017; 14: 13. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0170-2.
5. Buell JL, Calland D, Hanks F, et al. Presence of metabolic syndrome in football linemen. J Athl Train 2008; 43 (6): 608–16. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-43.6.608.
6. Mathews EM, Wagner DR. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in collegiate american football players, by position. J Am Coll Health 2008; 57 (1): 33–8. doi: 10.3200/JACH.57.1.33-38.
7. Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA, Kang J. Performance changes during a college playing career in NCAA division III football athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25 (9): 2351–7. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31821743df.
8. Kirwan RD, Kordick LK, McFarland S, Lancaster D, Clark K, Miles MP. Dietary, anthropometric, blood-lipid, and performance patterns of American college football players during 8 weeks of training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2012; 22 (6): 444–51. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.22.6.444.
9. Goderwis LM. The Effect Of Traınıng And Nutrıtıon On The Body Composıtıon Of College Football Players. Master Thesis, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Lexington, Kentucky, 2015 (Director: Dr. Janet S. Kurzynske). Available online: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=foodsci_etds (accessed on 28 September 2019)
10. Bosch TA, Burruss TP, Weir NL, et al. Abdominal body composition differences in NFL Football Players. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 28 (12): 3313–9. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000650.
11. Karagöz Y. Biostatistics, Ankara: Nobel Academic Publisher, 2015, updated 2nd edition, p. 169.
12. Turnagöl HH. Body composition and bone mineral density of collegiate american football players. J Hum Kinet 2016; 51: 103–12. doi: 10.1515/hukin-2015-0164.
13. Nuttall FQ. Body Mass Index: Obesity, BMI, and Health: A Critical Review. Nutr Today 2015; 50 (3): 117–28. doi: 10.1097/NT.0000000000000092.
14. Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio Report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8-11 December 2008. Available online: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/obesity/WHO_report_waistcircumference_and_waisthip_ratio/en/ (accessed on 28 September 2019).
15. Ashwell M, Hsieh SD. Six reasons why the waist-to-height ratio is a rapid and effective global indicator for health risks of obesity and how its use could simplify the international public health message on obesity. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2005; 56: 303–7. doi: 10.1080/09637480500195066.
16. Institute of Medicine (2006) Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, Available online: https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fnic_uploads/DRIEssentialGuideNutReq.pdf (accessed on 20 December 2019). doi: 10.17226/11537.
17. Benardot D (2011) Advanced Sports Nutrition, 2nd ed.; Human Kinetics: Champaign, USA; pp. 64–153.
18. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SHS, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci 2011; 29 (Suppl.1): S17–S27. doi:10.1080/02640414.2011.585473.
19. Phillips SM. Dietary protein requirements and adaptive advantages in athletes. Br J Nutr 2012; 108 (Suppl 2): S158–S167. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002516.
20. Berning JR. Fuelıng a football team. Sports Sci Exchange 2015; 28 (146): 1–7.
21. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2016; 48 (3): 543–68. doi: 10.1249/mss.0000000000000852.
22. Nana A, Slater GJ, Hopkins WG, Burke LM. Effects of exercise sessions on DXA measurements of body composition in active people. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2013; 45: 178–85. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31826c9cfd.
23. Cole CR, Salvaterra GF, Davis JEJ, et al. Evaluation of dietary practices of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players. J Strength Cond Res 2005, 19 (3): 490–4. doi: 10.1519/14313.1.
24. Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM. Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 91 (3): 502–9. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26285.
25. Briggs MA, Petersen KS, Kris-Etherton PM. Saturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease: Replacements for Saturated Fat to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk. Healthcare (Basel) 2017; 5, 29. doi: 10.3390/healthcare5020029.
26. Michas G, Micha R, Zampelas A. Dietary fats and cardiovascular disease: putting together the pieces of a complicated puzzle. Atherosclerosis 2014; 234 (2): 320–8. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2014.03.013.
27. Cho SS, Qi L, Fahey GCJ, Klurfeld DM. Consumption of cereal fiber, mixtures of whole grains and bran, and whole grains and risk reduction in type two diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2013; 98 (2): 594–619. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.067629.
28. Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ 2014; 349: g4490. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g4490.
29. Widmer RJ, Flammer AJ, Lerman LO, Lerman A. The Mediterranean diet, its components, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Med 2015; 128 (3): 229–38. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.10.014.
30. Johnson M, Pace RD, McElhenney WH. Green leafy vegetables in diets with a 25:1 omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio modify the erythrocyte fatty acid profile of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Lipids Health Dis 2018; 17 (1): 140. doi: 10.1186/s12944-018-0723-7.
31. Simopoulos AP. An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients 2016; 8 (3): 128. doi: 10.3390/nu8030128.
32. Gómez Candela C, Bermejo López LM, Loria Kohen V. Importance of a balanced omega 6/omega 3 ratio for the maintenance of health: nutritional recommendations. Nutr Hosp 2011; 26 (2): 323–9. doi: 10.1590/S0212-16112011000200013.
33. Lazic M, Inzaugarat ME, Povero D, et al. Reduced dietary omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio and 12/15-lipoxygenase deficiency are protective against chronic high fat diet-induced steatohepatitis. PLoS One 2014; 9 (9): e107658. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107658.
34. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020. 8th Edition. Available online: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ (accessed on 23 December 2019)
35. Carson JAS, Lichtenstein AH, Anderson CAM, et al. Dietary Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation 2020; 141 (3): e39–e53. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000743.
36. Goodarzi S, Rafiei S, Javadi M, Khadem Haghighian H, Noroozi S. A Review on Antioxidants and Their Health Effects. JNFS 2018; 3 (2): 106‒12.
37. Woolf K, Manore MM. B-Vitamins and Exercise: Does Exercise Alter Requirements? Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2006; 16: 453‒84. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.16.5.453.
38. Gay HC, Rao SG, Vaccarino V, Ali MK. Effects of different dietary interventions on blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Hypertension 2016; 67 (4): 733–9. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.115.06853.
39. Liu R. Health-promoting components of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Adv Nutr 2013; 4 (3): 384S–392S. doi: 10.3945/an.112.003517.
40. Aridi YS, Walker JL, Roura E, Wright ORL. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Chronic Disease in Australia: National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey Analysis. Nutrients 2020; 12 (5): 1251. doi: 10.3390/nu12051251.
41. Melvin MN, Smith-Ryan AE, Wingfield HL, Ryan ED, Trexler ET, Roelofs EJ. Muscle characteristics and body composition of NCAA division I football players. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 28 (12): 3320–9. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000651.
42. Gupta Swaroopa Rani N. Different Measuring Techniques for Body Fat Analysis. Int Res J Sci Eng 2015; 3 (3): 98–106.