Dietary status of trained female cyclists

Dietary status of trained female cyclists

Dietary status was evaluated in eight highly trained female cyclists. Each cyclist kept a 3-day weighed food record. Diets were analyzed for nutrient content using a computerized software package. Blood was also obtained and evaluated for hemoglobin, hematocrit, and albumin. For an athletic group, t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Dietetic Association Vol. 89; no. 11; p. 1620
Main Authors: Keith, R E, O'Keeffe, K A, Alt, L A, Young, K L
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01-11-1989
Subjects:
Adult
Bicycling
Diet
Diet Records
Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage
Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage
Energy Intake
Female
Folic Acid - administration & dosage
Hematocrit
Hemoglobins - analysis
Humans
Iron - administration & dosage
Magnesium - administration & dosage
Serum Albumin - analysis
Software
Zinc - administration & dosage
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Summary:Dietary status was evaluated in eight highly trained female cyclists. Each cyclist kept a 3-day weighed food record. Diets were analyzed for nutrient content using a computerized software package. Blood was also obtained and evaluated for hemoglobin, hematocrit, and albumin. For an athletic group, the cyclists' diets were found to be low in energy (85% RDA) and carbohydrate (4.4 gm/kg body weight per day). Mean daily dietary intakes were well below the RDAs for folacin (76% RDA), magnesium (81%), iron (59%), and zinc (48%). In addition, more than one-third of the cyclists failed to consume 67% of the RDA for the following micronutrients: pyridoxine, folacin, cobalamin, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Hemoglobin (135 gm/L), hematocrit (0.39), and albumin (45 gm/L) values were all normal, although most hemoglobin values were in the lower 50% of normal range. Foods such as meats, poultry, fish, beans, peas, and nuts were low or absent from the diets of most athletes. Dietary quality in this group of female cyclists could have been greatly improved with the addition of more of those foods. These athletes could benefit from nutrition education and diet counseling.
ISSN:0002-8223
DOI:10.1016/S0002-8223(21)02431-7