The Effects of Different Athletic Performances on Dietary Intake

In recent years, wasting has become a growing concern in the world of athletes. The International Olympic Committee has proposed the concept of relative energy deficit and warned of the importance of energy intake matching energy expenditure during exercise. However, it has been suggested that it is difficult to assess this energy intake and expenditure in sport. Therefore, the present study investigated screening for relative energy deficit in male soccer players. Methods; Subjects were 83 male university student athletes belonging to a football club, and 73 subjects for whom data were available were studied. Blood samples were taken before early morning training and height, weight, body fat percentage, lean body mass and muscle mass were measured. Dietary questionnaires and activity levels were assessed. Results; screening assessment criteria have not been presented in Japan. None of the athletes had a BMI of 17.5 kg/m2 or less. Discussion; none of the athletes were considered to have a possible lack of available energy. However, energy intake was approximately 500 kcal less than energy expenditure, indicating a possible deficit in energy intake.