Perfil do consumo de Tereré (Ilex paraguariensis) por corredores de rua em Campo Grande-MS

Tereré, a traditional beverage from Brazil and Paraguay, is prepared with cold water and yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and contains bioactive compounds, such as caffeine and theobromine, with the potential to enhance physical performance. However, the consumption profile of this beverage among athletes remains unknown. This study aimed to analyze the consumption profile of Tereré among street runners. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 102 amateur and professional runners from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (2022), comprising 74 men (72.5%) and 28 women (27.5%), aged between 21 and 74 years (mean age: 37 ± 9.8 years). Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire addressing consumption habits and their relation to training. The results indicated that approximately half of the athletes (n=52) regularly consumed the beverage. Among these, most used pure yerba mate (n=35), consumed it socially (n=39), sporadically (n=25), and once per day (n=41). However, few athletes associated its consumption with sports performance, with only 9.6% (n=5) reporting the use of Tereré before training. In conclusion, although Tereré is widely consumed in the region, it is underutilized as an ergogenic resource by street runners, highlighting the need for further studies on its potential benefits in this context.