Ingestão alimentar de cálcio e composição corporal de patinadoras de uma escola de patinação artística em São Paulo

Introduction: Studies on nutrition and body composition of skaters are scarce in Brazil. The increased demands of the sport make it essential to evaluate the diet of teenage skaters, especially calcium intake, seeking to prevent bone demineralization and fractures. Objective: To evaluate the calcium intake and body composition of teenage skaters from São Paulo. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study carried out with 10 adolescent athletes from São Paulo from a figure skating school. Height, weight and percentage of body fat were measured using a bioimpedance measurement scale (Tanita®). The indicators Body Mass Index by age and height by age were evaluated. The percentage of fat was classified according to Lohman, Roche and Martorell (1988). Calcium intake was assessed based on a usual eating day, according to the Brazilian Food Composition Table and food labels. The results were compared to the recommended daily intake (RDA) of calcium (1,300mg/day). This research received ethical approval - CAAE58876822.0.0000.0084. Results: The average age of the participants was 15.08 years (SD=2.21). The average height was 1.61m (SD=0.07), the average weight was 56.55kg (SD=12.08) and the BMI was 21.81kg/m² (SD=3.18). According to the BMI/A indicator, 20% of the skaters were obese and all had adequate height for their age. The average body fat percentage was 27.13% (SD=5.84), classified as moderately high. No skater reached the recommended calcium intake, with an average intake of 604.37mg/day. Conclusion: Low calcium intake and high percentages of body fat make nutritional monitoring of the skaters studied essential.