Effects of the Paleo diet on resting metabolic rate in handball players

Abstract The Paleolithic diet (PD) has positive effects on health status and body composition. The Paleo diet has been also used to assess the effects on handball players performance but the association of adherence to PD and resting metabolic rate (RMR) has not been investigated especially in this group. This study aimed to impact of the moderate-carbohydrate diet on RMR among professional handball players. Twenty-five handball players were assigned into two groups: 14 in the experimental group (the Paleo diet; PD) and 11 in the control group (rational diet; CD) for 8-weeks of normoenergetic nutritional intervention. Resting metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry using a Cortex MetaLyzer 3R ergospirometer (Germany), using the breath-by-breath method. Oxygen uptake (VO 2 ), carbon dioxide production (VCO 2 ), respiratory quotient (RQ), RMR, and substrate utilization (carbohydrate, fat, protein) and energy expenditure from each substrate were measured during the measurement. There were no differences in RMR parameters, as well as VO 2 (L/min), VCO 2 (L/min), RQ, substrate utilization (g/day): CHO, PRO, FAT, and EE (kcal/hour) from each substrate between PD and CD groups. Eight weeks of a normoenergetic Paleo diet did not affect resting metabolic rate.