Comparison of Australian Football League Women's athletes match day energy and nutrient intake to recommendations
Date
2024
Authors
Otte, C.J.
Mantzioris, E.
Salagaras, B.S.
Hill, A.M.
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Journal article
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Nutrition and Dietetics, 2024; 81(3):325-334
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Abstract
Aims: This cross-sectional observational study quantified Australian Football League Women's athletes' match volume, and compared match-day dietary intakes against recommendations.
Methods: Self-report, direct observation, and fluid measurements determined dietary intake (n = 17, 25 ± 4.5 years, 22.8 ± 1.8 kg/m²) on five home match days (early or late starting). Global positioning system software captured match volume. Linear mixed effects models evaluated differences in early versus late match volume and nutrient intakes. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation.
Results: Athletes covered 6712 ± 622 m during matches, with similar numbers of very high-intensity running efforts over equal distances in early and late matches (early vs. late efforts [no.]: 8.5 ± 4.9 vs. 9.5 ± 5.5; distance [m]: 203 ± 127 vs. 212 ± 113). Across all match days, 71% (n = 12) of athletes met their predicted daily energy requirements. However, 82% (n = 14) failed to meet minimum daily carbohydrate recommendations; intake was lower on early compared with late match days (4.7 g/day vs. 5.4 g/kg/day, p = 0.027). On average, no athletes met carbohydrate recommendations in the 2 h prior to a match and only 24% (n = 4) met recommendations during matches. All athletes met post-match carbohydrate and protein requirements.
Conclusion: Athletes cover large distances during games with frequent bursts of high-intensity running. However, they do not adjust their intake to meet the energy demands of competition, with inadequate fuelling prior to and during matches. These findings emphasise the need for greater athlete education and dietary support to maximise strategic fuelling to optimise athletic performance.
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Copyright 2024 The Author(s). Nutrition & Dietetics published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Dietitians Australia. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Access Condition Notes: Open access publishing facilitated by University of South Australia, as part of the Wiley - University of South Australia agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.