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Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall
Open accessAbstract
Proper dietary intake is important for masters athletes because of the physiological changes that occur with aging and the unique nutritional needs when competing at high levels. We evaluated the dietary intake of masters athletes competing at the World Masters Athletics Championships (outdoor games, Tampere, Finland, 2022, and indoor games, Torun, Poland, 2023). A total of 43 athletes (16 females and 27 males, mean age 59.2 ± 10.3 y, height 168 ± 8 cm, and body mass 62.3 ± 10.8 kg) participating in endurance (n = 21), sprint (n = 16), jumping (2), multi-component (e.g., decathlon; n = 3), and throwing (n = 1) events provided 24 h dietary recalls while participating in the games. Carbohydrate intake was below the recommended levels for endurance athletes. Protein intake was below the recommended levels for masters athletes, except for female athletes involved in power events (i.e., sprinters and jumpers). Other nutrient intakes that were below the recommended levels included vitamins D and E, calcium, potassium, vitamin A (except for female endurance athletes), folate (except for female power athletes), vitamin C for female endurance athletes, vitamin K and fiber for males, and zinc for endurance athletes. We conclude that while competing at world championships, many athletes are not consuming the recommended levels of carbohydrates, protein, and micronutrients. Athletes attending these games would benefit from increased nutritional support.
Overview
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TL;DR
In 43 masters athletes competing at the 2022 outdoor and 2023 indoor World Masters Athletics Championships, single 24 h recalls showed carbohydrate and protein intakes below recommendations for most groups, along with low intakes of several micronutrients. Athletes attending these games would benefit from increased nutritional support.
Key findings
- Carbohydrate intake was below endurance athlete recommendations; endurance athletes averaged ~3.2 g/kg/d, with females ~4.0 g/kg and males ~3.0 g/kg, versus guidelines of 5–7 g/kg/d or 6–10 g/kg/d.
- Protein intake was below masters athlete recommendations in most groups except female power athletes. Power athletes had greater intakes of energy, absolute protein, folate, potassium, vitamin B1, and vitamin D than endurance athletes (p < 0.05).
- Below-recommended micronutrients included vitamins D and E, calcium, and potassium in all groups; vitamin A except female endurance; vitamin C in female endurance; zinc in male and female endurance; vitamin K and fiber in male endurance and power; and folate except female power. The only sex difference was greater carbohydrate relative to body mass in females than males (p < 0.05).
- The proportion meeting recommended intakes differed between groups for all nutrients except vitamin B2 and sodium (p < 0.05); female power athletes generally had the greatest proportion meeting recommendations, with exceptions for fat, vitamin A/K, and vitamin E/calcium/iron.
Methods
- Cross-sectional dietary assessment: 43 athletes (16 females, 27 males; mean age 59.2 ± 10.3 y; height 168 ± 8 cm; body mass 62.3 ± 10.8 kg) from endurance (n = 21), sprint (n = 16), jumping (n = 2), multi-component (n = 3), and throwing (n = 1) events at the outdoor Tampere 2022 or indoor Torun 2023 championships.
- Single 24 h dietary recalls were analyzed with Food Processor Software (ESHA Research, Version 11.1) for energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients; endurance was defined as running ≥800 m or racewalking, and power as sprinting, jumping, throwing, decathlon, heptathlon, or pentathlon.
- Descriptive means/SD were compared with recommended values; two-way ANOVA tested athletic group, sex, and group–sex interactions; chi-squared tests compared proportions meeting recommendations; significance was p ≤ 0.05.
Limitations
- Stated: multi-sport athletes were classified as power athletes even though decathlon/heptathlon/pentathlon include one endurance-type event; 3 multi-sport athletes were included, and 2 of 5 female power athletes were multi-sport.
- Stated: single 24 h recalls may underreport intake by 8–30%; even assuming 30% underreporting, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin A in males, zinc in male endurance athletes, and carbohydrates and calcium in endurance athletes would still be below recommendations. Single 24 h recalls were used because of participant burden during competition and may be less accurate than multiple days/recalls; data collected during competition may not represent typical dietary routine.
- Evident from text: small subgroup sizes (e.g., jumping n = 2, throwing n = 1, multi-component n = 3; female power group n = 5) limit precision and generalizability of group/sex comparisons.
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![Figure 1 Dietary intakes relative to recommended intakes. Values are means and SD. Recommended intake is indicated as the dashed line at 100%. (A) Female endurance event athletes. (B) Male endurance athletes. (C) Female power athletes. (D) Male power athletes. * Population-specific recommendations [2]; ** acceptable macronutrient distribution range; ⴕ adequate intake. All other nutrients are expressed as a percentage of the recommended dietary intake.](/paper-figures/1ad02d022e234d6283efe2981706c542/dietary-intake-of-athletes-at-the-world-masters-athletics-championships-as-figure-1.jpg)
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In the paper
“Fat and saturated fat intake were at acceptable levels, but omega-3 fatty acid intake was below the level recommended for masters athletes [2,3].”
- Also stated in: § 4. Discussion · plain
“Omega-3 fatty acid intake was relatively low in our athletes and this is in agreement with other studies of elite masters track and field athletes which determined low intakes of foods high in omega-3 (i.e., fatty fish) [5,6].”
§ Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall > 3. Results
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [2] Strasser, B., Pesta, D., Rittweger, J., Burtscher, J., and Burtscher, M. (2021). Nutrition for Older Athletes: Focus on Sex-Differences. Nutrients, 13. source
A check is scheduled.
- Not checked yetcites [3] Desbrow, 2019, Nutrition for Special Populations: Young, Female, and Masters Athletes, Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. source
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plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Also stated in: § 4. Discussion · plain
In the paper
“Fat and saturated fat intake were at acceptable levels”
- Also stated in: § 4. Discussion · plain
“Fat and saturated fat intakes of our athletes met the guidelines for athletes, which recommend <10% of calories from saturated fats and not less than 20% of calories from total fats, as adequate fat intake is important for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and the maintenance of cellular membranes [1].”
§ Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall > 3. Results
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [1] Thomas, 2016, American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance, Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Also stated in: § 4. Discussion · plain
In the paper
“Carbohydrate intake was below the recommended levels for endurance athletes.”
- Also stated in: § 3. Results · plain
“For macronutrients, carbohydrate intake was lower than recommended by sport nutrition guidelines for endurance athletes [1].”
- Also stated in: § 4. Discussion · hedged
“These intakes are still below guidelines [1], indicating that the athletes in our study may have found it challenging to consume sufficient carbohydrates or sufficient calories during competition when traveling to a foreign environment.”
§ Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall > Abstract
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [1] Thomas, 2016, American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance, Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. source
plainn = 21- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Also stated in: § 3. Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“All groups had intakes of vitamins D and E, calcium, and potassium below the recommended levels.”
§ Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall > 3. Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“vitamin C for female endurance athletes”
- Also stated in: § 3. Results · plain
“vitamin C for female endurance athletes”
§ Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall > Abstract
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § 3. Results · plain
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In the citing paper
“Six cross-sectional studies [17,22,29,30,31] and one before–after study [27] reported daily protein intakes, ranging between 1.0 and 1.9 g/kg/d.”
From Protein Intake, Physical Performance and Body Composition in Master Athletes—A Short Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [31]
In the citing paper
“four studies reported on athletes from multi-sport backgrounds [17,29,30,31]”
From Protein Intake, Physical Performance and Body Composition in Master Athletes—A Short Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [31]
Citations
Cites
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Metadata
- Authors
- Leonhardt, T. P. M., Bristol, A., McLaurin, N., Forbes, S. C., Tanaka, H., Frings-Meuthen, P., Pesta, D., Rittweger, J., & Chilibeck, P. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Saskatchewan (CA)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Brandon University (CA)
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-51147 Cologne, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Chilibeck, Philip D.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nutrients
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-02-19
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 564
- ISSN
- 2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10893199
- OpenAlex
- W4391983217
- Cited by
- 8
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2
- FWCI
- 1.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- elib (German Aerospace Center) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Saskatchewan International Research Partnership Fund
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutrition and Health Studies
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- masters athletes, dietary intake, carbohydrate intake, protein intake, micronutrient deficiency, endurance athletes, nutritional support, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, folic acid, vitamin C, zinc, fibers
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Energy Intake, Dietary Carbohydrates, Dietary Proteins, Eating, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sports, Athletes
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