Golla Vani B, Kapoor Raj, Khandelwal Khushi, Ghosh Tamoghna, Kochhar Kanwal P
Department of Physiology, Indraprastha University, New Delhi, IND.
Department of Physiology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, IND.
Cureus. 2023 Jan 9;15(1):e33576. doi: 10.7759/cureus.33576. eCollection 2023 Jan.
Background and objective Adolescents in general make poor food choices due to a lack of awareness, social pressure, and other factors, leading to a faulty lifestyle. On the other hand, the adolescent athletic population is associated with a healthy eating pattern. In light of this, this study aimed to evaluate the eating behavior of adolescent cyclists competing at the national level. Methods A total of 50 national-level adolescent cyclists (26 males and 24 females) were assessed for eating behavior, daily food consumption patterns, and eating habits around exercise time by using a pre-tested validated questionnaire, Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and 24-hour Food Recall. Results The majority (82%) of the cyclists were non-vegetarians, followed by lacto-vegetarians (14%) and lacto-ovo vegetarians (14%). Of note, 72% of the cyclists consumed four meals consisting of breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner daily, while 28% skipped at least one of the meals. The preference for takeaways (52%) surpassed dine-outs (34%) and home-cooked (14%) food. Pre-training snack was consumed by 37% and post-training snack by 47%. Cyclists daily consumed breakfast cereals (76%), bread (94%), pulses (92%), fruits (100%), vegetables (62%), milk (84%), milk products (90%), egg (82%), poultry, fish, and meat (74%), dry fruits, nuts, and seeds (78%), and saturated fats (100%). Junk foods (94%) and sweetened beverages (70%) were consumed at least once a week. No significant difference was observed in eating behavior and daily food consumption pattern between male and female cyclists. Conclusion The eating behavior of adolescent cyclists was inclined towards the consumption of saturated fats, junk food, and sweetened beverages. Male and female athletes have similar food habits. There is a need for the implementation of behavior change-oriented nutrition strategies to inculcate healthy eating habits among adolescent cyclists.
背景与目的 一般来说，青少年由于缺乏意识、社会压力及其他因素，食物选择不佳，导致生活方式不健康。另一方面，青少年运动员群体有着健康的饮食模式。有鉴于此，本研究旨在评估参加国家级比赛的青少年自行车运动员的饮食行为。方法 采用预先测试并经验证的问卷、食物频率问卷（FFQ）和24小时食物回顾法，对总共50名国家级青少年自行车运动员（26名男性和24名女性）的饮食行为、日常食物消费模式以及运动时间前后的饮食习惯进行了评估。结果 大多数（82%）自行车运动员是非素食者，其次是乳素食者（14%）和蛋奶素食者（14%）。值得注意的是，72%的自行车运动员每天吃四餐，包括早餐、午餐、小吃和晚餐，而28%的人至少跳过一餐。对外卖食品（52%）的偏好超过外出就餐（34%）和家庭烹饪食品（14%）。37%的人在训练前吃小吃，47%的人在训练后吃小吃。自行车运动员每天食用早餐谷物（76%）、面包（94%）、豆类（92%）、水果（100%）、蔬菜（62%）、牛奶（84%）、奶制品（90%）、鸡蛋（82%）、家禽、鱼和肉（74%）、干果、坚果和种子（78%）以及饱和脂肪（100%）。垃圾食品（94%）和含糖饮料（70%）至少每周食用一次。男性和女性自行车运动员在饮食行为和日常食物消费模式上没有观察到显著差异。结论 青少年自行车运动员的饮食行为倾向于食用饱和脂肪、垃圾食品和含糖饮料。男性和女性运动员有相似的饮食习惯。有必要实施以行为改变为导向的营养策略，以在青少年自行车运动员中灌输健康的饮食习惯。
