Palazzo Roberto, Bevilacqua Riccardo, Corsi Marco, Falconi Edoardo, Rosa Sara, Stefani Laura
Sports Medicine Centre, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, Italy.
Nutrients. 2025 Jan 16;17(2):305. doi: 10.3390/nu17020305.
Recent research emphasizes the importance of integrating psychological-emotional factors with nutrition and body composition in athletes. This study investigates the correlations between these aspects in 36 professional rugby players, aiming to identify relationships that could optimize sports performance and overall well-being.
The study sample included 36 male athletes (mean age: 24.4 ± 2.1 years, weight: 86.5 ± 7.1 kg, and height: 181.8 ± 5.7 cm). Four assessment tools were used: the Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) to evaluate quality of life, the Mediterranean diet adherence (MEDI-LITE), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and body composition measurements (stadiometer and BIVA). Statistical analyses, including the Shapiro-Wilk test, Pearson, and Spearman correlations, were conducted to explore relationships between the variables.
The athletes' mental and physical health was comparable to the general population (mean MCS = 50.5 ± 7.4, PCS = 49.6 ± 9.6). Mediterranean diet adherence was low (mean MEDI-LITE = 8.6 ± 2.6), while physical activity levels were high (mean IPAQ = 2560.5 ± 950.1). Body composition indicated overweight status (mean BMI = 26.15 ± 1.62 kg/m, body fat = 22 ± 4.3%). Positive correlations were observed between mental health, diet adherence, and physical activity, with a stronger link between physical activity and body composition.
This study confirms a relationship between psychological-emotional factors, nutrition, and body composition in athletes, suggesting an integrated approach to optimize performance. However, causality remains unconfirmed, and the small sample size limits generalizability. Future research should include larger, more diverse samples to expand these findings.
近期研究强调了将心理 - 情感因素与运动员的营养和身体成分相结合的重要性。本研究调查了36名职业橄榄球运动员在这些方面的相关性，旨在确定能够优化运动表现和整体健康状况的关系。
研究样本包括36名男性运动员（平均年龄：24.4±2.1岁，体重：86.5±7.1千克，身高：181.8±5.7厘米）。使用了四种评估工具：简短健康调查问卷（SF - 36）来评估生活质量、地中海饮食依从性（MEDI - LITE）、国际体力活动问卷（IPAQ）以及身体成分测量（身高计和生物电阻抗矢量分析）。进行了包括夏皮罗 - 威尔克检验、皮尔逊和斯皮尔曼相关性分析在内的统计分析，以探索变量之间的关系。
运动员的心理和身体健康状况与一般人群相当（平均心理综合评分 = 50.5±7.4，生理综合评分 = 49.6±9.6）。地中海饮食依从性较低（平均MEDI - LITE = 8.6±2.6），而体力活动水平较高（平均IPAQ = 2560.5±950.1）。身体成分表明运动员超重（平均体重指数 = 26.15±1.62千克/米²，体脂率 = 22±4.3%）。观察到心理健康、饮食依从性和体力活动之间存在正相关，体力活动与身体成分之间的联系更强。
本研究证实了运动员心理 - 情感因素、营养和身体成分之间的关系，表明采用综合方法来优化表现。然而，因果关系尚未得到证实，且样本量较小限制了研究结果的普遍性。未来的研究应纳入更大、更多样化的样本以扩展这些发现。
