Dietary intake habits and controlled training on body composition and strength in elite female volleyball players during the season

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess dietary intake of elite female volleyball players (EFVPs, n = 22) during the first 11 weeks of the competitive season. Further, we compared findings for total energy intake and specific macronutrient distribution with the established recommendations for high-intensity athletes. Subjects also engaged in periodized training and we assessed changes in body composition (BC) and strength. Twenty-two EFVPs had dietary intake (7-day dietary recall and food-frequency questionnaire), BC (body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, fat mass, muscle mass), and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) strength (bench press, military press, back squat, power clean, clean and jerk, pull-over) assessed at baseline (T0, before preseason) and 11 weeks later (T11). Athletes consumed less total kilocalories and carbohydrates (CHO) compared with established recommendations (total kilocalories: 40.7 ± 5.2 kcal/(kg·day)–1 vs. recommendations: 50–80 kcal/(kg·day)–1; CHO: 4.3 ± 0.6 g/(kg·day)–1 vs. recommendations: 5–8 g/(kg·day)–1). Further, subjects consumed greater protein (2.1 ± 0.4 g/(kg·day)–1) compared with recommendations (1.6–1.8 g/(kg·day)–1) and greater fat (36.1 ± 4.6% of total kilocalories) than recommendations (20%–35% of total kilocalories). There were improvements (p < 0.05) in BC from T0–T11 (body fat percentage: 17.9% ± 4.2%–16.8% ± 3.6%, –4.7% ± 7.4%; fat mass: 12.7 ± 4.2–11.9 ± 3.8 kg, –4.0% ± 9.2%; muscle mass: 42.8% ± 3.4%–43.3% ± 3.0%, +1.3 ± 3.1%) and 1RM strength (bench press: 39.1 ± 4.5–43.4 ± 4.9 kg; +11.4% ± 9.3%; clean and jerk: 29.7 ± 6.3–34 ± 5.8 kg; +17.7% ± 23.8%); however, there was no change (p > 0.05) in BMI or military press and pull-over. Back squat (p = 0.054; +33.0% ± 83.7%) and power clean (p = 0.056; +26.2% ± 49.0%) increases approached significance. Our findings indicate that EFVPs improved BC and strength despite a dietary intake different from recommendations. This is possibly due to different substrate utilization during exercise in females versus males, thus new recommendations should be considered for high-intensity athletes, which are sex-specific.