Effects of Mediterranean Diet Combined with CrossFit Training on Trained Adults’ Performance and Body Composition

Abstract

CrossFit is a high-intensity training discipline increasingly practiced in recent years. Specific nutritional approaches are usually recommended to maximize performance and improve body composition in high-intensity training regimens; notwithstanding, to date there are no targeted nutritional recommendations for CrossFit athletes. The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is a diet approach with a well-designed proportion of macronutrients, using only available/seasonal food of the Mediterranean area, whose health benefits are well demonstrated. No studies have evaluated this dietary strategy among CrossFit athletes and practitioners; for this reason, we tested the effects of 8 weeks of MD on CrossFit athletes’ performance and body composition. Participants were assigned to two groups: a diet group (DG) in which participants performed CrossFit training plus MD, and a control group (CG) in which participants partook in the CrossFit training, continuing their habitual diet. Participants were tested before and after the 8 weeks of intervention. At the end of the study, no significant difference was noted in participants’ body composition, whereas improvements in anaerobic power, explosive strength of the lower limbs, and CrossFit-specific performance were observed only in the DG. Our results suggest that adopting a MD in CrossFit athletes/practitioners could be a useful strategy to improve specific strength, endurance, and anaerobic capacity while maintaining overall body composition.