Dietary intake, anthropometric profile and somatotype in university athletes: Differences between gender and sports practiced

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Research on energy intake, nutrient intake, and anthropometric measurements in elite athletes is extensive, while it is limited in university athletes (UA), where a specific modality segments it. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the dietary intake, anthropometric profile, somatotype in UA, and differences between gender and sports modalities practiced. METHODS: A descriptive and observational study was conducted, including UA from Ecuador’s Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil (CUSG). Dietary intake was evaluated with a 24-hour recall questionnaire, an anthropometric profile with the ISAK protocol, and the somatotype using the Heath and Carter formula. Normality tests of Shapiro Wilk and Kolmogorov Smirnov were performed; mean and standard deviation (SD) were calculated, and to establish statistical significance, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 29 males and 51 females, with a mean of 21.1 years. Energy intake, macronutrients, micronutrients, and fiber consumption showed no differences regardless of the sport practiced. The mean somatotype of male athletes was categorized as endomesomorphic and females as mesoendomorph. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained through the anthropometric variables and used to determine the somatotypes confirmed that sexual dimorphism presented differences in size, muscle development, and body fat percentage.