Publication Date

Fall 2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging

Advisor

John Gieng

Subject Areas

Nutrition

Abstract

A scarcity of literature follows the relationship between macronutrient intake and bodycomposition indices within an athletic population. Therefore, the primary aims of the present study were to evaluate the relationship between the percent intake of carbohydrates, dietary fat, and protein with fat-free mass percentage (FFM %), fat mass percentage (FM %), fat mass index (FMI), and lean mass index (LMI). In addition, a secondary objective was to determine if there were any sex differences in the relationship between macronutrient intake and body composition indices. A total of 58 San José State University student-athletes from multiple sports were included in the analysis. Differences in mean values for macronutrient intake and body composition by sex were tested by Mann-Whitney tests. The primary analysis was Spearman’s rho partial correlation to evaluate the relationship between the percent intake of carbohydrates, dietary fat, and protein with FFM %, FM %, FMI, and LMI. Calculations for FMI and LMI are based on FM and LM in kilograms divided by height in meters squared to allow for comparisons between sexes. There were no sex differences in percent protein intake (p=0.487) and FMI (p=0.342). No associations were observed between percent carbohydrate intake and FM % (r=0.184, p=0.197), percent fat intake and FMI (r=- 0.025, p=0.862), and percent protein intake, FFM %, and LMI (r=0.198, p= 0.163; r=-0.036, p=0.803). Since there are no associations between macronutrient intake with body composition, it is suggested that athletes prioritize proper nutrition strategies by meeting the established sports nutrition recommendations.

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