Evaluation of food consumption, use of supplements and knowledge about adequate food by practicers of physical activity of an academy in Joinville-SC

Abstract

Introduction: Some practitioners of physical activity do not have an adequate diet, especially when it comes to the variety and quantity of food that should be consumed, enabling health and quality of life to be affected. Objective: To evaluate food consumption, use of supplements and knowledge about proper nutrition by practitioners of physical activity at a gym in Joinville-SC. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study carried out in a gym in Joinville-SC. The sample was selected through convenience sampling, aged between 19 and 60 years, practicing at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for at least 3 months. A questionnaire was applied containing questions about knowledge about food, use of supplements, 24-hour recall (R24h) and anthropometric data on weight and height were collected. For statistical analysis, quantitative data were presented as a mean of standard deviation and qualitative data in absolute and relative frequency. Student's t test was performed considering the significance level of p<0.05. Results: A total of 30 individuals participated in the study, of which 63.3% use some food supplement and only 42.1% had a nutritionist recommendation. The R24h showed that the intake of macronutrients was not in accordance with the ACMS recommendation with statistically significant differences and the percentage of correct answers of the participants regarding the food sources of macronutrients was approximately 80%. Conclusion: Despite the good knowledge of food sources, the evaluated showed inadequate food consumption and use of supplements without guidance from a trained professional.