Knowledge about healthy food and supplements food consumption by practitioners in physics academies

Abstract

The nutrition and exercise establish an important inter-relationship as a balanced and nutritious diet improves the efficiency of the body, physical performance, promotes the repair and construction of body tissues, and maximize the effect from training. The aim of this study was to analyze the knowledge about healthy diet and use of dietary supplements by physically active in fitness centers in the city of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais. The participants were 95 individuals of both sexes, aged between 18 and 40 years. They answered a questionnaire adapted from Zamin and Schimanoski (2010), containing 20 questions: 13 objectives and 7 discursive. These questions were about identification, knowledge about healthy eating, dietary sources of nutrients and use of nutritional supplements. As for the self-assessment of the level of knowledge about healthy feeding, more than half reported having "enough" knowledge (48.4%) or "very good" (33.7%), however, 63% of subjects responded incorrectly that the protein is the macronutrient that should have the highest daily consumption. Protein foods are the most consumed type of supplement among physically actives (81.25%), followed by energy stockers (53.2%) and branched chain amino acids (34.37%). Thus, it is necessary a nutrition education for this audience through a qualified professional, and even the awareness of physical education professionals as to the prescription / indication of dietary supplements, given that this is a prerogative of the nutritionist and must be respected the consume and energy expenditure of each person.