Food knowledge and practices of people who competitively practice sports categorized by weight in the great metropolitan area of Costa Rica, 2018

Abstract

Athletes who practice sports in which they compete according to weight categories often compete in a weight below the training weight, so they usually face constant cycles of loss and gain of weight, they can end up affecting their physical performance. Objective: To relate the level of nutritional knowledge with the alimentary practices of people of both sexes who practice in a competitive way, sports categorized by weight. Methods: Correlational quantitative study, in which 50 athletes of taekwondo, karate, judo and boxing are studied, the alimentary practices and the level of nutritional knowledge were obtained through a self-applied instrument. Results: 82% of the athletes evaluated maintain a weight greater than their category in the non-competitive stage. 84% of athletes indicate a reduction in carbohydrate intake and 72% reduce fat intake. 44% of athletes indicate less than 1 liter of fluid per day in the competitive stage and 66% refer to sauna suits or plastic bags to sweat. 22% of athletes start weight loss one week before weighing. The study compares dietary practices in the period outside competition and in the competitive period with the nutritional knowledge level of combat sports athletes, it is obtained that not necessarily to greater knowledge there are better feeding practices. The methods used for weight loss are similar in the sports evaluated. Conclusions: There is no statistical relationship between the level of nutritional knowledge and alimentary practices carried out by athletes in the competitive stage.