[Assessment of basketball players' nutrition in dynamics].

Abstract

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, with competitions held at national, international, continental and world levels, including the Olympic Games. Optimal nutrition plays a key role in sports performance and the implementation of recovery strategies, which determined the relevance of this study. The aim of the research was to analyze the nutrition of basketball players in dynamics to determine the need to introduce specialized or dietary supplement into the diet. Material and methods. The nutrition of 17 male basketball players, students of the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture and Sport in the pre-competition period was assessed twice in March 2022 [n=17, 20.5±0.5 years, body length - 190.8±1.7 cm, body weight (BW) - 79.4±4.5 kg, body mass index (BMI) - 23.4±0.5 kg/m2] and 2023 (n=17, BW - 87.3±2.5 kg, BMI - 24.0±0.5 kg/m2). The actual nutrition of athletes was studied using the NIAP (Scientific Instrument for Nutrition Analysis) web service developed by the Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety together with Nutrient Planner LLC (2023). Results. The diet structure of the examined basketball players was not optimal. The energy value of the diet in 2023 (Me=3089 kcal/day) was 11% higher compared to 2022 (p=0.068) and approached the recommended level for men of group IV with high physical activity aged 18-29 years. With a high protein level in the calorie value of the diet - 20.1% (2023) and 18.7% (2022), the proportion of fats and carbohydrates was suboptimal both in the first study (40.5 and 39.9%) and in the repeated one (37.8 and 40.9%). The specific intake of dietary fiber (DF) did not reach the level of 10 g/1000 kcal per day, and in absolute values, only in 2023 median exceeded 20 g/day (23.2 [15.8; 26.7] g/day). Conclusion. Excessive consumption of fats and saturated fatty acids was revealed, which can negatively affect the energy supply of high-intensity activities of athletes in team sports and performance. To optimize the diet in terms of the ratio of carbohydrate and fat components and the DF content, athletes were offered a specialized food of the corresponding focus (with high DF level). Systematic education of athletes on optimal nutrition is necessary.