Perceptions of strength training practitioners on nutritional aspects strength training and nutrition

Abstract

A balanced diet is indispensable to ensure that practitioners of physical activity reach their goals, be they in physical, aesthetic, or quality of life.10 With the premise that training strategies fundamentally depend on their practitioners’ dietary habits, understanding how nutrients work in the body becomes essential and a valuable aid to exercise programs developed in gyms.11 The current condition of society has inflicted on individuals an agitated way of life, making their subsistence precarious, and their dietary routines weakened. In this situation, some individuals practice strength training, often engage in most of their time with work or studies and often find it challenging to adapt their training to a food intake that sufficiently favors them achieving satisfactory results.7 However, there is a lack of understanding of what would be appropriate to consume, how and when to consume it, due to the lack of reliable information and adequate nutritional guidance.10 Also, many feel the influence of friends, physical educators, and others who are not qualified for nutritional guidance and, finally, start developing eating habits and adherence to unconventional diets.12 Not least, the desire to achieve their goals in a short period has led many strength training practitioners to use dietary supplements indiscriminately, as many advertisements are promising short-term profits.7,10