Influence of food intake and use of supplements in performance of brazilian para-athletes

ABSTRACT Introduction: Weightlifters seek to increase strength in relation to body mass using resistance training and nutrition as performance-enhancing tools. Despite the benefits provided by adequate nutritional planning, many athletes make use of unsuitable strategies, manifested by worse body composition and sports performance. Objective: Analyzing energy and protein consumption and the use of nutritional supplements in para-athletes in order to assess the influence of dietary strategy on performance. Methods: Personal data, anthropometric measures, as well as information on eating behavior and the competition have been collected from 24 male paralympic weightlifters. Results: The amount of calories and macronutrient intake in food averaged 2,235.8 ± 694.92 kcal, 27 ± 11.55% proteins, 46 ± 8.17% carbohydrates and 27 ± 8.57% lipids. Of the athletes studied, 87.5% reported using dietary supplements. Athletes with higher body mass index (BMI) exhibited lower energy and relative protein intake, higher sum of skinfolds and similar performance to the other athletes under study. Conclusion: The strategy used by athletes with higher body mass index did not directly improve performance and had a negative influence on body composition. This fact is probably due to inadequate adjusting of supplementation and diet.