Dietary Acid-Base Balance in High-Performance Athletes

Marius Baranauskas, Valerija Jablonskienė, Jonas Algis Abaravičius, Laimutė Samsonienė and Rimantas Stukas
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Marius Baranauskas: Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Valerija Jablonskienė: Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Jonas Algis Abaravičius: Department of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Laimutė Samsonienė: Department of Rehabilitation, Physical and Sports Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Rimantas Stukas: Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: Physical exercise leads to metabolic changes that affect the acid-base balance in skeletal muscles and other tissues. Nutrition is one of the factors that may influence the acid-base balance in the body. Keeping alkaline circumstances in the body is important not only for health and athletic performance in training but also during competition in many sport events. This is especially significant for athletes who practice in sport at the highest level of competition. The aim of the study was to determine the dietary acid-base balance in competitive Lithuanian high-performance athletes, and to evaluate the effect of actual diets of athletes on NEAP (net endogenous acid production), muscle mass and body mineral content during a four-year Olympic cycle. The research participants were 18.1 ± 3.3-year-old Lithuanian high performance athletes ( n = 323). The actual diet was investigated using the 24 h recall dietary survey method. The measurements of body composition were performed using BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis). The potential renal acid load of the diets of athletes (dietary PRAL) and NEAP were calculated. In 10.2% of athletes, NEAP exceeds 100 mEq · day −1 and is on average 126.1 ± 32.7 mEq · day −1 . Higher NEAP in athletes is associated with lower muscle mass (β -1.2% of body weight, p < 0.001) but has no effect on the amount of minerals in the body (β 0.01% of body weight, p = 0.073). Overall, 25–30% of Lithuanian high-performance athletes use high-protein diets (2.0–4.8 g · kg −1 · day −1 ) leading to a dietary acid-base imbalance as well as an excessive production of endogenous acids in the body. Athletes are recommended to consume higher amounts of potassium and magnesium. An increase in calcium intake up to 1500 mg per day is recommended. In exceptional cases, periodised nutrition for athletes may involve diets complemented with bicarbonate and/or beta-alanine supplements.

Keywords: high-performance athletes; actual nutrition; eating habits; diet; body composition; acid-base balance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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