Longitudinal Effects of Dietary Advice on Wheelchair Basketball Athletes: Nutritional and Environmental Aspects

Elisabetta Toti, Anna Raguzzini, Anna Lucia Fedullo, Valentina Cavedon, Chiara Milanese, Marco Bernardi, Bianca Maria Mariani, Luca Massaro, Francesco Mellara, Tommaso Sciarra and Ilaria Peluso
Additional contact information
Elisabetta Toti: Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), 00178 Rome, Italy
Anna Raguzzini: Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), 00178 Rome, Italy
Anna Lucia Fedullo: Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), 00178 Rome, Italy
Valentina Cavedon: Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
Chiara Milanese: Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
Marco Bernardi: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Erspamer”, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
Bianca Maria Mariani: Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro In Carrozzina (FIPIC), 00188 Rome, Italy
Luca Massaro: Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), 00178 Rome, Italy
Francesco Mellara: Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), 00178 Rome, Italy
Tommaso Sciarra: Joint Veteran Center, Scientific Department, Army Medical Center, 00184 Rome, Italy
Ilaria Peluso: Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), 00178 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Background: Diet impacts both human and environmental health and must be designed to optimize the training and performance of athletes. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of dietary advice (DA) on the food intake of wheelchair basketball athletes (WBA) and the environmental impact longitudinally. Methods: DA were provided to WBA of the Italian national team (DAM-T1). Nutritional assessment and evaluation of the environmental impact of diet were performed two months (DAM-T2) and one year later (DAM-T3), when a post-COVID-19 survey was performed also in WBA who did not receive counselling (men: NDAM-T3, women: NDAW-T3). Results: After DA, WBA showed a reduced percentage of energy derived from sugars and fats. Athletes adjusted their protein intake according to the personalized recommendations. The intake of some micronutrients improved after DA and was higher compared to NDAM-T3 and NDAW-T3. Despite the lower impact of diet in NDAW-T3, they presented more nutritional deficiency than men. The mean intake of vegetables was in the range of the EAT-Lancet Commission suggestion only two months after DA. After DA, fiber intake increased and adapted to the tolerated level. Conclusions: WBA improved their diet after DA but did not comply with the EAT-Lancet suggestion for red meat and legumes.

Keywords: Paralympics; pain; body mass; nutritional adequacy; ecological footprints (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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