Evaluation of nutritional status and food intake of teenage swimming athletes in a municipality in Ceará

Swimming is a predominantly aerobic sport that requires high energy demand, and adolescence is a phase marked by several body changes. The objective of the study was to evaluate the nutritional status and food consumption of adolescent athletes from the swimming team of the municipality of Jaguaruana-CE. This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out with adolescent swimmers. A questionnaire containing questions about identification, sports practice and food consumption (three-day food record) was applied, in addition to the collection of anthropometric data. Twenty-six athletes participated in the study, 14 boys and 12 girls, with a mean age of 14.4 +/- 3.24 years. The evaluated athletes had a mean Body Mass Index of 21.19 +/- 3.83 kg/m2 and a mean body fat percentage (%BF) of 22.15 +/- 5.89 %, classifying the majority as eutrophic and with an excellent %BF, respectively. The athletes had a low- calorie (88.46%), low-carbohydrate (84.62%), high-protein (53.85%) and normal-lipid (84.62%) diet. High levels of micronutrient inadequacy were also observed, especially calcium, iron, vitamin A and B vitamins. These results highlight the need for nutritional intervention to promote healthier eating habits among swimmers, aiming to optimize sports performance and general health.