Nutritional Profile of Street Runners from a Sports Club in Belo Horizonte city, MG, Brazil

The anthropometric and/or dietary profile of elite runners has been studied; however, little is known about the characteristics of recreational street runners. This study was aimed to characterize the nutritional profile of recreational runners from a sports club in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, who were referred to a nutritional clinic of a local private college. The sample study was composed of 19 athletes, aged between 28 and 53 years. The diagnosis of the runners' nutritional status was obtained by assessment of their energy and macronutrients - carbohydrates (CHO), lipids (LIP), and proteins (PTN) consumption-through the 24-hour dietary recall (R24h), as well as analysis of their anthropometric profile. The results obtained from the dietary evaluation showed that according to the recommendations proposed by the DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes), the distribution of energy among the macronutrients in both men and women was adequate: 48.1 +/- 9.2% (CHO), 29.6 +/- 7.2% (LIP) and 22.3 +/- 4.96% (PTN). However, when considering energy consumption in g/kg of body weight, the intake of CHO was low (3.54 +/- 1.45g/kg/d) and of PTN was high (1.7 +/- 0.57 g/kg/d) for this type of recreational exercise. Regarding total energy consumption, 89.5% of runners presented energy intake below the recommended values, resulting in daily caloric deficiency. Concerning the anthropometric evaluation, the average percentage of body fat (%G) for men and women was not statistically different and was considered adequate based on their age. Waist circumference (WC) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) of the studied group showed normal results and do not represent increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, the study indicates that although the athletes showed adequate caloric distribution of macronutrients, it was still not sufficient to meet the energy requirements of their modality, suggesting hence that continuous nutritional guidance is needed.