Nutrient intake of elite sailors during a solitary long-distance offshore race

The purpose of the present study was to determine the nutritional intake of 11 skippers during the four stages of a solitary long-distance offshore race. Body weight significantly decreased during the race (-1.31 +/- 0.32 kg, range 3.5 to 0.1 kg, p <.01). Total daily energy intake was 18.53 +/- 0.71 MJ . day(-1) during the race, and it correlated negatively with the race duration of each leg. Energy intake during the race was similar to 19% greater than that determined for a subgroup of 5 sailors during a control period 2 months after the race. Nutrient intake expressed as percentage calories of total energy was estimated at 50%, 35%, and 15% for carbohydrate, fat, and protein, respectively. Voluntary fluid intake decreased with increasing race duration (p <.001). Despite high energy intakes, sailors lost body weight during the solitary offshore race. It was not possible to conclude that this change in body weight was related to fluid loss and/or a discrepancy between energy intake and energy expenditure.