Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and frequency of food consumption associated with physical performance in amateur runners

Physical performance is conditioned by different factors, including dietary patterns, gender, and age. The purpose of the study was to determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and frequency of food consumption with physical performance in amateur runners. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 197 Peruvian amateur runners between January and March 2022. Sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex, among others, were analyzed. Life habits were also evaluated (tobacco and alcohol consumption, sleep duration, among others). Food consumption was evaluated by means of a food frequency questionnaire and physical performance through the Cooper test. The analysis of the relationships was performed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Approximately, 58.1% of the women and 67.7% between 18 and 39 years of age presented high physical performance. Hours of sleep (rho = 0.197, p < 0.01), nutritional supplementation (rho = 0.336, p < 0.05) and sex (rho = 0.152, p < 0.05) were significantly and directly correlated with physical performance. Tobacco use (rho =-0.230, p < 0.01) and body mass index (BMI) (rho =-0.272, p < 0.05) were inversely correlated with physical performance. The findings of this study suggest that interventions aimed at improving physical performance should consider these associated factors for effective outcomes, particularly in those with older age.