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Comparative Study
. 2018 Sep 20;10(10):1341.
doi: 10.3390/nu10101341.

Analysis of Nutritional Supplements Consumption by Squash Players

Anna Ventura Comes  1 , Antonio J Sánchez-Oliver  2   3 , José Miguel Martínez-Sanz  4 , Raúl Domínguez  5
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Analysis of Nutritional Supplements Consumption by Squash Players

Anna Ventura Comes et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to analyse nutritional supplements (NS) consumption by squash players of different levels (international vs. national). A total of 14 international players and 28 national ones answered a NS consumption frequency questionnaire that had been previously validated. A T-Student test was used for independent samples and a χ² test was used in the comparative analysis among athletes of different levels. International level players consume NS in greater proportion vs. national level players (100% vs. 67.9% p = 0.017), with differences in the consumption of bicarbonate of soda, glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, and flaxseed oil (p < 0.05). Even though international level athletes show a greater total number of NS, as well as of the total of NS of each of the categories based on scientific evidence level (sports food, medical supplements, and ergogenic aids of groups A, B, C, and D) in relation to the national level athletes, no statistically significant differences were detected (p > 0.05). With regard to nutritional advice, there are also differences among performance levels (p = 0.003), being personal trainers (28.6%) and dietitians-nutritionists (21.4%) the greatest prescribers when it comes to international-level players, whereas 55.6% of the national-level players do not receive nutritional advice. The pattern of NS consumption, based on evidence level, is unbalanced and its performance could be favored if the dietitian-nutritionist were included as a nutritional advisor for these athletes.

Keywords: ergogenics aids; nutritional supplements; performance; sport nutrition; squash.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of supplements consumed by the international-level and national-level athletes’ group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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