Body Composition and Nutrients Dietary Intake Changes during COVID-19 Lockdown in Spanish Healthy Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

(1) Background: During the COVID-19 lockdown, high rates of physical inactivity and dietary imbalances were reported in both adults and adolescents. Physical separation and isolation not only have a significant impact on the performance of physical activity but also affect people’s lives, particularly their dietary habits. In the present study, we aimed to examine whether or not bioelectrical impedance-derived body composition parameters and dietary habits were affected during the pandemic-associated lockdown in postmenopausal Spanish women. (2) Methods: Sixty-six women participated in the study (58.7 ± 5.4 years) before (between July–October 2019) and after (August–October 2020) the lockdown, which occurred as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Body composition parameters were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis while dietary intake of proteins, fat, carbohydrates, and energy was measured by a food frequency questionnaire. (3) Results Regarding body composition, no differences were observed in fat mass in % (mean increase 0.05 (2.74); p = 0.567), fat mass in kg (mean increase −0.07 (4.137); p = 0.356) or lean mass in kg (mean increase 0.20 (1.424); p = 0.636). Similarly, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two study periods for any of the nutrients studied, nor for energy intake (p > 0.05 in all cases). (4) Conclusions: After comprehensively assessing body composition and dietary intake of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and energy before and after COVID-19 lockdown in healthy adult women in Spain no changes in the parameters studied were observed during the period analyzed in the women examined.

Changes in food and nutrient intakes in Korean adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: data from the 2011-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…In the National Diet and Nutrition Survey [ 34 ] conducted in United Kingdom, energy intake slightly decreased, but there was no difference in food and nutrient intakes from 2019 to 2020. A study conducted in Spain on healthy postmenopausal women also demonstrated no difference in either energy or nutrient intake [ 35 ], and a study conducted in the United States with adults also reported an increase in energy density but no difference in energy intake [ 11 ]. In German children and adolescents, energy intake decreased by a negligible percentage (0.85%) from before the COVID-19 pandemic with a non-significant decrease in sugar sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods intake [ 36 ].…”

Modifications of Chest CT Body Composition Parameters at Three and Six Months after Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Another peculiarity of the first COVID-19 wave in Italy was the concurrent lockdown, which, by inducing a reduction in physical activity and changes in dietary intakes, had the potential to contribute to body composition change. Data on the impact of lockdown are controversial: a 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis reported an increase in body weight and BMI in the post-lockdown period compared to the pre-lockdown period [40]; however, one study reported a significant weight loss in the elderly population, probably related to malnutrition and sarcopenia [41], and a recent study conducted in postmenopausal Spanish women reported no significant changes in fat and lean mass, measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis comparing the pre-and postlockdown periods [42]. Still, we cannot exclude that the body composition changes that we registered were partially influenced by the lockdown, at least for patients discharged in March-April.…”

Body Composition of Master Swimmers before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

“…To the best of our knowledge, changes in the body composition of Master athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been studied to date. At the same time, some studies have shown that COVID-19 restrictions had no significant effect on the body composition of physically inactive older adults [24,25]. On the other hand, physical inactivity, changes in nutritional habits, social isolation, and other stressful situations connected with COVID-19 lockdowns amplified the risk of sarcopenia, particularly in older adults [26,27].…”