Dietary Intake and Energy Expenditure Assessed during a Pre-Season Period in Elite Gaelic Football Players

Abstract

There is currently a lack of research into the energy demands and associated nutritional intakes of elite Gaelic football players during the pre-season period, which is a crucial time of year for physical development. The aim of the current study was to investigate the dietary intake and energy expenditure (EE) of elite Gaelic football players during a typical pre-season week. Over a seven-day period, which included four training days and three rest days, dietary intake (validated self-reported estimated food diary) and EE (Sensewear Pro armband) were recorded in 18 male players from a single elite inter-county Gaelic football team. Average energy intake (EI) (3283 ± 483 kcal) was significantly (p = 0.002) less than average EE (3743 ± 335 kcal), with a mean daily energy deficit of −460 ± 503 kcal. Training days elicited the greatest deficits between intake and expenditure. The mean carbohydrate (CHO) intake was 3.6 ± 0.7 g/kg/day, protein intake was 2.1 ± 0.5 g/kg/day, and fat intake was 1.6 ± 0.2 g/kg/day. These findings indicate that the dietary practices of the sampled players were inadequate to meet EE and CHO recommendations. Training days are of particular concern, with the players not altering energy and CHO intake to encounter increased energy demands. Education on nutritional strategies for elite Gaelic footballers should be considered in relation to training demands to avoid detriments to performance and health.

An investigation of dietary intake, nutrition knowledge and hydration status of Gaelic Football players

“…Inadequate carbohydrate intake is common among Gaelic footballers [ 6 , 7 , 11 ] and team sports such as soccer, rugby and Australian rules football [ 5 ]. Concerning in-season performance, carbohydrates likely form a key metabolic substrate considering the sport’s intermittent activity profile [ 32 ].…”

“…The plurality of research into team sport athletes suggests that protein intake typically meets or exceeds recommendations [ 5 ], including Gaelic football specifically [ 6 , 7 ]. Considering similar findings of the present study, perhaps future research should focus on quality and distribution of intakes as current understanding of muscle protein synthesis develops [ 36 ].…”

“…In elite Gaelic footballers, sub-optimal energy and carbohydrate intakes have also been reported [ 6 , 7 ]. For an in-season athlete, energy restrictions may have ergolytic and health implications such as reduced recovery, muscle atrophy, fatigue, injury and reduced immune function [ 8 ].…”

Exploring Sports Nutrition Knowledge in Elite Gaelic Footballers

“…The physical nature of the game, large distances covered, and high sprint speeds displayed during elite match-play requires players to be competent in many aspects of fitness such as aerobic and anaerobic fitness, muscle strength, strength endurance, speed, and agility [ 6 , 7 ]. Despite its amateur status, preparation for training and competition are comparable to that of professional sport [ 8 , 9 ]. Due to the high-intensity nature of Gaelic football training and match play, meeting energy and nutrient needs in training and competition should be a high priority for athletes to maintain lean muscle mass, enhance recovery and improve performance [ 10 ].…”

“…Depending on training demands, CHO requirements may reduce to 3–5 g·kg −1 (low-intensity) or 5–7 g·kg −1 (moderate-intensity) [ 12 ]. Based on the training demands and energy expenditure of players, CHO intakes of 7 g·kg −1 can fuel training demands and achieve energy balance during the pre-season training period [ 9 ]. To promote optimal performance in competitive Gaelic football match play, 7–12 g·kg −1 should be consumed during the 24 h preceding [ 12 ].…”