Eating Perception, Nutrition Knowledge and Body Image among Para-Athletes: Practical Challenges in Nutritional Support

Deguchi, Miwako; Yokoyama, Hisayo; Hongu, Nobuko; Watanabe, Hitoshi; Ogita, Akira; Imai, Daiki; Suzuki, Yuta; Okazaki, Kazunobu

doi:10.3390/nu13093120

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Correct nutrition guarantees energy needs and recovery during and after exercise [ 37 ], while insufficient nutrition can increase the risk of injury and illness and decrease performance [ 69 ]. Despite being scarce, studies on the nutritional knowledge of athletes with disabilities and its relationship with sport have increased [ 37 , 70 , 71 , 72 ], as this is also a key element for performance indicators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold Medals, Silver Medals, Bronze Medals, and Total Medals: An Analysis of Summer Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2016

et al. 2022

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The Paralympic Games (PG) are considered one of the biggest events in the world, with increasing coverage by media and participation. The present study aimed to investigate the variation in the number of gold, silver, bronze, and totals medals in the Summer PG from 1992 to 2016. Data related to the results were extracted from the International Paralympic Committee to an SPSS database. Descriptive statistics and Friedman’s two-way analysis of variance by ranks were used to check the differences across medals in seven editions of the Summer PG, with the correspondent effect sizes. There was a peak in the maximum number of any type of medal between the 1996 and 2000 Summer PG and a decrease until 2008. After that, the number of any kind of medals has been increasing again. There were also significant differences with intermediate to large effect sizes when comparing more distant PG with more recent events. Several external factors can influence performance indicators (e.g., the number of medals) in a negative or positive way. An increase in the number of participants and a greater and better investment by the countries may explain part of our results. The preparation of an athlete must be based on a multidisciplinary team, and future organizing countries must take into account reports of previous events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold Medals, Silver Medals, Bronze Medals, and Total Medals: An Analysis of Summer Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2016

et al. 2022

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“…Additionally, 18.5% had an elevated dietary restraint subscale score and 32.4% had elevated pathologic behavior subscale scores, as assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). A positive correlation between body image scores and ideal eating behavior was found in Japanese Para athletes [ 7 ]. This provides evidence that improved nutritional support, tailored to the needs of Para athletes, might result in improved body image and mental well-being.…”

Section: Other Factors Of Red-smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar to able-bodied athletes, Para athletes face body image-related challenges [ 6 , 7 , 8 ] that can result in disordered eating behavior and clinical eating disorders. These issues are, along with unawareness of dietary needs and potential problems with sufficient fueling, known risk factors and/or causes of LEA [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Do We Assess Energy Availability and RED-S Risk Factors in Para Athletes?

2022

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Low energy availability (LEA) is considered to be the underlying cause of a number of maladaptations in athletes, including impaired physiological function, low bone mineral density (BMD), and hormonal dysfunction. This is collectively referred to as ‘Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport’ (RED-S). LEA is calculated through assessment of dietary energy intake (EI), exercise energy expenditure (EEE) and fat-free mass (FFM). The incidence of LEA in Paralympic athletes is relatively unknown; however, there are legitimate concerns that Para athletes may be at even higher risk of LEA than able-bodied athletes. Unfortunately, there are numerous issues with the application of LEA assessment tools and the criterion for diagnosis within the context of a Para population. The calculation of EEE, in particular, is limited by a distinct lack of published data that cover a range of impairments and activities. In addition, for several RED-S-related factors, it is difficult to distinguish whether they are truly related to LEA or a consequence of the athlete’s impairment and medical history. This narrative review outlines deficits and complexities when assessing RED-S and LEA in Para athletes, presents the information that we do have, and provides suggestions for future progress in this important area of sports nutrition.

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“…Only 3.5% of certified sports nutritionists jointly certified by the Japan Dietetic Association and the Japan Sports Association profess para-sports and para-athletes as their field [21]. Para-athletes themselves lack knowledge of sports nutrition [20,22], and it is reported that many of them are unable to practice dietary intake to meet their energy and nutrient demands [23]. In addition, various dietary problems caused by the types of disabilities and individual differences of para-athletes make nutrition support challenging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Diets and Dietitians for Para-Athletes: A Pilot Study Based on Interviews

Yokoyama¹,

Deguchi²,

Hongu³

2022

Nutrients

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Efforts to provide nutrition support to para-athletes have not been established to date, and are far behind those established for athletes without disabilities. In the present study, we attempted to clarify the actual situation regarding dietary challenges of para-athletes. The aim of this study was to obtain clues to effective intervention methods that encourage the practice of sports nutrition. Six active elite para-athletes (30–70 years, four males) and a female physical therapist without physical disability participated in semi-structured interviews. All para-athletes had lower-limb disabilities and participated in the international wheelchair sports competitions (tennis, softball, and table tennis, with 2–26 years of player history). The interview items were on the ideal diet for improving competitive performance, evaluation of their typical diets, and the role of the dietitian as support. Responses obtained from participants were analyzed using quantitative content analysis by language analysis software. There are differences in the ideal diet based on the characteristics of the sport, but most participants believed that a nutritionally well-balanced diet with abundant vegetables was ideal for improving competitive performance. Para-athletes who use a wheelchair daily pay attention to their total calorie intake, because gaining weight is a critical issue for operating their wheelchairs and transferring themselves to and from their wheelchairs. Despite their world-class competition levels, none of them received routine dietary advice from dietitians. Some para-athletes did not even feel the need to engage with dietitians. Even for these para-athletes at a high level of competition, the “ideal diet” they considered was not always the optimal diet for improving their competitive performance. In addition, there are various barriers to practicing their optimal diet due to disability characteristics. Dietitians need to understand these barriers, their concerns and conflicts, and how to help them plan the optimal diet to improve their performance and maintain overall health.

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Eating Perception, Nutrition Knowledge and Body Image among Para-Athletes: Practical Challenges in Nutritional Support

Cited by 9 publications

References 73 publications

Gold Medals, Silver Medals, Bronze Medals, and Total Medals: An Analysis of Summer Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2016

Gold Medals, Silver Medals, Bronze Medals, and Total Medals: An Analysis of Summer Paralympic Games from 1992 to 2016

How Do We Assess Energy Availability and RED-S Risk Factors in Para Athletes?

The Role of Diets and Dietitians for Para-Athletes: A Pilot Study Based on Interviews

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