Snack and Nutrient Intake Status of Top-Level Female University Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Ensuring proper energy, nutrient intake, and sleep is vital for athlete health and competitiveness. Despite previous studies investigating the nutrient intake among top-level collegiate female athletes in Japan, the status of snack consumption remains unclear. This study addressed this gap by surveying 70 top-level female university athletes. The survey included a self-administered diet history questionnaire, a qualitative food intake frequency survey, and a survey on snack and dietary supplement use. The results revealed a low frequency of snack intake (2.1 ± 2.3 days/week), with 55.7% of athletes reporting snack consumption. The energy intake in the snack-intake group was significantly higher than that in the without-snack-intake group (31.5 ± 10.0 vs. 26.6 ± 9.92 kcal/kg of BM, p = 0.047). Similarly, carbohydrate intake was significantly higher in the snack-intake group than in the without-snack-intake group (4.84 ± 1.71 vs. 3.96 ± 1.65 g/kg of BM/day, p = 0.035). However, neither group reached the recommended value of 5–8 g/kg of BM/day during the medium training period. Overall, this study emphasizes inadequate energy intake even among athletes with a high snack intake frequency, highlighting the necessity to enhance overall food consumption and underscoring the importance of nutritional education for incorporating appropriate complementary meals to improve performance.