LE3 .A278 2014

2014

Fowles, Jonathon

Acadia University

Bachelor of Kinesiology

Honours

Kinesiology

Kinesiology

The maintenance and development of skeletal muscle mass plays an essential role in the management of many chronic medical conditions and improvement of athletic performance. Resistance training combined with nutritional strategies has been studied extensively in regards to the impact they have on muscle growth and repair. Specifically, the combination of resistance training (i.e. weight training) and the ingestion of workout supplements (i.e. essential amino acids and carbohydrates immediately following exercise) has been proven to significantly improve this muscle protein growth response. The Dietary Reference Intake for protein is listed at 0.8g/kg; however, protein recommendations of 0.8g/kg mainly apply to sedentary populations. Athletes looking to gain lean muscle mass are encouraged to consume between 1.2-1.7g/kg of protein daily. In relation to these recommendations, dietary practices around daily protein consumption are important to understand in athletic populations. In addition to protein supplementation with essential amino acids, other performance enhancing (ergogenic) nutritional aids such as creatine, glutamine, nitric oxide, and other supplements, have been linked to improved athletic performance in varying degrees. Many supplements have only recently been introduced to the market (over the last 20 years), and more continue to be released on a monthly basis. Research pertaining to the effectiveness of ergogenic aids is therefore not conclusive. Additionally, little research has been on comparing the extent of supplement use among male and female athletes. This study investigated the nutritional practices and supplement use in male and female varsity athletes at Acadia University. Results showed that male and female varsity athletes likely meet recommended intakes of protein, and most athletes follow post-workout nutrition guidelines; however, a low percentage of varsity athletes met healthy intakes of fruit and vegetables or water intake. There may be some relationship between dietary practices and changes in fat-free mass or changes in performance.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1065