A research team led by Associate Professor Yoko Iio and Professor Morihiro Ito of the Department of Sports and Health Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, investigated the nutritional intake of 92 male students belonging to a university baseball club and found that there is room for improvement in the nutritional intake of university baseball players.
For athletes, consuming sufficient energy and nutrients is important to maintain and improve performance and condition. However, university athletes have limited opportunities to receive the same nutritional guidance and support as professional athletes, and may have irregular eating habits due to balancing their studies with their work.
これまで単一競技の大学生アスリートを対象とした栄養摂取状況の詳細な報告は少ないことから、飯尾准教授と伊藤教授らの研究チームは、大学野球部に所属する男子学生92人を対象に調査し、詳細な栄養素別摂取量と食品群別摂取量を明らかにした。さらに選手の競技レベルを1〜4軍(1軍:公式戦レギュラー、2軍:公式戦ベンチ入り、3軍:2軍入りの可能性あり、4軍:1〜3軍以外)に分け、競技レベルごとの栄養摂取状況の特性を比較した。
The results showed that second-division players consumed significantly more total energy, carbohydrates, calcium and many other minerals, insoluble dietary fiber, grains, sugar, dairy products, etc., compared to the third and fourth-division players, suggesting that second-division players are highly motivated to play in games and actively manage their nutrition.
On the other hand, for first-division players, no significant differences were identified in the intake of either nutrients or food groups compared to other categories. It is presumed that first-division players are already at a high competitive level and place more importance on maintaining their condition than on improving their physical condition.
However, it became clear that the team as a whole was lacking in intake of nutrients such as total energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and calcium, as well as food groups such as potatoes, beans, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and milk. This shows the need for effective and practical nutritional guidance and support for athletes who are struggling to balance their studies and training.
The research team recommends that one possible strategy to improve this is to add milk, which is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, and vitamin B1 and is easy to consume, to the daily diet.
Paper information:【Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition】Survey of nutritional intake status in college baseball players
