EVALUATION OF PRE-RACING FOOD RESTRICTIONS IN MASTER ATHLETES

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine pre-racing voluntary food restrictions, food preferences and food avoidance reasons of master athletes. A total of 246 master athletes (185 men, 61 women) who participated in training and racing at 5 km, 6-10 km, 11-21 km, marathon and ultra marathon participated in the study. To determine food restrictions of master athletes, this research drew on the “Food Restriction in Running Questionnaire’’ which developed by Parnell et al. (2019). Since the data collection process was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the data were collected through face-to-face interviews and some online. The Fisher’s Exact test determined significant differences between gender, running distance and performance level groups. In all statistical analyses, the level of statistical significance was set at p<0,05. It was determined that the most restricted foods pre-racing were high-fat foods (79%), junk foods (63%), spicy foods (58%), milk (54%) and red meat (44%). It was determined that there was a significant relationship between gender in the restriction of legumes, milk and high fiber foods and the restriction was higher in women (p <0,05). Especially high-fat foods and lactose-free milk were found to be more restricted as the running distance and performance level increased (p <0,05). It was determined that
pre-racing food restriction was more common in female master athletes and the increasing running distance and performance level increases the food restriction rates in master athletes.

Keywords

• Food
• Food restrictions
• Master athletes
• Racing

MASTER ATLETLERDE YARIŞMA ÖNCESİ BESİN KISITLAMALARININ DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı, master atletlerin yarışma öncesi gönüllü besin kısıtlamalarını, besin tercihlerini ve besinlerden kaçınma nedenlerini belirlemektir. Araştırmaya 5 km, 6-10 km, 11-21 km, maraton ve ultra maraton mesafelerinde antrenman ve yarışmalara katılan, yaşları 35-74 arasında olan toplam 246 master atlet (185 erkek, 61 kadın) katılmıştır. Atletlerin besin kısıtlamalarına yönelik yaptıkları uygulamaları belirlemek için Parnell ve arkadaşları (2019) tarafından geliştirilen 17 soruluk “Koşucularda Besin Kısıtlaması Anketi” kullanılmıştır. Veri toplama süreci, Covid-19 pandemi döneminde gerçekleştirildiğinden verilerin bazılarına yüz yüze görüşülerek bazılarına ise online olarak ulaşılmıştır. Yarışma öncesinde kaçınılan besinlerin; cinsiyet, koşu mesafesi ve performans seviyesi grupları arasındaki farklılıklarını belirlemek için Fisher Exact testi kullanılmıştır. Tüm istatistiksel analizlerde anlamlılık düzeyi p<0,05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Yarışma öncesi en çok kısıtlanan besinlerin yüksek yağlı yiyecekler (%79), atıştırmalık hazır paket ürünleri (%63), baharatlı yiyecekler (%58), süt (%54) ve kırmızı et (%44) olduğu belirlenmiştir. Kurubaklagil, süt ve yüksek lifli gıdaların kısıtlanmasında cinsiyetler arası anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu ve kadınlarda kısıtlamanın daha fazla olduğu belirlenmiştir (p<0,05). Özellikle yüksek yağlı yiyecekler ve laktozsuz sütün koşu mesafesi arttıkça ve performans seviyesi yükseldikçe daha fazla kısıtlandığı belirlenmiştir (p<0,05). Kadın master atletlerde yarışma öncesi besin kısıtlama uygulamasının daha yüksek oranda görüldüğü ve koşu mesafesinin artması ile performans seviyesinin yükselmesinin, master atletlerde besin kısıtlama oranlarını artırdığı belirlenmiştir.

Keywords

• Besin
• Besin kısıtlaması
• Master atlet
• Yarışma

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