Abstract:

Introduction and Objective: Football is an intense sport that requires high caloric intake, sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients, in addition to an adequate body composition. The present study aimed to evaluate the food consumption and body composition of base players of a field football team in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul. Materials and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study, with secondary data from a study with 24 base players of a field football team aged 17 to 20 years. A food frequency and consumption questionnaire was applied and anthropometric measurements were taken. Statistical analyzes were performed using Stata 14.0®, with a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). Results: In relation to food consumption, 20 athletes (83.3%) had insufficient consumption of calories and carbohydrates, 22 (91.7%), and a consumption above the recommended protein intake, 22 (91.7%) and of lipids 16 (66.7%). As for body composition, the mean percentage of fat was 8.3% and BMI was 23.5 kg/m2. Discussion: Nutrition and proper body composition play a fundamental role in the performance of football players activities, being directly linked to performance. Conclusion: Athletes had adequate body composition, but inadequate food consumption. Therefore, it is essential that football players have nutritional monitoring, in order to adapt the athletes diet and contribute to the promotion of health and athletic performance.   

Keywords: