Author(s): BURKE, L., WALKER, A.E., MCKAY, A.K.A., Institution: AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY, Country: AUSTRALIA, Abstract-ID: 1802

INTRODUCTION:
Dietary assessment of free-living athletes from self-reported food diaries is challenged by misreporting of intake and changes to eating habits during the observation period, typically leading to underestimation of true/habitual intake. We developed a novel protocol that minimised participant burden and awareness of assessment to measure dietary intake in elite male and female rowers during a period of altitude training
METHODS:
Tier 4-5 rowers (28 F, 18M) rowers participated in this study while attending a 3-week altitude (1,839 m) training camp in Colorado Springs, USA. Daily intake was assessed for 18 days while rowers had ad libitum access to meals provided in a dining hall plus additional snacks. A team of sports dietitians and food service personnel developed a protocol in which pre-weighed or packaged foods/drinks were chosen from a buffet-style service, with each rower’s food tray being photographed before and after intake, with unconsumed items being weighed after the dining period. The Teamworks food analysis platform captured intake on each eating occasion; energy and macronutrient intakes were assessed from its food composition database, which included recipes and menu items served within the dining hall, as well as commercial items sourced externally. Three dietitians completed all data entry according to a standardised protocol. At the end of each week, rowers completed an online survey to identify factors that had influenced their dietary intake over the week.
RESULTS:
Mean energy intake was 4569 kcal/day [95%CI: 4417, 4721 kcal/day] for female rowers and 6143 kcal/day [95%CI: 5888, 6399 kcal/day] for the men. CHO intakes were 8.0 g/kg BM [95%CI: 7.5, 8.4 g/kg BM] and 8.4 g/kg BM [95%CI: 7.9, 8.9 g/kg BM] for women and men, respectively, while protein intake was 2.2 g/kg BM [95%CI: 2.1, 2.4 g/kg BM] and 2.7 g/kg BM [95%CI: 2.6, 2.9 g/kg BM]. Self-reported factors underpinning food intake ranged among participants and across the weekly periods. However, themes which were rated to have least influence included awareness of being observed, feeling self-conscious in the presence of others, body composition concern, lack of food availability, or poor enjoyment of the provided foods. Appetite, hunger, gastrointestinal comfort, and time to eat were more variable as influencers on eating patterns, while awareness of nutritional needs, including special needs for training and altitude adaptation, was identified as more important.
CONCLUSION:
We assessed ad libitum dietary intake in rowers in a residential training centre during a period of altitude training using a novel method that minimised known challenges to the validity and reliability of self-reported food records. In addition to gaining information on energy and nutrient intakes of high-performance rowers, this study provided an opportunity to assess the manpower, expertise, challenges, and benefits of developing bespoke observer-reported food record protocols.