Author(s): XU, Q., YUDAN, C., HUAJUN, T., JUN, Q., GUOQIANG, M., QIUPING, Z., Institution: THE RESEARCH INSTITUTION OF SHANGHAI SPORTS SCIENCE , Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 205

INTRODUCTION:
Since the 1980s, the dietary pattern approach has become a systematic tool in nutritional epidemiology, analyzing food-nutrient interactions to reflect diet-health relationships. Widely validated in general and chronic disease high-risk groups, it is understudied in Chinese professional athletes with unique metabolic needs. Existing athlete research focuses on individual nutrients, hampering comprehensive assessment and targeted guidance. This study addressed this gap via a validated FFQ, analyzing athletes’ dietary patterns and their associations with anthropometric and blood indicators to inform localized sports nutrition strategies.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study included 526 athletes from four Shanghai training bases, with dietary data via a validated FFQ. Major dietary patterns were extracted by factor analysis. Body composition was measured by Inbody, and fasting venous blood tests detected serum testosterone, ferritin, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and HDL-C. Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA compared subgroup factor scores; Spearman correlation (stratified by age/gender) and multiple linear regression assessed dietary patterns’ effects on health indicators.
RESULTS:
Five dietary patterns were identified: Mediterranean-like, Western-like, Fast Food-like, Snack-like, and Supplemental-high-carbohydrate. Males, adults, national-level or higher athletes, and endurance aerobic athletes showed significantly higher adherence to the Supplemental-high-carbohydrate pattern (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed gender- and age-specific associations: in adolescent males, Western-like pattern correlated positively with serum ferritin (r = 0.516, P = 0.02); in adult males, this pattern linked to higher body fat (r = 0.281, P = 0.026) and lower testosterone (r = -0.338, P = 0.015). In adolescent females, Snack-like pattern correlated with higher testosterone (r = 0.315, P = 0.027). Multiple linear regression confirmed that, after adjusting for confounders, Western-like pattern was linearly associated with lower testosterone (β = -24.969, P < 0.01) and higher serum ferritin (β = 8.81, P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
This study first identified five dietary patterns in Chinese professional athletes, with adherence linked to gender, age, training level and sport category. Males, adults and endurance athletes prefer Supplemental-high-carbohydrate pattern for recovery, while power athletes favor Western-like one. Western-like pattern benefited adolescent males’ iron stores but raised adult males’ metabolic risk. Mediterranean-like pattern reduced adolescent females’ triglycerides, and Snack-like pattern supported endocrine homeostasis. Findings suggested subgroup-specific dietary guidance instead of a universal "ideal pattern". Despite concentrated sampling and lack of performance data, stratified effects inform Chinese sports nutrition standards. Future studies with expanded samples and performance indicators will clarify underlying mechanisms.