Author(s): ŠAŠOVOVÁ, G., KUNDEKOVÁ, B., ORESKÁ, L., SEDLIAK, M., Institution: COMENIUS UNIVERSITY IN BRATISLAVA, FACULTY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT, Country: SLOVAKIA, Abstract-ID: 2640

INTRODUCTION:
As the participation of master athletes in endurance sports continues to grow, understanding their specific nutritional needs and potential differences compared to younger counterparts is becoming increasingly important. The primary aim of this study was to compare energy intake and macronutrient distribution between young (YA) and master (MA) female endurance runners in the context of current sports nutrition recommendations.
METHODS:
The study included 22 female runners divided into two groups: YA (n = 14; age 29±4 years; BMI 20.7±1.4 kg/m²; body weight 59.8±4.1 kg) and MA (n = 8; age 67±4 years; BMI 22.4±2.9 kg/m²; body weight 58.3±8.9 kg). All participants were required to have maintained a minimum of 300 minutes of endurance running per week and regularly participated in running competitions throughout the last 5 years. Nutritional data were collected using a 7-day food diary and subsequently analysed.
RESULTS:
No significant differences were observed between groups in energy intake (YA: 38±10; MA: 34±10 kcal/kg/day; p = 0.343), with mean values below the lower bound of the recommended range (40–50 kcal/kg/day) for endurance athletes. Similarly, carbohydrate intake (YA: 3.9±1.2; MA: 3.9±1.3 g/kg/day; p = 0.924) was below the lower bound of the recommended range (5–7 g/kg/day) in both groups. Protein intake also did not differ (p = 0.092); however, the median intake was 1.71 [1.51–1.99] g/kg/day in YA and 1.38 [1.11–1.61] g/kg/day in MA. YA approximated the recommended optimal intake (1.6–1.8 g/kg/day), whereas MA intake was comparatively lower. Fat intake showed no significant difference between groups (p = 0.082), despite a higher trend in MA compared to YA (33.3±6.5% vs. 28.5±2.6% of total energy intake, respectively) and remained within general recommendations (~30%).
CONCLUSION:
These findings suggest that both groups of female endurance runners exhibit insufficient carbohydrate and total energy intake relative to their training volume. Master female athletes demonstrated comparatively lower protein intake than young athletes, which may have implications for maintaining muscle mass and supporting recovery in aging populations. Funding: This study was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Grant No. APVV-21-0164) and the Comenius University Grant.