(P32-020-23) No Association Between Macronutrient Intake And Body Composition Indices In Collegiate Athletes

Objectives: Past research on the relationship between macronutrient intake and body composition indices has been limited by its focus on non-diverse populations, such as athletes mostly of one ethnicity, single-sex or body type, or a single sport. To address this gap, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the percent (%) intake of carbohydrates, dietary fat, and protein with fat-free mass % (FFM %), fat mass % (FM %), fat mass index (FMI), and lean mass index (LMI) in a diverse athlete population.

Methods: A total of 58 male and female college student-athletes of various ethnicities (34% Caucasian, 45% non-Caucasian, and 21% multi-ethnic) from various sports (football, soccer, basketball, swimming, track and field, and gymnastics) were included in the analysis. Mean macronutrient intake (multiple-pass 24-hr dietary recall) and body composition (whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were compared by sex using Mann-Whitney tests. Spearman’s rho partial correlation was used to assess the relationship between the % intake of carbohydrates, dietary fat, and protein with FFM %, FM %, FMI, and LMI. Ethnicity, exercise, sport type, and training hours were controlled for partial correlations. Calculations for FMI and LMI are based on FM and LM in kg divided by height in meters squared to allow for comparisons between sexes.

Results: There were no sex differences in protein % intake (female vs. male, 17.65±3.45 vs. 18.36±2.50, p=0.487) and FMI (12.04±2.41 vs. 12.82±6.50, p=0.342). No associations were observed in either sex between carbohydrate % intake and FMI (F, M r=0.087, -0.053, p=0.609, 0.885), fat % intake and FMI (F, M r=0.062, -0.006, p=0.717, 0.987), or protein % intake and LMI (F, M r=-0.262, 0.199, p=0.117, 0.581).

Conclusions: After analyzing a diverse athlete population, it was found that there were no significant associations between macronutrient intake and body composition indices. This study indicates that macronutrient composition in the short-term may not play a crucial role in affecting the body composition of collegiate athletes. Further research is needed to explore the complex relationship between macronutrient intake and body composition in diverse athlete populations.

Funding Sources: None