Carbohydrate Intake, Body Composition And Vitamin D Changes Among Acrobatics And Tumbling Division I Student-Athletes

Female athletes from aesthetic sports have been reported to present inadequate nutrient intakes, but little is known about Acrobatics and Tumbling (A&T). A&T is an emerging sport in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; however, no research has evaluated the dietary intake, vitamin D, and overall health of A&T student-athletes. PURPOSE: To assess the body composition, serum vitamin D, and dietary intake of A&T student-athletes. METHODS: Forty-two female A&T student-athletes participated in the study and were clustered into their competing positions: 19 top (19.9 ± 1.2 yrs; BMI: 22.3 ± 1.7 kg/m2) and 23 base student-athletes (19.5 ± 1.2 yrs; BMI: 25.7 ± 2.5 kg/m2). Serum vitamin D was assessed at the beginning (T1) and end of Fall preseason training (T2), with an average of 7 weeks apart. Body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A subset of the population, 5 top (20.2 ± 0.8 years; BMI: 22.3 ± 1.7 kg/m2) and 7 base position A&T student-athletes (20.1 ± 1.3 years; BMI: 26.7 ± 3.2 kg/m2), completed a 3-day dietary recall. Adequacy of macronutrients intake was compared to sports nutrition recommendations. The data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests and one-sample t-tests. Data are presented as mean ± SD. RESULTS: Fat-free mass significantly increased in both groups (p < 0.001), while serum vitamin D decreased in base (p = 0.026) and top (p = 0.003) student-athletes as the preseason progressed. Base (T1: 44 ± 12.3 vs T2: 37.3 ± 10.8 ng/mL) and top student-athletes (T1: 52.8 ± 24.1 vs T2: 47.4 ± 24 ng/mL) presented adequate mean serum vitamin D levels (> 20 ng/mL). The subset of top and base A&T student-athletes presented inadequate carbohydrate intake compared to standard sports nutrition recommendations for moderate to high-intensity sports (≥ 6 g/kg of body weight) at both timepoints (p < 0.05). Base athletes presented lower carbohydrate intake (n = 5, T1: 2.9 ± 1.1 vs T2: 2.9 ± 0.9 g/kg) compared to top athletes at both timepoints (n = 7, T1: 4.2 ± 1.4 vs T2: 3.8 ± 1 g/kg). CONCLUSION: Carbohydrate intake of A&T student-athletes was below recommendations, while serum vitamin D decreased throughout the preseason. The results of this study further support the need of sports dietitians to educate A&T student-athletes on adequate nutrient intakes, especially focused on carbohydrates and vitamin D.