Reflection on sports nutrition: Where we come from, where we are, and where we are headed

Essay Reflection on sports nutrition: Where we come from, where we are, and where we are headed Reflexão sobre a nutrição esportiva: de onde viemos, onde estamos e para onde vamos Claudia Ridel JUZWIAK1  1Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade, Departamento de Ciências do Movimento Humano. R. Silva Jardim, 136, sala 302A, 11015-020, Santos, SP, Brasil. E-mails: <>; <>. ABSTRACT From a historical perspective of athletes' eating practices, the advancement of science and the provision of food in the modern Olympic Games, the author seeks to show that many challenges in practicing Sports Nutrition have their roots in how these processes were built. This essay aims to provide arguments for a reflection on the work of dietitians in the sports' scenario considering the growth of interest in this area, as well as the hosting of major sports events in Brazil. The professional training and the skills required to work in this area, as well as the eating practices of athletes, often far from the nutritional recommendations but heavily laden with symbolism and representations, making it important for their identity within their peer group, are among the current challenges that can be emphasized. As the main prospects for the comprehensive care of athletes, the author highlights the importance of adopting an interdisciplinary approach, and of dietitians fully understanding the meaning of nutrition for athletes in order to address the gap between their food practices and the recommendations. Keywords: Culture; Feeding; Feeding behavior; Sports. RESUMO A partir do percurso histórico das práticas alimentares de atletas, da evolução da ciência e da oferta de alimentos nos Jogos Olímpicos modernos, este ensaio tem como objetivo trazer elementos para a reflexão sobre a atuação dos nutricionistas na área esportiva, frente ao crescimento do interesse pela área e à realização de importantes eventos esportivos no Brasil. Procura-se mostrar como muitos dos desafios da atuação nessa área têm suas raízes na maneira como tais processos foram construídos. Dentre os desafios atuais, ressaltam-se a formação para a área e as competências necessárias para a atuação, além do fato de as práticas alimentares de atletas serem, muitas vezes, distantes das recomendações nutricionais e fortemente carregadas de simbolismo e representações, o que é fator importante para a identidade com seu grupo esportivo. Como principais perspectivas para o cuidado integral do atleta, aponta-se a importância de o nutricionista adotar uma abordagem interdisciplinar e compreender plenamente o significado da alimentação para o atleta, a fim de reduzir a distância entre as práticas alimentares deste e as recomendações daquele. Palavras-chave: Cultura; Alimentação; Comportamento alimentar; Esporte. INTRODUCTION The influence of nutritional aspects on sports performance is already widely evidenced1, and nutritional recommendations for athletes should aim to guarantee the best performance2-4, while taking into account the need for promoting and maintaining health1,5. Brazil is a country with a strong interest in sports, mainly soccer, the importance of which goes beyond mere play and soccer can be considered an essential constituent of the Brazilian identity6. However, the results of the Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (Vigitel)7 study indicate that 48.7% of Brazilian adults do not achieve a sufficient level of weekly physical activity, defined as the sum of moderate-intensity physical activity spent in leisure time, commuting, and occupational activity equivalent to 150 minutes/week7. Furthermore, the proportion of physically inactive people, defined as individuals who report not having practiced any leisure-time physical activity in the last three months, do not perform occupational effort/heavy cleaning, and do not commute by foot or bicycle for at least 10 minutes per commuting is of 15.6%7. Although hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil in 2016 does not guarantee that the population will increase its interest in exercising8, it can leave a health legacy, which includes the establishment of groups of professionals and specialists9, and the construction of centers10, which may both promote physical activity and improve elite sports performance. Despite the fact that regular exercise can bring numerous health benefits, this is not always the case for high performance sports. Overtraining, stress and anxiety, dissatisfaction with body image, risk of injury, and diets that do not meet nutritional demands stand as some of the challenges in athletes' care5,11. Nonetheless, there are a few initiatives led by clubs and other sports institutions that guarantee infrastructure and comprehensive care to all athletes, especially in the youth teams. The actions related to Sports Nutrition target a heterogeneous audience that ranges from individuals who adopt a physically active lifestyle, opting for structured exercise programs, to the aspiring athlete, and finally the high performance athletes, constantly seeking to achieve their best results in competitions. The life cicle, sex, type of sport, involvement (frequency, schedule, duration, and intensity of training), goals (mass and body composition, results) and competition calendar have to be taken into consideration, which require dietitians to have a broad understanding of nutritional requirements, as well as how to best apply them to each situation. Thus, the objective of this essay is to reflect on this area of expertise, focusing on the context of competitive sport, rescuing its trajectory, some current challenges and future prospects. From where we come The search for a competitive advantage and the first scientific discoveries The concern for what to eat for good sports performance long predates sports science. The few records about the food intake of Greek and Roman athletes indicate a mixture of reality and myth. Initially, records describe a diet similar to that of the general population, consisting of whole grains, fruits, cheeses, and wine diluted with water, and the sporadic fish and meat12,13. However, goat meat was recommended for the jumpers and bull meat for runners13,14, clearly an allusion to the principle of incorporation, which dictates that those who eat a certain food incorporate the properties of such food15. While the Spartan athlete Charmis consumed dried figs shortly before competitions to improve performance16,17, the introduction of meat as part of a training diet is attributed to the prominent long distance runner, Dromeus of Stymphalos. The consumption of "nine kilos of meat, nine kilos of bread, and nine liters of wine"18 (p.875S) before competitions is attributed to the fighter Milo of Croton, reinforcing the myth idea13,18. Competitive sports have taken a new dimension with the ho (...truncated)