Nutrition for Master Athletes: Is There a Need for Specific Recommendations?

Dietary Intake of Athletes at the World Masters Athletics Championships as Assessed by Single 24 h Recall

Proper dietary intake is important for masters athletes because of the physiological changes that occur with aging and the unique nutritional needs when competing at high levels. We evaluated the dietary intake of masters athletes competing at the World Masters Athletics Championships (outdoor games, Tampere, Finland, 2022, and indoor games, Torun, Poland, 2023). A total of 43 athletes (16 females and 27 males, mean age 59.2 ± 10.3 y, height 168 ± 8 cm, and body mass 62.3 ± 10.8 kg) participating in endurance (n = 21), sprint (n = 16), jumping (2), multi-component (e.g., decathlon; n = 3), and throwing (n = 1) events provided 24 h dietary recalls while participating in the games. Carbohydrate intake was below the recommended levels for endurance athletes. Protein intake was below the recommended levels for masters athletes, except for female athletes involved in power events (i.e., sprinters and jumpers). Other nutrient intakes that were below the recommended levels included vitamins D and E, calcium, potassium, vitamin A (except for female endurance athletes), folate (except for female power athletes), vitamin C for female endurance athletes, vitamin K and fiber for males, and zinc for endurance athletes. We conclude that while competing at world championships, many athletes are not consuming the recommended levels of carbohydrates, protein, and micronutrients. Athletes attending these games would benefit from increased nutritional support.

Carbohydrate-Protein drink is effective for restoring endurance capacity in masters class athletes after a two-Hour recovery

BACKGROUND

Carbohydrate (CHO) and carbohydrate-protein co-ingestion (CHO-P) have been shown to be equally effective for enhancing glycogen resynthesis and subsequent same-day performance when CHO intake is suboptimal (≤0.8 g/kg). Few studies have specifically examined the effect of isocaloric CHO vs CHO-P consumption on subsequent high-intensity aerobic performance with limited time to recover (≤2 hours) in masters class endurance athletes.

METHODS

This was a randomized, double-blind between-subject design. Twenty-two male masters class endurance athletes (age 49.1 ± 6.9 years; height 175.8 ± 4.8 cm; body mass 80.7 ± 8.6 kg; body fat (%) 19.1 ± 5.8; VO_2peak 48.6 ± 6.7 ml·kg·min^-1) were assigned to consume one of three beverages during a 2-hour recovery period: Placebo (PLA; electrolytes and water), CHO (1.2 g/kg bm), or CHO-P (0.8 g/kg bm CHO + 0.4 g/kg bm PRO). All beverages were standardized to one liter (~32 oz.) of total fluid volume regardless of the treatment group. During Visit #1, participants completed graded exercise testing on a cycle ergometer to determine VO₂peak and peak power output (PPO, watts). Visit #2 consisted of familiarization with the high-intensity protocol including 5 × 4 min intervals at 70-80% of PPO with 2 min of active recovery at 50 W, followed by a time to exhaustion (TTE) test at 90% PPO. During Visit#3, the same high-intensity interval protocol with TTE was conducted pre-and post-beverage consumption.

RESULTS

A one-way ANCOVA indicated a significant difference among the group means for the posttest TTE (F_2,18 = 6.702, p = .007, ƞ² = .427) values after adjusting for the pretest differences. TTE performance in the second exercise bout improved for the CHO (295.48 ± 24.90) and CHO-P (255.08 ± 25.07 sec) groups. The water and electrolyte solution was not effective in restoring TTE performance in the PLA group (171.13 ± 23.71 sec).

CONCLUSIONS

Both CHO and CHO-P effectively promoted an increase in TTE performance with limited time to recover in this sample of masters class endurance athletes. Water and electrolytes alone were not effective for restoring endurance capacity during the second bout of exhaustive exercise.

Dietary Intake of Masters Athletes: A Systematic Review

Dietary practices of masters athletes (MAs) may promote healthy ageing; however, they are poorly understood. The aims of this systematic review were to synthesise the literature on the dietary intakes of MAs and undertake comparisons between younger (35-50 years) and older (>50 years) MAs and the general population. A search was conducted across seven databases to identify relevant publications for screening and data extraction. Averages for energy intake (EI), macronutrients, and micronutrients were compared with data from the 2011-2012 Australian Health Survey (general population). Twenty-six studies (n = 2819) were included. Energy intake was higher for older (8908 kJ/d versus 7792 kJ/d) but not younger MAs (9073 kJ/d versus 8872 kJ/d) versus the general population. Younger versus older male MAs had higher energy and macronutrient intakes. Energy intake for older was comparable to younger female MAs (7819 kJ/d versus 7485 kJ/d), but older had higher protein, lower carbohydrate, and higher micronutrient intakes. Micronutrient intake was higher in MAs than the general population. Similar EIs for older MAs and younger general population may indicate potential for a higher-quality diet. Younger female MAs may restrict or misreport EI, requiring further investigation. There is a need for more comprehensive assessments of dietary intake in MAs to ascertain diet quality in relation to health.

Hill Runner's Physiology, Performance and Nutrition: A Descriptive Study

Objectives: The aim of this descriptive study was to characterise anthropometric variables, aerobic capacity, running performance and energy intake and expenditure of hill runners in free-living conditions, and to investigate the relationship between age, anthropometric variables, aerobic capacity and running performance.

Methods: Twenty-eight hill runners participated in this study (17 males and 11 females; aged 18–65 years). Body fat percentage estimate, sum of eight skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, biceps, iliac crest, supraspinale, abdominal, front thigh and medial calf) and maximal oxygen capacity (VO₂max) were assessed in a laboratory setting. Participants also completed a timed hill run (Dumyat Hill, Scotland, ascent: 420 m, distance: 8 km) while wearing a portable gas analyzer to assess oxygen consumption (VO₂). Energy intake and energy expenditure were assessed in free-living conditions over three consecutive days different from the testing days through self-reported food diaries and accelerometers.

Results: VO₂max assessed in the lab (51.2 ± 7.6 ml·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹) showed a weak negative relationship with age [rs(23) = −0.38, p = 0.08]. Neither body fat percentage (median 12.4; IQR 10.1–17.1) nor the sum of skinfolds (median 81.8; IQR 62.4–97.8 mm) correlated with age [rs(28) = 0.001, p = 0.10 and 26 rs(28) = −0.02, p = 0.94, respectively]. The observed intensity of the hill run was 89 ± 6% of the age predicted maximum heart rate and 87 ± 9% of the VO₂max observed in the lab. Hill running performance correlated with VO₂max [r(21) = 0.76, p < 0.001], age [rs(26) = −0.44, p = 0.02] and with estimated body fat percentage and sum of skinfolds [rs(26) = −0.66, p < 0.001 and rs(26) = −0.49, p = 0.01, respectively]. Energy intake negatively correlated with age [rs(26) = −0.43, p = 0.03], with the overall energy intake being significantly lower than the total energy expenditure (2273 ± 550 vs. 2879 ± 510 kcal·day⁻¹; p < 0.001; d = 1.05).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that hill running performance is positively associated with greater aerobic capacity and negatively associated with increases in adiposity and age. Further, the study highlights that hill runners are at risk of negative energy balance.

Retraining and Nutritional Strategy of an Endurance Master Athlete Following Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Study

Retraining and resuming competition following surgery is challenging for athletes due to the prolonged period of reduced physical activity and subsequent alteration of body composition and physical performance. This is even more challenging for master athletes who endure the additional effect of aging. Within this context, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and benefits that evidence-based nutritional and training recommendations could have on the time course of reconditioning and retraining following hip arthroplasty in an endurance master triathlete. During 38 weeks (from 6 weeks prior to surgery through to the return to competition in week 32), the athlete was provided with detailed training and nutritional recommendations. Dietary intake (via the remote food photographic method), body composition (via DXA), peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak), peak power output (PPO), cycling efficiency (GE), and energy availability (EA) were assessed 6 weeks pre- and 8, 12, 18, 21, and 25-weeks post-surgery. Training load was quantified (via TRIMP score and energy expenditure) daily during the retraining. Total body mass increased by 8.2 kg (attributable to a 3.5-4.6 kg increase in fat mass and lean mass, respectively) between week -6 and 8 despite a reduction in carbohydrate (CHO) intake post-surgery (<3.0 g/kg body mass/day). This was accompanied with a decrease in VO_2peak, PPO, and GE due to a drop in training load. From week 7, the athlete resumed training and was advised to increase gradually CHO intake according to the demands of training. Eventually the athlete was able to return to competition in week 32 with a higher PPO, improved VO_2peak, and GE. Throughout retraining, EA was maintained around 30 kcal/kg Lean Body Mass/day, protein intake was high (~2 g/kg/day) while CHO intake was periodized. Such dietary conditions allowed the athlete to maintain and even increase lean mass, which represents a major challenge with aging. Data reported in this study show, for the first time, the conditions required to recover and return to endurance competition following hip surgery.