Use of food supplements and factors associated with practicers of high intensity physical activity

Abstract

Introduction: Sports supplementation is a feature that is widely used by physical exercise practitioners, especially those who practice high intensity activities, however, there are several factors that may contribute to the adherence of the practice of supplementation. Objective: To identify the association between the use of dietary supplements with sociodemographic, economic factors, life habits, knowledge about healthy eating and practice of physical activity in high intensity physical activity practitioners. Materials and Methods: The study presents an analytical, transversal and quantitative character. The target population was high intensity physical activity practitioners from a gym located in the city of Montes Claros, Northern Minas Gerais. To collect data, we used questionnaires that included the sociodemographic, economic profile and life habits. To assess knowledge about healthy eating and the use of dietary supplements, subjects responded to a questionnaire adapted from Zamin and Schimanoski (2010). Results: A total of 91 individuals were evaluated, of which 54.9 were male. There was a significant association between the use of dietary supplements with the variables marital status (p = 0.020), knowledge about dietary supplements (p = 0.000), time of physical activity without interruption (p = 0.049) and number of times per week practicing activity physics (p = 0.007). Conclusion: It is concluded that the consumption of dietary supplements by high-intensity physical activity practitioners is significant and that future studies are necessary so that the use of these supplements is carried out with awareness and under the guidance of qualified professionals.