Analysis of changes in body composition in Crossfit® practitioners with different carbohydrate distributions in the diet
Abstract
Crossfit® has been standing out worldwide with its training program that involves high-intensity exercises and aims to develop physical fitness. Thus, method has nutrition as one of its pillars, using the Zone diet as a basis for practitioners. However, this diet is lower in carbohydrates than most guidelines, therefore, this study aims to evaluate the improvement in sports performance and body composition of CrossFit® practitioners from a box in Itajaí-SC, with different distributions of carbohydrate (CHO) in the diet. It was a longitudinal crossover study lasting 60 days. Data collection took place in 3 face-to-face meetings for body assessment using bioimpedance and performance assessment using a sequence of exercises called Fight gone bad. Participants were divided into 2 groups, with 40-45% or 60-65% CHO in the diet. The results demonstrated statistical significance for performance improvement only in Sumo exercise when the diet was high in CHO. Regarding body composition, quantitative results demonstrated that a high or low carbohydrate diet does not significantly influence the body composition of Crossfit® practitioners. However, the qualitative results demonstrated that throughout the study participants felt improvements in physical aspects of strength and endurance. It is concluded that a high-carbohydrate diet can be an interesting strategy for improving aerobic performance in CrossFit®, and improving quality of life through a healthy diet combined with physical exercise. New research is suggested with longer intervention time, greater number and diversity of participants.
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