Analysis of the consumption of food supplements and the body perception in physical exercises practitioners in gym in the city of Palmitinho-RS

Abstract

In sports, several ergogenic resources have been used because of the alleged effects on improvement in performance, strength, and endurance. The strong media's appeal popularizes these products and brings thousands of people to misuse, a fact that may cause risks to the health of these individuals. In view of the current scenario of this discussion, this study aimed to analyze the consumption of food supplements, the body perception and the anthropometric measurements of physical exercises practitioners in a gym located in the city of Palmitinho-RS. A questionnaire containing 16 objective and essay questions was applied in 37 individuals who are practitioners of physical exercises of both sexes, with aged between 18 and 35 years, being 59.45% male. The results show that 37.84% of interviewees consumed any food supplement, among the most used the whey protein stands out. The main indication source of the supplements was the gym professor (42.86%), followed by friends (35.71%), and the nutritionist (21.43%). According to the nutritional status, it was verified that 62.17% of interviewees were eutrophics, and about the body self-perception, 83.78% were unsatisfied with their image. The results show that consumption of food supplements was relatively low, but untrained professionals are stimulating them. The body dissatisfaction was related to physical form, demonstrating the need to include nutrition professionals into gyms to advise these individuals.