SOMATOTYPE MAGNITUDE IN ASSOCIATION WITH NUTRITIONAL INTAKE AMONG LITHUANIAN PROFESSIONAL ROAD CYCLISTS

Abstract

Optimal nutrition goals are undoubtedly associated with general health, fitness, and somatotype in athletes. The primary aim of this single cross-sectional study was to determine the somatotype profiles in relation to nutritional profiles among Lithuanian high-performance road cyclists (n = 50). The nutritional status of athletes and body composition along with the somatotype profiles were performed using a battery of both the 3-day food record analysis and the multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The central tendency values for the somatotype components of endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy in male and female athletes playing cycling sports were 4.3–5.1–3.5 and 4.2–4.4–3.2, respectively. In the athletes’ cohort under analysis, high-level mesomorphs were prone to consume low-carbohydrate (β –0.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): –0.1; –0.01, p = 0.036) and high-protein diets (β 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2; 0.6, p = 0.047). Contrastingly, the professional road cyclists with a higher expression of ectomorphy were on high-carbohydrate (β 0.1, 95% CI: 0.01; 0.2, p = 0.049) diet. Finally, although nutrition goals as a mediator can play a key role in undergoing the maintenance of balance between the optimal body composition for athletic performance and the development of an ecto-mesomorphic somatotype, the professional male cyclists with higher levels of mesomorphy value should be aware of lowering the body fat percentage coupled with dietary fat reduction and higher protein plus carbohydrates intakes. Also, the somatotyping as an additional assessment approach can be utilized in choosing correct coaching techniques.