CONSUMPTION OF POLYPHENOLS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The benefits that physical activity can add to the health of its practitioners are expressive, especially when associated with diet and oriented to prevent possible damages caused by the practice. In this context, the beneficial effects of nutraceuticals and bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, have mobilized several studies.

Objective:

To evaluate the consumption of polyphenols in the diet of practitioners of physical activity, associating it to the nutritional knowledge and time spent on this practice.

Methods:

This is a quantitative transversal study. The sample consisted of 35 men with a mean age of 27.9 years, practitioners of physical activity in a fitness center in the city of São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. Data were collected through a food survey, a socio-demographic questionnaire and a nutritional knowledge scale and then analyzed. The polyphenols ingested in the diet were measured using the Phenol-Explorer database. The polyphenols average were compared between groups using the t-test for independent samples. The normality of the data for the consumption of polyphenols was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.

Results:

The average weekly time spent by individuals in the sample in the practice of physical activity was 291.7±117.5 minutes, and those who practiced exercises for a longer period consumed more dietary polyphenols.

Conclusion:

When analyzing the consumption of polyphenols, it was observed that all participants had regular intake, but in lower proportions than suggested by several studies. When evaluating the quality of the diet it was found that the majority consumed fruits and vegetables, despite differences in relation to adequate knowledge about the nutritional relevance of these foods.

Keywords:
exercise; feeding; nutritional processes; antioxidants.