Resumen de Comparisons of Daily Energy Intake vs. Expenditure Using the GeneActiv Accelerometer in Elite Australian Football Athletes
Brie S. Salagaras, Kristen L. MacKenzie-Shalders, Maximillian J. Nelson, Francois Fraysse, Thomas P. Wycherley, Gary J. Slater, Chris McLellan, Kuldeep Kumar, Vernon G. Coffey
To assess validity of the GeneActiv accelerometer for use within an athlete population and compare energy expenditure (EE) with energy and macronutrient intake of elite Australian Football athletes during a competition week. The GeneActiv was first assessed for utility during high-intensity exercise with indirect calorimetry. Thereafter, 14 professional Australian Football athletes (age, 24 +/- 4 [SD] y; height, 1.87 +/- 0.08 m; body mass, 86 +/- 10 kg) wore the accelerometer and had dietary intake assessed via dietitian-led 24-hour recalls throughout a continuous 7 days of competition period (including match day). There was a significant relationship between metabolic equivalents and GeneActiv g[middle dot]min-1 (SEE 1.77 METs; r2 = 0.64; p < 0.0001). Across the in-season week a significant difference only occurred on days 3 and 4 (day 3: energy intake [EI] EI 137 +/- 31 kJ[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]d-1; 11,763 +/- 2,646 kJ[middle dot]d-1 and EE: 186 +/- 14 kJ[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]d-1; 16,018 +/- 1973 kJ[middle dot]d-1; p < 0.05; d = -1.4; day 4: EI: 179 +/- 44 kJ[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]d-1, 15,413 +/- 3,960 kJ[middle dot]d-1 and EE: 225 +/- 42 kJ[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]d-1; 19,313 +/- 3,072 kJ[middle dot]d-1; d = -0.7). Carbohydrate intake (CI) was substantially below current sports nutrition recommendations on 6 of 7 days with deficits ranging from -1 to -7.2 g[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]d-1 (p < 0.05), whereas daily protein and fat intake was adequate. In conclusion, the GeneActiv provides effective estimation of EE during weekly preparation for a professional team sport competition. Australian Footballers attempt to periodize dietary EI to varying daily training loads but fail to match expenditure on higher-training load days. Specific dietary strategies to increase CI may be beneficial to achieve appropriate energy balance and macronutrient distribution, particularly on days where athletes undertake multiple training sessions.
