Dietary Intake of Masters Athletes: A Systematic Review

Dietary practices of masters athletes (MAs) may promote healthy ageing; however, they are poorly understood. The aims of this systematic review were to synthesise the literature on the dietary intakes of MAs and undertake comparisons between younger (35-50 years) and older (>50 years) MAs and the general population. A search was conducted across seven databases to identify relevant publications for screening and data extraction. Averages for energy intake (EI), macronutrients, and micronutrients were compared with data from the 2011-2012 Australian Health Survey (general population). Twenty-six studies (n = 2819) were included. Energy intake was higher for older (8908 kJ/d versus 7792 kJ/d) but not younger MAs (9073 kJ/d versus 8872 kJ/d) versus the general population. Younger versus older male MAs had higher energy and macronutrient intakes. Energy intake for older was comparable to younger female MAs (7819 kJ/d versus 7485 kJ/d), but older had higher protein, lower carbohydrate, and higher micronutrient intakes. Micronutrient intake was higher in MAs than the general population. Similar EIs for older MAs and younger general population may indicate potential for a higher-quality diet. Younger female MAs may restrict or misreport EI, requiring further investigation. There is a need for more comprehensive assessments of dietary intake in MAs to ascertain diet quality in relation to health.

Automated summary

This systematic review aims to synthesize the literature on the dietary intakes of masters athletes (MAs) and compare them to younger and older MAs as well as the general population. The review found that energy intake was higher for older MAs compared to the general population, while younger male MAs had higher energy and macronutrient intakes. Micronutrient intake was also found to be higher in MAs compared to the general population. However, it was noted that younger female MAs may restrict or misreport energy intake, requiring further investigation. This study emphasizes the need for comprehensive assessments of dietary intake in masters athletes to evaluate the impact on their health.