Glycemic index and glycemic load in Brazilian Athletes's diets

Background: Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) have been used as tools for choosing diet as a health reference, and especially for athletes, with the purpose of improving physical performance. However, little is known about the GI and GL in the diet of athletes from different sports. Aim: Investigate the GI and GL in the diet of Brazilian athletes. Methods: Cross sectional study conducted with 113 athletes (18.4 ± 6.6 years, 22.3 ± 3.2kg/m2, 13.6 ± 7.0 % body fat, and 12.0 ± 6.9 hours of weekly training). Bioelectrical impedance was used to assess percentage body fat and anthropometric measurements were evaluated. Food consumption was assessed through the 24-hour dietary recall, GI and GL were calculated based on previously established procedures. The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There was no statistical difference in training volume, macronutrient intake, total calories, GI among men and women (P > 0.05). The GL was lower in women´s diets and was different among sports. High GL diets presented lower percentage of body fat than moderate GL (P< 0.05). Conclusion: The majority of the athletes presented a diet with a low GI and high GL. Differences were found between GL classification and modalities and body fat. Further studies are required to better elucidate the effects of these dietary glycemic properties on body composition and physical performance.