Prevalência do uso de recursos nutricionais, fisiológicos e fatores associados em usuários de academias de ginástica na cidade de Pelotas/RS

Abstract

Significant portion of fitness centers’ users are opting to utilize nutritional and physiological resources to maximize performance. These resources, also known as nutritional and anabolic supplements, are used to increase the capacity of body work by intensifying physical power, mental strength or mechanical limit, preventing or delaying the onset of fatigue imposed by strenuous physical exercise. The supplements are often consumed without observing the criteria of specificity and adequacy to the training load of the practitioners of physical activity and without specialized professional guidance. Considering this, the present study verified the prevalence of nutritional and physiological resources use by the users of health centers in the city of Pelotas, southern region of Brazil, and the factors associated with its use. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed, and the information collected through a self - administered questionnaire containing open and closed questions. A total of 392 users were interviewed in 30 fitness centers, randomly selected, distributed in representative areas of the city. Univariate (descriptive statistics), bivariate (chi-square tests for heterogeneity and for linear trend) and multivariable analyzes (logistic regression) were performed. It was verified that 56% (IC95% 51-61) of the interviewees used ergogenic resources, being greater the consumption among men (RO 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.6), with incomplete higher education (RO 2, 5, 95% CI 1.3-4.6), smokers or former smokers (RO 2.7, 95% CI 1.4-5.9), with physical exercise time in the gym over one year (RO 2.5, 95% CI 1.6 to 9.9) and weekly attendance to the gym 4-5 times a week (RO 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.3). Men showed greater chance of consumption of suplements rich in protein (RO 2.5, IC95% 1.6-3.9), creatine (RO 4.3, IC95% 2.2-8.3), BCAA/glutamine (RO 2,3; (95% CI 1.38.1) and women were more likely to consume natural/herbal supplements and nutricosmetics (RO 1,7; IC95% % 1.1-2.8). The most consumed products were those rich in protein (66.4%) and the main justification for the use was muscle hypertrophy for men and weight loss for women. It was concluded that the prevalence of the use of nutritional and physiological resources was high and the main users were men, with age range between 31-40 years old and with incomplete higher education. The most consumed nutritional supplements were those rich in proteins and the main justification for their use was muscle hypertrophy.