Nutritional intake of elite Japanese track-and-field athletes

Mean daily intakes of energy and nutrients were surveyed from 3-day food records for 62 elite Japanese track-and-field athletes (28 males and 34 females) selected to participate in the 1994 Asian Championship games held in Hiroshima, Japan. Mean energy intakes of male and female athletes were 3,141 kcal (+/-592) and 2,508 kcal (+/-537), respectively. Based on the Japanese Recommended Dietary Allowances (JRDAs), long-distance and middle-distance runners had significantly higher energy and macronutrient intakes than did sprinters, jumpers, and throwers. There was no significant difference in micronutrient intake among the different types of athletes. However, of the sprinters, jumpers, and throwers, 15 males (54%) and 22 females (65%) consumed less than the JRDA for at least one micronutrient (i.e., vitamin or mineral). For some athletes, nutritional counseling that provides strategies for increasing food intake is recommended to optimize nutrient intake.