The nutritional and anthropometric status of Gaelic football players

The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary intakes and anthropometric profiles of county and club Gaelic football players and compare them to soccer players and control subjects. Seven-day dietary records were analyzed and anthropometric measurements were taken midway through the Gaelic football competitive season. The county group with a mean height of 1.82 +/- 0.04 m were significantly taller (p < .05) and had less body fat that any other group. The county and club teams consumed 151 +/- 11 and 150 +/- 16 kJ x kg(-1) x day(-1), respectively, with 52.2 +/- 5% and 49.5 +/- 9% of their energy intakes as carbohydrate. This compares to 173 +/- 11 kJ x kg(-1) x day(-1) for the soccer players and 159 +/- 8 kJ x kg(-1) x day(-1) for the controls, with 57 +/- 4% and 44.9 +/- 5% of their energy from carbohydrate. The nature of Gaelic football demands a balanced diet, rich in energy and carbohydrate and with adequate calcium is consumed; the subjects needed to increase these dietary components in order to meet the energetic demands of competition and training. Additional nutritional counseling was provided on an individual basis.