Dietary intake and nutritional status of athletic and nonathletic children in early puberty

Dietary intakes, trace element status, and anthropometric measures were studied in 12- to 13-year-old boys (n = 49) playing ice hockey (AB) and in 11- to 12-year-old girls who were gymnasts, figure skaters, and runners (AG; n = 43). Thirty-five boys (CB) and 53 girls (CG) not involved in supervised sports were controls. After adjustment for sexual maturation, ABs had larger upper arm muscle circumference than CBs. The sum of four skinfolds was smaller in AGs than in CGs. The intake of energy and all micronutrients examined was higher in ABs than in CBs. Micronutrient intakes were not different between AGs and CGs. Compared to CBs, serum ferritin and copper concentrations were lower, but serum zinc concentration was higher in ABs. No differences in trace element status were found between AGs and CGs. Blood investigations did not indicate inadequate trace element status in any of the groups studied.