Dietary habits of athletes in Bahrain

This study describes the dietary habits of athletes involved in four common sports in Bahrain (football, handball, volleyball and basketball). A sample of 304 athletes was obtained from 14 first class clubs. It was found that 28% of athletes skipped breakfast, and only 39% consumed breakfast daily. Foods eaten before competition were similar to those consumed by other family members, indicating that athletes did not eat any specific diet before events. There were some differences in meal patterns among athletes of various sports. In general, athletes allowed enough time between a meal and competition (2.8-3.1 hours). About half of them consumed water only at restbreak, while the rest consumed fruit drinks, tea and oranges in addition to water. Some (3%) did not consume any fluid. A small proportion of the athletes (4%) used vitamins and protein supplements. Mass media (53.6%) and coaches (20.1%) were the primary sources of nutrition information for athletes. It is suggested that information on nutrition and physical performance should be introduced in all educational programmes for both athletes and coaches.