AN ASSESSMENT OF DIETARY INTAKES OF THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, SWIMMING, AND VOLLEYBALL TEAMS AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Abstract

African Americans have become dominant in sports teams. It was questioned in the Nutritional Sciences Department as to whether there were any outstanding dietary and nutritional characteristics of Howard University’s women’s basketball, swimming, and volleyball teams to explain this. The teams were 76 per cent Black. The mean body mass index (BMI) among all team members was 22.5. Dietary intakes were essentially unremarkable, but surprisingly, iron intakes were adequate. All teams, however, averaged only 50 per cent of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for calcium. Efforts need to focus on coaches who may encourage a higher intake of dairy products and dark green, leafy vegetables to increase bone health and prevent osteoporosis later in life.

Keywords:

• Dietary intakes
• women’s basketball
• swimming
• volleyball teams
• calcium
• iron

Acknowledgment

This publication is adapted from the master’s thesis of Houra Taheri who earned her MS degree in 2000 from the Department of Nutritional Sciences.