CONSUMO DE SUPLEMENTOS ALIMENTARES POR PRATICANTES DE CICLISMO

Abstract

Introduction. The use of food supplements by cycling practitioners has become an auxiliary strategy for energy gain and muscle development. For this reason, the demand and use of these supplements has increased. On the other hand, it is important that cyclists seek professional guidance before purchasing or using the supplement in order to avoid problems such as intoxication by various substances, and also to monitor the training process and improve the performance of practitioners of this modality. Objective. Identify the prevalence of the use of dietary supplements by cyclists and verify the presence of follow-up of use by a specialized professional. Methodology. The study was developed in the interior cities and capital of the state of Goiás, through a semi-structured questionnaire, with open and closed questions, using the Google Forms digital tool. 57 cyclists were interviewed. Results. Based on the data survey, the survey found that of the 57 cyclists, 54.4% use food supplements and 45.6% do not use food supplements. Regarding the search for guidance, 40.4% of cyclists who use or have used food supplements said they sought guidance, but not currently; 12.3% of cyclists sought guidance and are still following up; 12.3% of cyclists said they did not seek guidance, but still intend to seek guidance, and another 12.3% said they never sought guidance. Conclusion. Most cyclists use food supplements, seek and follow the guidance through qualified professionals, however, some cyclists do not seek guidance from qualified professionals, which is a worrying fact due to the indiscriminate and incorrect use of the food supplement.