Avaliação do consumo de suplementos alimentares por praticantes de exercício físico de Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais

Abstract

The search for food supplements has increased in recent years, mainly by the male public, but not always, the indication is made by a professional with a porper training. The indiscriminate consumption of these products can lead to health problems among them: kidney disorders, cardiovascular, liver, endocrine disorders, poisoning, and adverse effects. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate the level of knowledge and consumption of dietary supplements by practitioners of a gym in Governador Valadares - MG. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 175 physical exercise practitioners of both genders, aged between 18 and 59 years old, who answered a questionnaire with information on educational level, socioeconomic status and the use of dietary supplements. Of the participants, 53.7% are male, 53.5% of the total had a higher educational level. Observing the behavior regarding physical exercise, 54% have hypertrophy as their main objective, 95.3% practice bodybuilding. The consumption of supplements is performed by 33.1% of the sample, and among males individuals the use is higher. The prevalence of indication occurs by friends and the most consumed supplements are protein, with whey protein (25.1%) and BCAA (18.9%), respectively. Regarding the level of knowledge, individuals who consume supplements are 3.34 times more likely to know about food supplements. It is possible to conclude that the consumption of protein supplements is associated with hypertrophy activity and is more frequentet in males.