Acceptability of lupin protein products in healthy competitive athletes

Abstract

Lupin proteins allow the preparation of some innovative protein-rich food products, e.g., steaks, chunks, cutlets, gyros. With the objective of evaluating the acceptability of these foods in sport nutrition, they were provided to 34 healthy competitive track and field athletes (mean age 25±5, 17 males and 17 females), to be taken before training or a competitive event. Athletes were asked to fill in 3 different questionnaires, reporting possible problems/negative symptoms impacting on acceptability: questionnaire 1 had to be filled in 1 h after food intake, questionnaire 2 immediately after training/competition (i.e., 3-5 h after food intake) and questionnaire 3 on the day after. All 34 participating athletes indicated good satisfaction with the food products, which were generally well accepted. In addition, most of the athletes gave positive reports in terms of sense of satiety, sense of energy and desire to exercise. Therefore, lupin proteins may provide a useful, well accepted approach to pre-exercise nutrition in competitive athletes.