Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Nutrition Knowledge of Irish Dancers

Abstract

Irish dance requires lengthy, intensive training to perform at a high level in competitions and professionally. Irish dancers have been known to have high injury rates. Appropriate nutrient and fluid intakes have been shown to minimize the risk of fatigue and injury during training and performance in sport, but there is a lack of evidence as to whether and how this might apply in Irish dance. Forty adult Irish dancers, 35 females (age 21 ± 3 years) and five males (aged 27 ± 8 years), professionals or in full time training, were recruited for this study to investigate nutrition knowledge, dietary intake, and body composition. Participants were asked to complete "The Sport Nutrition Questionnaire," a sport- and dance-specific nutrition knowledge questionnaire, 4 day estimated food diaries, and under-take a dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to assess body composition. Food diaries were analyzed using Dietplan 7. Reported energy, fiber, iron (females), magnesium (females), selenium, iodine (females), and folate (females) intakes were below United Kingdom dietary reference values. Fruit and vegetable intakes were low: 2.7 ± 1.4 portions per day. Sixteen percent of days reported contained no fruits or vegetables. Mean body mass index (BMI) for 35 female participants was 23.2 ± 3.3 kg/m2, mean BMI for five male participants was 22.2 ± 1.6 kg/m2. Mean body fat measured by DXA in 18 female participants was 33.4% ± 6.9%, which was higher than seen in other dance populations. Mean lean mass was 40.8 ± 5.6 kg. Mean score for the nutrition knowledge questionnaire in which the maximum score is 65, was 30.5 ± 7.6 (47% ± 11.7%), range: 9 to 44 (14% to 68%). The ability of the Irish dancers to correctly identify foods as being high or low in carbohydrate, protein, and fat varied widely. Body composition did not correlate with intake of any nutrient but did correlate with nutrition knowledge questionnaire score (r = -.663, p < 0.001). Given the dietary intakes and nutrition knowledge exhibited by the dancers in this study, further work is needed to inform and improve diets and support the demands of Irish dance.

Nutritional Considerations for the Vegetarian and Vegan Dancer

“…The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS) offers general recommendations regarding macronutrient distribution of dancers' diet: 55% to 60%, 20% to 30%, 12% to 15% of carbohydrates (CHO), fats, and protein, respectively. 21 Including all three macronutrients in a vegetarian diet provides a host of benefits: favorable gastrointestinal microbiota, 2 high polyunsaturated fats, which contribute to stable blood pressure, 22 as well as a complete spectrum of essential amino acids that support bone health and muscle repair. 23 More comprehensive analyses of the macronutrients and caloric needs are covered elsewhere.…”

“…23 More comprehensive analyses of the macronutrients and caloric needs are covered elsewhere. 21,24 The section below highlights macronutrient research relevant to vegetarian diets.…”

“…29 Omega-3s are particularly important for cardiovascular, brain, and eye health ,30,31 and may enhance aerobic metabolism. 6,21 However, vegan diets contain little if any bioavailable essential ω-3 fatty acids and thus require more careful planning. Research consistently reports that a balanced consumption of essential ω-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is deficient in poorly planned vegetarian and vegan diets.…”

“…39 However, dancers need not increase dietary intake above the recommended range for similar-type athletes of 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, depending on level of activity and gender. 21,40 Muscle inactivity limits, while muscle activity increases, the amount of required protein.…”

“…8,42 Thus, a sensible adjustment in a lacto-ovo diet is between 10% to 15% 25 daily intake of protein, a range well within the current recommendations for dancers. 21 Due to the potential of lower digestibility of plant-only protein sources, the vegan recommendation offers an increased protein intake of between 15% to 20% for age 6 years and older, in comparison with non-vegetarians. 43 This also presents an increase in the range recommended for omnivore dancers, 21 which can be altered when recommended caloric intake is maintained.…”