Eating for performance: an evaluation of food consumption patterns and adherence to dietary guidelines in elite wheelchair basketball players

Abstract

This study evaluated dietary habits, hydration practices and adherence to nutritional recommendations in elite Spanish wheelchair basketball players, examining differences by sex and functional classification. Sixty-six athletes from first-division teams completed the validated Food4Me Food Frequency Questionnaire, and adherence was assessed using national dietary guidelines. Overall compliance with recommendations was low, the most athletes consumed fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fish below recommended frequencies, while dairy, red meat and eggs generally met guidelines. Fruit intake was below recommendations in all women and in 91.2% of men, and a significant sex difference emerged only for dairy, with lower consumption in women. By functional classification, dairy intake was also lower among athletes with greater functional limitation. Most players (80.3%) did not follow any specific diet. Hydration practices were suboptimal, with 66.7% of women consuming ≤0.5 L of water during training compared with 15.8% of men, and athletes with grade 1 functionality drinking less water during matches than those with grade 4. These findings indicate limited adherence to dietary guidelines and insufficient hydration practices in this population, underscoring the need for tailored, disability-informed nutritional education strategies to support dietary adequacy and performance.