A study on the nutritional intake status and nutrition awareness of Korean national athletes with disabilities

Q: What was the purpose of the study?

The study aimed to provide baseline data for nutritional strategies to enhance athletic performance in athletes with disabilities by analyzing nutritional intake, sport-specific differences, and nutrition awareness.

Q: How were athletes’ dietary intake and nutrition awareness assessed?

Food intake over three days was recorded using the CANPRO program, and nutrition awareness plus perceived importance of nutrition were collected via a Google Form questionnaire.

Q: Did male and female athletes show different energy intake or nutrient intake?

No significant sex-based differences were found in caloric or nutrient intake between male and female athletes.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

Purpose, methods, and results focus on determining nutritional intake patterns and nutrition awareness among Korean national athletes with disabilities to inform future nutrition strategies for performance. Twenty-six athletes recorded all foods consumed over three days using CANPRO and completed a Google Form assessing demographic factors and perceived nutrition importance; SPSS analyzed means, standard deviations, and significance at p<.05. Findings show no sex-based differences in energy or nutrient intake, while wheelchair rugby and powerlifting consumed higher energy than other sports. Conclusion: the data support evidence-based nutritional planning and education needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

OPEN ACCESS [https://doi.org/10.20463/pan.2025.0038](https://doi.org/10.20463/pan.2025.0038) 2025;29(4):083-091 Received: 2025/10/14, Revised: 2025/11/16, Accepted: 2025/12/17, Published: 2025/12/30 ©2025 Ji Young Kim et al. ; License Physical Activity and Nutrition. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution license ([https://creativecommons.org/l](https://creativecommons.org/l)icenses/by-nc/2 .0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. *Corresponding author : Young Hwan An, PhD Sports Science Team, Korea Paralympic Committee, Icheon Training Center, 167 Seokdong-ro, Sindun-myun, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 17300, Republic of Korea Tel: +82-10-3211-4638 [E-mail: yhayh2@koreanpc.kr](E-mail: yhayh2@koreanpc.kr) ©2025 The Korean Society for Exercise Nutrition [Purpose] This study was conducted to provide basic data for nutritional strategies to enhance athletic performance in athletes with disabilities by analyzing their nutritional intake, sport-specific comparisons, and awareness of nutrition. [Methods] A total of 26 athletes (17 males, 9 females; average age = 40.67 years) participated in the study. All foods consumed over three days were recorded using the CANPRO program (version 6.0) . Demographic characteristics, nutritional awareness, and perceived importance of nutrition were assessed through a Google Form questionnaire. Data were analyzed with SPSS (version 23.0) to compute means and standard deviations, with statistical significance set at p < .05. Participants included athletes from the following sports: badminton (n = 6), shooting (n = 1), swimming (n = 2), powerlifting (n = 6), judo (n = 1), athletics (n = 1), table tennis (n = 7), and wheelchair rugby (n = 2). [Results] The average daily energy intake was 2,096 .03 kcal for male athletes and 1,680 .57 kcal for female athletes, with no significant sex-based differences in caloric or nutrient intake. Among sports, wheelchair rugby players (n = 2) showed the highest average intake (2,524.49 kcal), followed by powerlifters (n = 6) at 2,323.9 kcal, and badminton players (n = 6) at 1,926.09 kcal, indicating that strength-or power-focused sports require higher energy consumption. All participants agreed that nutrition is closely linked to athletic performance, and about 73% believed it directly affects performance. Additionally, 88% recognized the need for professional nutritional education.[Conclusion] The results of the study can serve as foundational data to establish future nutritional strategies for athletes with disabilities. [Keywords] athletes with disabilities, nutritional intake, athletic performance, para sport, nutritional strategies, nutrition awareness A study on the nutritional intake status and nutrition awareness of Korean national athletes with disabilities JiYoung Kim1 / Sung Yeon Kim2 / Sung Mi Lee3 / Young Hwan An2* 1. Sports Science Laboratory, Korea Institute of Sport Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea 2. Sports Science Team, Korea Paralympic Committee, Icheon, Republic of Korea 3. Department of Adapted Physical Education, Hanshin University, Osan, Republic of Korea INTRODUCTION Athletes’ performance is determined by a variety of factors, including training, environment, sleep (rest), and injury management. However, nutrition is one of the most crucial factors1,2 . Adequate and sufficient nutrition is essential for replenishing fluids lost during high-intensity exercise, increasing strength and agility, building muscle and reducing fat, promoting health and physical function, alleviating pain, stimulating mental focus, and facilitating the repair of injured tissues and rapid recovery from competition. These factors directly contribute to improved performance3. Inadequate nutrition before and after exercise can impair metabolism, reduce body tissue and enzyme synthesis, and ulti

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

The study aimed to provide baseline data for nutritional strategies to enhance athletic performance in athletes with disabilities by analyzing nutritional intake, sport-specific differences, and nutrition awareness.

How were athletes’ dietary intake and nutrition awareness assessed?

Food intake over three days was recorded using the CANPRO program, and nutrition awareness plus perceived importance of nutrition were collected via a Google Form questionnaire.

Did male and female athletes show different energy intake or nutrient intake?

No significant sex-based differences were found in caloric or nutrient intake between male and female athletes.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen