Analysis of body composition and dietetic patterns in male field hockey players

Abstract

Objective: This study analyses and compares the body composition of male field hockey players from different national teams. Method: Fifty one hockey players from Spain (n= 18), Netherlands (n=15) and Germany (n=18) were recruited as volunteers to test the differences in body composition between national teams and field positions. The obtained anthropometric values were correlated to food consumption. Results: players had a mean balanced mesomorphic somatotype (2.8-4.0-2.4). Players of the German team had the higher adiposity that correlated with higher oil consumption (p= 0.046). German players had as well more bone mass (p=0.020) that correlated with the daily consumption of non-skimmed yogurts. Conclusion: results suggest that the studied teams did not follow suitable dietetic and nutritional guidelines corresponding to this sport discipline.