INTRODUCTION:

Soccer nutrition is crucial for a better sports performance and the Mediterreanean Diet is proven to be one of the most adequate to ensure the supply of all nutrients in different age groups, promoting the development of the athlete’s physical capacities. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the anthropometric profile and the prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as to evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet.

METHODOLOGY:

The study included 33 young male Portuguese soccer players from Vitória Sport Clube in 2019/2020 season, aged between 10 and 12 years old. Weight and height were determined, through which the Body Mass Index was calculated, and the waist circumference to determine the quotient between it and height Waist-to-height ratio index. It was also applied by indirect administration, a questionnaire about sociodemographic characteristics and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, KIDMED® index.

RESULTS:

From the anthropometric assessment, 63.6% presented appropriate weight, 33.3% were overweight and 3.0% were obese. Regarding the waist circumference, only 3.0% of the sample was above normal. As for the KIDMED® questionnaire, 85.0% had high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and the remaining 15.0% had moderate adherence, no one had low adherence.

CONCLUSIONS:

The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 36.3% and the vast majority had high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. The focus on dietary education should be considered as a major nutritional strategy to maximize sports performance.

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