Describing Dietary Habits and Body Composition Among High-Intensity Functional Training Athletes: A Mixed Methods Approach
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants
2.3. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
2.4. Air Displacement Plethysmography
2.5. Questionnaires
2.6. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Demographics and HIFT Participation
3.2. Body Composition
3.3. Dietary Habits
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
BMI | Body Mass Index |
HIFT | High-Intensity Functional Training |
SNK | Sports Nutrition Knowledge |
Appendix A
All (N = 62) | Male (n = 36) | Female (n = 26) | |
---|---|---|---|
Body Mass (kg) | 76.9 ± 15.5 (44.4–113.0) | 86.3 ± 11.1 (65.9–113.0) | 63.8 ± 10.1 (44.4–94.3) |
Body Fat Percentage (%) | 20.8 ± 7.1 (6.0–39.8) | 18.1 ± 5.6 (6.0–28.5) | 24.4 ± 7.3 (11.0–39.8) |
Fat Mass (kg) | 15.9 ± 6.1 (4.5–29.8) | 15.9 ± 6.0 (4.5–29.8) | 15.9 ± 6.4 (4.9–29.7) |
Fat-Free Mass (kg) | 61.0 ± 13.6 (37.3–92.9) | 70.4 ± 8.4 (55.5–92.9) | 47.9 ± 6.6 (37.3–65.0) |
Impedance (Ω) | 544.0 ± 80.6 (387.0–764.0) | 494.0 ± 52.8 (387.0–607.0) | 611.0 ± 60.0 (510.0–764.0) |
Resistance (Ω) | 540.0 ± 80.5 (383.0–761.0) | 490.0 ± 52.6 (383.0–603.0) | 608.0 ± 59.9 (507.0–761) |
Reactance (Ω) | 61.6 ± 7.5 (41.8–76.0) | 59.5 ± 6.8 (41.8–72.5) | 64.4 ± 7.6 (46.7–76.0) |
Impedance Ratio | 0.768 ± 0.025 (0.716–0.840) | 0.755 ± 0.019 (0.716–0.797) | 0.785 ± 0.021 (0.753–0.840) |
Phase Angle (°) | 6.58 ± 0.75 (4.50–8.20) | 6.94 ± 0.60 (5.60–8.20) | 6.08 ± 0.64 (4.50–7.00) |
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Brand | n of Global Participants |
---|---|
CrossFit® | 5,000,000 |
Hyrox® | >90,000 |
F45® | 300,000 |
Mean ± SD or n (%) | |
---|---|
Age (years) | 36.3 ± 11.7 (18–64) |
Sex | Female = 26 (41.9%) Male = 36 (58.1%) |
Ethnicity | Hispanic = 15 (24.2%) Non-Hispanic = 47 (75.8%) |
Race | Asian = 7 (11.3%) Black = 1 (1.6%) Hispanic/Latino = 10 (16.1%) White = 38 (61.3%) Middle Eastern = 2 (3.2%) Mixed Race = 4 (6.5%) |
All (N = 62) | Male (n = 36) | Female (n = 26) | |
---|---|---|---|
Body Mass (kg) | 76.8 ± 15.5 (44.4–113.0) | 86.2 ± 11.3 (65.9–113.0) | 63.8 ± 10.1 (44.4–94.3) |
Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | 25.8 ± 3.4 (18.2–32.7) | 27.2 ± 2.7 (22.2–32.7) | 23.9 ± 3.4 (18.2–32.2) |
Body Fat % | 20.4 ± 6.9 (6.5–37.6) | 17.7 ± 5.6 (6.5–27.6) | 24.3 ± 6.9 (10.6–37.6) |
Fat Mass (kg) | 15.6 ± 5.9 (5.0–29.9) | 15.5 ± 5.9 (5.0–28.7) | 15.8 ± 6.2 (5.1–29.9) |
Fat-Free Mass (kg) | 61.2 ± 13.7 (36.8–94.8) | 70.8 ± 8.3 (55.8–94.8) | 48.0 ± 6.5 (36.8–64.4) |
Total Body Density (kg/L) | 1.05 ± 0.02 (1.02–1.09) | 1.06 ± 0.01 (1.03–1.09) | 1.04 ± 0.02 (1.02–1.08) |
Total Body Volume (L) | 73.0 ± 14.6 (41.5–106.0) | 81.5 ± 10.9 (61.9–106.0) | 61.1 ± 10.2 (41.5–91.9) |
Total Body Water (L) | 44.6 ± 9.9 (27.3–68.2) | 51.6 ± 6.1 (40.7–68.2) | 35.1 ± 4.8 (27.3–47.6) |
Usually/Often | Sometimes | Rarely/Never | |
---|---|---|---|
Skip breakfast? | 9 (14.5%) | 12 (19.4%) | 41 (66.1%) |
Eat 4 or more meals from sit-down or take out restaurants? | 3 (4.8%) | 16 (25.8%) | 43 (69.4%) |
Eat less than 2 servings of whole-grain products or high-fiber starches a day? | 12 (19.4%) | 24 (38.7%) | 26 (41.9%) |
Eat less than 2 servings of fruit a day? | 15 (24.2%) | 25 (40.3%) | 22 (35.5%) |
Eat less than 2 servings of vegetables a day? | 10 (16.1%) | 22 (35.5%) | 30 (48.4%) |
Eat or drink less than 2 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a day? | 14 (22.6%) | 18 (29.0%) | 30 (48.4%) |
Eat more than 8 ounces (~227 g) of meat, chicken, turkey or fish per day? | 44 (71.0%) | 15 (24.2%) | 3 (4.8%) |
Use regular processed meats (e.g., bologna, salami, hotdogs, or bacon) instead of low-fat processed meats (like roast beef, turkey, lean ham)? | 3 (4.8%) | 15 (24.2%) | 44 (71.0%) |
Eat fried foods? | 6 (9.7%) | 25 (40.3%) | 31 (50.0%) |
Eat regular snack chips, popcorn, or nuts instead of pretzels, low-fat chips or low-fat crackers, air-popped popcorn? | 4 (6.5%) | 23 (37.1%) | 35 (56.4%) |
Add butter, margarine or oil to bread, potatoes, rice or vegetables at the table? | 7 (11.3%) | 23 (37.1%) | 32 (51.6%) |
Eat sweets like cake, cookies, pastries, or candies more than 2 times per day. | 5 (8.1%) | 23 (37.1%) | 34 (54.8%) |
Drink 16 (~473 mL) ounces or more of non-diet soda or fruit drink/punch per day? | 1 (1.6%) | 6 (9.7%) | 55 (88.7%) |
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Lafontant, K.; Livingston, J.; Smith, S.; Da Silva Barbera, M.A.; Gonzalez, C.; Kampiyil, S.; Nguyen, N.L.N.; Johnson, B.; Stout, J.R.; Fukuda, D.H. Describing Dietary Habits and Body Composition Among High-Intensity Functional Training Athletes: A Mixed Methods Approach. Sports 2025, 13, 340. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100340
Lafontant K, Livingston J, Smith S, Da Silva Barbera MA, Gonzalez C, Kampiyil S, Nguyen NLN, Johnson B, Stout JR, Fukuda DH. Describing Dietary Habits and Body Composition Among High-Intensity Functional Training Athletes: A Mixed Methods Approach. Sports. 2025; 13(10):340. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100340
Chicago/Turabian StyleLafontant, Kworweinski, Jack Livingston, Sofea Smith, Michelle A. Da Silva Barbera, Claudia Gonzalez, Susan Kampiyil, Ngoc Linh Nhi Nguyen, Blake Johnson, Jeffrey R. Stout, and David H. Fukuda. 2025. "Describing Dietary Habits and Body Composition Among High-Intensity Functional Training Athletes: A Mixed Methods Approach" Sports 13, no. 10: 340. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100340
APA StyleLafontant, K., Livingston, J., Smith, S., Da Silva Barbera, M. A., Gonzalez, C., Kampiyil, S., Nguyen, N. L. N., Johnson, B., Stout, J. R., & Fukuda, D. H. (2025). Describing Dietary Habits and Body Composition Among High-Intensity Functional Training Athletes: A Mixed Methods Approach. Sports, 13(10), 340. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100340