Alarming nutritional profile of a collegiate men’s field hockey team of University of Delhi: Reasons why a sports team may fail in competition

Purpose Performance in Field hockey (FH) can be optimized with Sports Nutrition. Unfortunately, available studies have reported nutritional deficiencies in the players which may significantly affect their competitive performance and ultimately sports career. The study recruited a collegiate men's FH team ( n =16) of University of Delhi (DU) to assess their total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and nutritional profile of macronutrients and water intake during the University’s FH championship 2017-18. Methods Data was collected through 3 days activity and dietary recall forms, and assessments were done using factorial estimation method and DietCal software. For analyses, Shapiro-Wilk test was applied to all variables for normality testing and finally, the measures of mean, median, standard deviation, and percentage for descriptive analyses; and student’s t -test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, along with Cohen’s d and Pearson’s r effect size tests for inferential analyses were applied to compare the players’ profile with their competitive requirements. Results Student’s t -test indicated a significant state of negative energy balance ( p -value = 0.00005; α = <0.05; d = 0.8). Furthermore, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests revealed significant deficiencies of carbohydrate ( p -value = 0.00001; α = <0.05; r = -1.04); protein ( p -value = 0.00001; α = <0.05; r = -1.04); water upon awakening on match days ( p -value = 0.00009; α = <0.05; r = -0.93); water 20-30 minutes before matches ( p -value = 0.001; α = <0.05; r = -0.83); and water during matches ( p -value = 0.0006; α = <0.05; r = -0.79). Only the fat intake was found to be marginally sufficient ( p -value = 0.05; α = <0.05; r = -0.40). Conclusion The reported nutritional deficiencies might have contributed to the team’s poor performance and failure in the championship. Regular and personalized dietary assistance to the players is warranted to ensure their peak performance, top results in the future championships, and a successful sports career.