Exploring the Impact of Dietary Factors on Body Composition in Elite Saudi Soccer Players: A Focus on Added Sugars, Salt, and Oil Consumption

Soccer elite players' nutrition is crucial to optimizing their performance and improving body composition. Currently, less is known about the correlation between added sugars, salt, and oil intake and body composition. The aim of this current study was to evaluate the impact of increased consumption of sugars, salt, and oil on the body mass index (BMI) and fat percentage of elite soccer players hailing from Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional, self-administered Saudi Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was collected from 81 young Saudi elite soccer athletes aged between 18 and 25 years, with a mean age of 19 years, to assess participants’ food intake. Body fat percentage was determined through the measurement of skinfold thickness, while the BMI was computed for all participants, resulting in an average value of 22 kg/m². Our results showed that the total score indexes of sugar, salt, and oil intake were [0-4], [0-10], and [0-63], respectively. An evident and statistically significant correlation (P = 0.003) was noted between the sugar index and the BMI of the athletes, exhibiting an R-squared coefficient of 0.106. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship (P = 0.033) was found between salt intake and fat mass, with an R-squared value of 0.056. Our results suggest that elite soccer athletes should avoid overconsumption of added sugar, salt, and oil in order to improve body composition and enhance performance.