Determination of Adult Professional Male Soccer Player’s Hedonic Hunger and Nutritional Status

Abstract

Aim: This study has been conducted to investigate the effect of physical activity on hedonic hunger by identifying the hedonic hunger status of the professional soccer players who have a high intensity long term exercise and sedentary control group.

Subjects and Methods: This study was carried out on totally 50 healthy individuals aged between 18-35 years, 25 professional athletes and 25 sedentary control group who are a playing and working in a Turkish Football Federation 1th Division team. Hedonic hunger status of individuals was determined by the Power of Food Scale (PFS).The scores of total and subgroups were calculated between 1 and 5 at evaluation stage of the PFS. As a result of the evaluation made over five points, the mean score of scale is above 2.5 indicates the presence of hedonic hunger and affected from foods.

Results: PFS mean total scores of the soccer players (active period and inactive period) and sedentary group were 3.0 ± 062, 2.5 ± 0.55 and 2.4 ± 0.56, respectively. Mean total score and “food availability”, “food tested” subgroup mean scores were found to be higher in active group than sedentary group (p<0.,05). Mean total score and all the subgroup mean scores of the PFS were higher in active period than inactive period in players group (p<0.05). Hedonic hunger and the affected by food were higher in soccer players than sedentary individuals (p<005). While the correlation between body composition and total score of individuals were negatively related to the active period of the soccer players and the sedentary group, positively related to inactive period of soccer players.

Conclusion: This study may indicate that long-term highly intensive exercise may have an effect on hedonic processes. However, since conflicting findings in literature more research is needed to understand possible interaction.