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The traditional Greek diet, a variant of the Mediterranean diet, has attracted the interest of scientists for many years as a health promoting nutritional model. Many studies have shown that Mediterranean food habits are associated with low rates of ischaemic heart disease and of various types of cancer. Although some data exist on the dietary intakes of young children and adolescents, there are no data regarding dietary intakes and food habits of pre‐adolescents in Greece. The present study tries to partly cover this gap by studying the anthropometric characteristics, dietary intakes and food habits of 65 pre‐adolescent children, aged ten to 12 years. The results of this study show the gradual abandonment of the traditional diet by pre‐adolescent children, in Greece, in favour of a more Westernized diet. They also show the urgent need for nutrition education in order to try to reverse this trend.v

This study assesses the nutritional status of 15 elite athletes. Their body weight, height and skinfold thickness were measured and BMI calculated. Dietary intakes were assessed using three days’ dietary diaries for each athletic season. Data were collected over three athletic seasons, the transitional (vacation), the training and the competitive. The results showed that the athletes’ mean energy intake decreased from the transitional to the training season. and that during the competitive season most athletes were not in energy balance. Their mean protein intake varied from 11 percent of energy intake during the transitional season, to 16 percent during the competitive season. Carbohydrates provided 41‐53 percent of energy intake, whereas fat intake ranged from 32‐48 percent, indicating a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrate. Dietary intakes varied among the athletes but in general they had an unbalanced nutrition. Provision of appropriate nutritional information in Greek athletic teams is needed to improve athletes’ diet and performance.

Healthy and suitable nutrition plays an important role in the athletic performance providing the long‐term needs of training and the short‐term needs of competition. In Greece, despite the great interest in sports since ancient times, there is no adequate information regarding the dietary practices and the nutritional status of the athletes today. The anthropometric characteristics and dietary intakes of 47 e´lite male athletes of five different sport teams: rowers, volleyball players, cyclists, weightlifters and distance runners were assessed in this study. Dietary data were collected during the competitive period. The study showed that, although the athletes reported an adequate mean energy and micronutrient intake, the intake of macronutrients was not in balance. Volleyball players and distance runners had lower than recommended carbohydrate intakes, not meeting their fuel requirements. Weightlifters had the highest overconsumption of fat at the expense of carbohydrates. This calls for an urgent need of nutrition education for the athletes in Greece, in order to improve their diet and achieve an optimum athletic performance.

The purpose of this study is to examine the anthropometric characteristics and to assess dietary intakes of professional athletes, of four different sporting teams, in Northern Greece.

Height and weight was measured using stasiometer and a scale devise, respectively. Body fat was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis with multiple frequencies. A five‐day questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intakes of athletes. The sample consisted of male and female athletes, of ten volleyball and 21 basketball players, 20 weightlifters and 31 distance runners.

Distance runners had the lower percentage of body fat and volleyball players the higher ones. In men, basketball players reported the lowest amounts for energy intake (1,900 kcal/day) and for carbohydrates (2 g/kg). In women, the lowest carbohydrate intake was reported in volleyball players. Volleyball men players consumed the highest amount of fat 110 g/day or 1.4 g/kg. Protein intakes were below the recommended values for weightlifters and distance runners for both male and female subjects.

The study indicated dietary problems that could limit the performance of the Greek athletes and calls for nutrition monitoring and assessment.

The article should be of value to nutritionists, athletes and coaches.

The dietary intakes of a Greek team of 21 élite football players were assessed in this study during the competitive season. Anthropometric measurements were taken for all athletes over three athletic seasons: the transitional (vacation), the training, and the competitive (games) season. The results showed that the mean body weight and the percentage body fat of the athletes decreased from the transitional to the training season. Differences in percentage body fat were found between players according to their position in the game. The offensive players had the lowest percentage body fat (11.4 per cent) and the goalkeepers, the highest (13.7 per cent). Although the mean energy intake of the athletes during the competitive season was above their calculated mean energy expenditure, six athletes were not in energy balance. Half of the athletes consumed carbohydrates in less than 50 per cent of their total energy intake, meaning that half the players had inadequate carbohydrate intakes, with a possible consequence of reduced performance. Furthermore, all athletes had higher than recommended fat intake. This study showed an urgent need to provide appropriate nutritional information in Greek athletic teams in order to improve the athletes’ diet and, consequently, their health and sports ability.