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Journals / Uluslararası Egzersiz Psikolojisi Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2

Dietary Intake and Perceived Stress Levels Among Male and Female Football Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

Erkek ve Kadın Futbolcularda Diyet Alımı ve Algılanan Stres Düzeyleri: Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Fatma Özsel Özcan(HALIC UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-4668-5880
Ayşe Yasemin Arıkbaş0009-0009-6077-1492
Sude Mazlum0009-0003-5830-383X
Pages
62–69
Publication Date
2025-12-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings highlight the importance of personalized nutritional and psychological support, especially for younger and female athletes.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Professional football players frequently encounter physical and psychological stressors that may influence their performance, recovery, and mental well-being.
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Key Findings & Data:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 105 licensed football players (52 males, 53 females) aged 18–30 years from three Turkish clubs.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings highlight the importance of personalized nutritional and psychological support, especially for younger and female athletes.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:algılanan stres · besin alımı · futbol

Abstract

Professional football players frequently encounter physical and psychological stressors that may influence their performance, recovery, and mental well-being. Nutrition plays a pivotal role in modulating stress responses, yet limited research has examined the interplay between dietary intake and perceived stress levels in athletes, particularly across sexes. This study aimed to assess the relationship between dietary intake and perceived stress among male and female professional football players in Türkiye, with a focus on sex-based differences in nutrient consumption and stress levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 105 licensed football players (52 males, 53 females) aged 18–30 years from three Turkish clubs. Data were collected through demographic forms, a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), 24-hour dietary recall, and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). Nutritional intake was analyzed using BEBIS 8.1 software. Independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analyses were performed (α=0.05). Female athletes reported higher perceived stress scores compared to males; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Stress levels were significantly higher in athletes under 19 years of age (p<0.001). Significant sex-based differences were observed in nutrient intake: males consumed more protein as well as vitamins B3 and B6, while females consumed more carbohydrates (p<0.05). A weak but significant positive correlation was found between carbohydrate intake and perceived stress (r=0.243, p=0.012). Sex and age influence both stress perception and dietary patterns among football players. Although most nutrients were not directly linked to stress, elevated carbohydrate intake was modestly associated with higher stress levels. These findings highlight the importance of personalized nutritional and psychological support, especially for younger and female athletes.

Özet

Profesyonel futbolcular, performanslarını, iyileşme süreçlerini ve ruh sağlıklarını etkileyebilecek çeşitli fiziksel ve psikolojik stres faktörlerine sıklıkla maruz kalmaktadır. Beslenmenin stres yanıtlarını düzenlemedeki kritik rolü bilinmekle birlikte, sporcularda özellikle cinsiyet temelli beslenme ve stres ilişkisini inceleyen çalışmalar sınırlıdır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’deki profesyonel erkek ve kadın futbolcular arasında besin alımı ile algılanan stres düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi; ayrıca cinsiyete bağlı beslenme farklılıklarını ve stres düzeylerini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Kesitsel tipteki bu çalışmaya, üç farklı futbol kulübünden 18–30 yaş aralığında 105 lisanslı futbolcu (52 erkek, 53 kadın) dahil edilmiştir. Veri toplama araçları olarak demografik bilgi formu, Besin Tüketim Sıklığı Formu (BTSF), 24 Saatlik Besin Tüketim Kaydı ve 14 maddelik Algılanan Stres Ölçeği (PSS-14) kullanılmıştır. Beslenme verileri BEBIS 8.1 programı ile analiz edilmiştir. İstatistiksel analizlerde bağımsız örneklem t-testi, ANOVA ve Pearson korelasyon testleri kullanılmıştır (α=0,05). Kadın sporcuların algılanan stres puanları erkeklerden daha yüksek olmakla birlikte bu fark istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmamıştır (p>0,05). 19 yaş altı sporcuların stres düzeyleri anlamlı şekilde daha yüksektir (p<0,001). Besin alımlarında cinsiyete bağlı anlamlı farklılıklar saptanmıştır: erkekler daha fazla protein, B3 ve B6 vitamini tüketirken, kadınlar daha fazla karbonhidrat tüketmiştir (p<0,05). Ayrıca, karbonhidrat alımı ile stres düzeyi arasında zayıf fakat anlamlı bir pozitif korelasyon bulunmuştur (r=0,243, p=0,012). Cinsiyet ve yaş, futbolcularda stres algısı ve beslenme örüntüsünü etkilemektedir. Çoğu besin öğesi stresle doğrudan ilişkili olmasa da artan karbonhidrat alımının stres düzeylerini hafifçe artırabileceği görülmektedir. Özellikle genç ve kadın sporcular için bireyselleştirilmiş beslenme ve psikolojik destek önerilmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Özcan, F. Ö., Arıkbaş, A. Y., Mazlum, S. (2025). Dietary Intake and Perceived Stress Levels Among Male and Female Football Players: A Cross-Sectional Study. Uluslararası Egzersiz Psikolojisi Dergisi, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2, 62–69. https://doi.org/10.51538/intjourexerpsyc.1759065

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