Researchers from sports and performance institutes in Spain, Portugal and Brazil identified the physical characteristics of international orienteering athletes, such as body composition and somatotype, and assessed their nutrition knowledge and physical activity levels.
The results, published in Nutrients, “can be useful to coaches and sports scientists to improve orienteer’s performance”, the researchers wrote.
Orienteering, which people can do on foot, skis or mountain bike, involves physical endurance, navigational skills and strategic decision-making. According to the researchers, foot orienteering has physiological demands similar to endurance running.
“Orienteers’ performance predominantly relies on the aerobic component (which is required to maintain speed, proper technique and mental focus), interspersed with bouts of anaerobic activity/capacity (required when energy demands are especially great, such as when running on steep uphill terrain, as well as when sprinting towards the finish),” they wrote.
However, they noted that despite the sport’s widespread popularity, there are few studies that could contribute to optimizing the performance of younger orienteering athletes.
Previous research suggests critical gaps in athletes' nutrition knowledge. Other studies reveal that athletes may consume inadequate energy compared to their expenditure. If nutrition needs are not fulfilled, athletes' high physical activity levels could lead to training overload or injury.
“These elements are crucial for achieving excellence in orienteering,” the researchers noted.
However they acknowledged there is a need for specific sports nutrition education, even if a general awareness of healthy eating is present.
“Thus, we recommend that nutritionists become part of orienteering teams, as orienteers may use non-professional sources of nutrition, and studies have identified positive effects of nutritional support on NK [nutrition knowledge],” they wrote.
Study details
The research was a single cross-sectional study conducted during two orienteering competitions in Portugal and Spain. It included 58 international-level elite and non-elite orienteering athletes (OA) of both sexes from seven countries: Angola, Brazil, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.
The sample size was calculated to reflect the registered participants in official renowned events in Spain and Portugal and be representative of the sport.
The researchers used the updated Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire to assess nutrition knowledge and the short version of the self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire to evaluate physical activity.
They recorded anthropometric measurements to assess characteristics, body composition and somatotype.
Key findings revealed that elite orienteering athletes had lower body fat percentages and higher nutrition knowledge scores than non-elite athletes.
Although the researchers commented that the study’s data collection was highly accurate and precise, they noted that nutrition knowledge may not translate into changes in dietary behavior and that future studies should evaluate dietary intake and energy expenditure.
The risks of poor nutrition advice
Poor nutrition advice for those undertaking sports is a prevalent issue and one that comes with several risks, Dr. Sharon Madigan, head of performance nutrition at Sport Ireland Institute, recently told NutraIngredients.
Sports nutrition is a ‘grey science’ as it includes not only what athletes consume but also the context in which they eat, which can be nuanced to measure, she explained.
Short-term performance impacts are a significant concern, but Dr. Madigan pointed out that long-term health issues pose a substantial worry.
“We have to remember that health issues are not seen or felt until an athlete presents with sickness and injury,” she added. “Our role is to keep athletes aware of impacts to both performance and health.”
When athletes access nutrition information through unofficial media channels, this creates additional risks. Communication via social media is often directed towards the general public, not professional athletes who undergo extensive training for several hours most days of the week, Dr. Madigan explained.
There is a heightened risk of steering individuals towards dangerous messages when athletes are in sports that come with body pressures. This can lead to disordered eating patterns, which can substantially impact both health and performance, she continued, emphasizing the importance of “ensuring that appropriately qualified people are supporting athletes and coaches and trying to ensure that messages and advice are based on context.”
“Unfortunately, we have a lot of people in the nutrition space giving advice who have issues themselves with food, and this is impacting the quality and appropriateness of the advice given,” she added.
Source: Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 714. doi: 10.3390/nu17040714. “Relationship of Body Composition and Somatotype with Physical Activity Level and Nutrition Knowledge in Elite and Non-Elite Orienteering Athletes”. Authors: H. Esteve-Ibanez et al.