Relationships between physical exercise practice, dietary behaviour and body composition in female university students

Aim. The relationship between female body composition, total energy expenditure and physical exercise energy expenditure is not very strong because women can compensate by increasing their energy intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between total minutes of exercise per week, dietary habits and body composition in female university students using physical activity and the habit to cook as covariates. Methods. Fifty-one female university students were investigated for body composition, dietary habits, aerobic fitness, physical activity and physical exercise practice. Participants were grouped in three sub-samples (1,2 and 3) according to the 33rd and 66th percentiles of weekly minutes (min/wk) of training. Results. Group 1 had 0.00 min/wk, group 2 had 95 +/- 35.59 min/wk and group 3 had 231.66 +/- 85.97 min/wk of training. Sub-samples did not differ for IPAQ parameters while differed for aerobic fitness (P=0.001). Group 3 had a higher energy intake (El) (P=0.008), a higher intake of lipids (P=0.017), saturated (P=0.042) and monounsaturated fat (P=0.024) and a lower intake of carbohydrates (P=0.007). Group 3 maintained the higher El and the worse composition of lipid intake considering the habit to cook as covariate. Group 3 also had higher muscle mass. Conclusion. In order to positively affect body composition, in the sedentary women it is enough to control the energy balance, whereas in those that trained regularly it is necessary to control both energy balance and composition of daily meals.