Researcher(s)
- Te'Leah Archer-Buckley, Medical Diagnostics-Pre Physician Assistant, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Shannon L. Lennon, Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware
Abstract
Diets high in added sugars and sodium can contribute to increased blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to examine the impact of both sodium and added sugars on BP in collegiate athletes and non-athletes as well as midlife former athletes and nonathletes. Cross-sectional data from 275 participants classified into four groups was examined: young collegiate athletes ([YA], N=85, 47W/38M, 21±2 years), young non-athletes ([YNA], N=55, 38F/17M, 22±2 years), midlife former athletes ([MA], N=103, 56W/47M, 51±7 years), or midlife non-athletes ([MNA], N=32, 23W/9M, 52±7 years). Nutrient consumption was obtained from 3-day dietary logs. Anthropometrics and BP were measured. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc testing was run to examine group differences. Pearson correlations evaluated associations between BP, sodium and added sugars. Multiple linear regression examined the synergistic effect of sodium and added sugars on BP. Sodium intake was higher in YA (4110±1515mg) compared to YNA (3454±1214mg), MFA (3137±1177mg), and MNA (2926±923mg; all p<0.05) however all exceed recommendations. Added sugar intake was not different between groups (p>0.05) and all were below 10% of total energy. Systolic (SBP) and Diastolic BP (DBP) were higher in MFA (130±17/85±22 mmHg) compared to YA (120±13/76±9 mmHg), YNA (118±13/76±7 mmHg), and MNA (122±15/78±16mmHg) (all p<0.05). Sodium and SBP were positively correlated in YA (r=0.28, p=0.01), YNA (r=0.35, p=0.01), MFA (r=0.25, p=.01) but not MNA (r=0.08, p=.70) nor for added sugars. There was no association between sodium or added sugars for DBP (p>0.05). Finally, there was no synergistic effect of sodium and added sugars on SBP or DBP. In conclusion, these data suggests that SBP is strongly associated with sodium but not added sugars.