Research
Macro partitioning
Rugby union players during lockdown consumed high-biological-value protein sources less than twice daily, with 43.9% reporting consumption of such sources more than twice daily, which may be suboptimal for retaining lean mass during reduced training.
To help maintain muscle mass during periods of reduced training, aim to consume high-quality protein sources (like meat, fish, eggs, dairy) at least 3-4 times per day, rather than concentrating all your protein in one or two meals. This helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis more consistently throughout the day.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
In Survey 1, only 43.9% of respondents reported consuming a whole-food, high biological value protein source more than twice daily, which may not be optimal for retaining lean mass during a prolonged lockdown period.
Why this rating
Based on self-reported survey data from a specific population.
Source
The Influence of COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions on Perceived Nutrition Habits in Rugby Union Players
Charlie J. Roberts et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2020
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2020.589737
cross_sectional · n=364Cited 29×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- During COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, rugby union players experienced a significant reduction in training volume and access to equipment, leading to a mismatch between energy intake and expenditure, with 36% reporting increased total food intake despite reduced physical activity.Moderate
- Following the relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, rugby union players showed increased self-reliance in food purchasing and preparation, with 67% purchasing and 71% preparing their own food, and reported higher motivation to train compared to during lockdown.Moderate
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