Table 1.
Reported habitual energy and macronutrient intake of rugby union players.
| Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Year | Country | Age | Body Mass (kg) | Participants (n) | Level | Sex | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | CHO (g) | Fat (g) | Energy (kcal·kg) | Protein (g·kg) | CHO (g·kg) |
Fat (g·kg) |
Assessment Method | Duration of Assessment |
| Black et al. [95] | 2019 | New Zealand | Weight gain: 23.4 ± 3.1 Weight maintenance: 24.6 ± 1.8 Weight loss: 23.6 ± 2.3 |
106.3 ± 13.3 | 23 | Professional | Male | 3875 ± 907 | 2.1 ± 0.4 | 3.7 ± 1.2 | 1.6 ± 0.5 | Mixed methods—RFPM and researcher observations | 3 days | ||||
| Bradley et al. [96] | 2015 | United Kingdom | Forward: 24.4 ± 4.0 Back: 24.2 ± 2.0 |
Forward: 108.1 ± 7.5 Back: 89.5 ± 5.0 |
20 | Elite | Male | Forward: 14.8 ± 1.9 Back: 13.3 ± 1.9 (MJ) |
Forward: 2.5 ± 0.3 Back: 2.6 ± 0.2 |
Forward: 3.3 ± 0.7 Back: 4.1 ± 0.4 |
Forward: 1.0 ± 0.3 Back: 1.0 ± 0.3 |
Dietary recall | 2 × 2 training days | ||||
| Bradley et al. [97] | 2015 | United Kingdom | Forward: 28.0 ± 2.8 Back: 25.1 ± 3.8 |
Forward: 110.1 ± 6.2 Back: 93.6 ± 5.9 |
14 | Elite | Male | Forward: 16.6 ± 1.3 Back: 14.2 ± 1.2 (MJ) |
Forward: 2.7 ± 0.5 Back: 2.7 ± 0.3 |
Forward: 3.5 ± 0.8 Back: 3.4 ± 0.7 |
Forward: 1.4 ± 0.2 Back: 1.4 ± 0.3 |
Estimated food diary | 6 days | ||||
| Burrows et al. [67] | 2016 | Australia | 16.0 ± 2.0 | 76.5 ± 10.0 | 25 | Sub-elite | Male | 10,372 ± 4974 (KJ) |
108.1 ± 75.9 | 317.0 ± 153 | 88.5 ± 54.9 | 1.5 ± 0.9 | 3.6 ± 2.4 | FFQ | |||
| Holway et al. [72] | 2024 | Argentina | Forward: 28.2 ± 6.8 Back: 26.4 ± 8.1 |
Forward: 100.3 ± 16.6 Back: 79.8 ± 8.2 |
57 | Amateur | Male | Forward: 2827 (1220–6228) Back: 3682 (2104–7982) (Median/Range) |
Forward: 117 (56–329) Back: 136 (47–292) (Median/Range) |
Forward: 342 (107–821) Back: 401 (177–828) (Median/Range) |
Forward: 104 (33–334) Back: 149 (70–428) (Median/Range) |
Forward: 1.1 (0.5–3.6) Back: 0.7–3.5) (Median/Range) |
Forward: 3.3 (1.1–8.0) Back: 5.3 (2.3–10.0) (Median/Range) |
Forward: 1.0 (0.3–3.7) Back: 1.9 (1.0–4.8) (Median/Range) |
Dietary recall | 1 day | |
| Hitendre et al. [82] | 2022 | United Kingdom | 23.0 (21.5, 27.5) (Median/IQR) |
96.6 ±10.8 | 24 | Semi-professional | Male | 2472 (1767, 3374) (Median/IQR) |
139.8 ± 51.1 | 266 (199, 341) (Median/IQR) |
97.0 (68.3, 150.3) (Median/IQR) |
26.3 ± 9.2 | 1.4 ± 0.4 | 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) | FFQ | ||
| Hudson et al. [16] | 2021 | United Kingdom | 20.0 ± 2.7 | 102.5 ± 13.7 | 7 | Professional | Male | 3323 ± 630 | 2.4 ±0.3 | 3.2 ± 0.4 | RFPM | 7 days | |||||
| Imamura et al. [98] | 2013 | Japan | Forward: 19.5 ± 0.9 Back: 19.5 ± 1.0 |
Forward: 87.3 ± 8.9 Back: 72.6 ± 7.4 |
34 | Collegiate | Male | Forward: 3579 ± 848 Back: 2963 ± 111 |
Forward: 92.7 ± 22.3 Back: 79.9 ± 31.5 |
Forward: 567.0 ± 160.1 Back: 457.4 ±192.2 |
Forward: 91.5 ± 25.0 Back: 77.2 ± 30.8 |
FFQ | 1–2 months | ||||
| MacDougall et al. [71] | 2015 | USA | 30.2 ± 1.1 | 15 | Collegiate | Male | 2378 ± 126 | 1.7 ± 0.8 | 3.4 ± 1.1 | Dietary recall | 3 days | ||||||
| MacKenzie et al. [49] | 2015 | Australia | 20.5 ± 2.3 | 100.2 ± 13.3 | 25 | Developing elite | Male | 3250 ± 869 | 211.0 ± 62.0 | 352.0 ± 115.0 | 101.0 ± 34.0 | 2.2 ± 0.7 | 3.6 ± 1.3 | 1.1 ± 0.5 | Food record | 7 days | |
| Posthumus et al. [61] | 2021 | New Zealand | 27.6 ± 2.8 | 103.0 ± 13.6 | 34 | Professional | Male | Forward: 4606 ± 719 Back: 3761 ± 618 |
Forward: 280 ± 39 Back: 220 ± 37 |
Forward: 399 ± 77 Back: 340 ± 59 |
Forward: 210 ± 43 Back: 169 ± 41 |
Forward: 40.5 ± 7.2 Back: 41.9 ± 7.2 |
Forward: 2.5 ± 0.4 Back: 2.4 ± 0.5 |
Forward: 3.5 ± 0.8 Back: 3.7 ± 0.7 |
Forward: 1.8 ± 0.4 Back 1.8 ± 0.5 |
RFPM | 7 days |
| Posthumus et al. [78] | 2022 | New Zealand | Forward: 28.2 ± 2.9 Back: 28.5 ± 3.2 |
Forward: 115.0 ± 6.8 Back: 93.2 ± 7.6 |
12 | Professional | Male | Forward (catered): 5210 ± 674 Forward (non-catered): 4341 ± 654 Back (catered): 3952 ± 765 Back (non-catered): 3445 ± 610 |
Forward (catered): 318 ± 33 Forward (non-catered): 260 ± 29 Back (catered): 223 ± 46 Back (non-catered): 188 ± 11 |
Forward (catered): 408 ± 85 Forward (non-catered): 411 ± 89 Back (catered): 328 ± 65 Back (non-catered): 317 ± 75 |
Forward (catered): 244 ± 34 Forward (non-catered): 183 ± 47 Back (catered): 183 ± 47 Back (non-catered): 149 ± 50 |
Forward (catered) 45.8 ± 7.2 Forward (non-catered): 38.2 ± 6.6 Back (catered): 42.8 ± 8.4 Back (non-catered): 37.6 ± 5.9 |
Forward (catered): 2.8 ± 0.3 Forward (non-catered): 2.3 ± 0.3 Back (catered): 2.4 ± 0.5 Back (non-catered): 2.0 ± 0.1 |
Forward (catered): 3.6 ± 0.9 Forward (non-catered): 3.6 ± 0.8 Back (catered): 3.5 ± 0.6 Back (non-catered): 3.4 ± 0.7 |
Forward (catered): 2.1 ± 0.3 Forward (non-catered): 1.5 ± 0.3 Back (catered): 2.0 ± 0.5 Back (non-catered): 1.6 ± 0.6 |
RFPM | Catered: 7 days Non-catered: 7 days |
| Potgieter et al. [99] | 2014 | South Africa | N/A * | N/A * | 11 | Collegiate | Male | 45.4 ± 9.0 | 2.4 ± 0.7 | 4.3 ± 0.4 | 1.9 ± 0.5 | Mixed-methods—food record and 24 h recall | 7 days | ||||
| Roberts et al. [50] | 2022 | New Zealand | Professional: 31.4 ± 3.0 Semi-professional forward: 24.2 ± 3.5 Semi-professional back: 24.4 ± 4.7 |
Professional: 104.9 ± 12.0 Semi-professional forward: 114.3 ± 8.2 Semi-professional back: 93.8 ± 6.2 |
Professional: 10 Semi-professional forward: 19 Semi-professional back: 6 |
Professional and semi-professional | Male | Professional: 203.7 ± 68.1 Semi-professional forward: 151.5 ± 64.6 Semi-professional back: 178.7 ± 47.3 |
Professional: 2.0 ± 0.6 Semi-professional forward: 1.4 ± 0.5 Semi-professional back: 1.9 ± 0.5 |
RFPM | 7 days * | ||||||
| Roberts et al. [74] | 2022 | New Zealand | 20.5 ± 1.6 | 102.4 ± 18.2 | 10 | Provincial academy | Male | 2492 ± 762 | 131.1 ± 41.8 | 261.7 ± 101.3 | 95.8 ± 34.7 | 24.4 ± 7.5 | 1.3 ± 0.4 | 2.6 ± 1.0 | 0.9 ± 0.3 | RFPM | Observation: 12 days |
| Smith et al. [70] | 2016 | United Kingdom | Under 16: 15.8 ± 0.5 Under 19: 18.1 ± 0.8 |
Under 16: 83.7 ± 12.3 Under 19: 91.4 ± 13.4 |
52 | Elite academy | Male | Under 16: 3269 ± 766 Under 19: 3412 ± 670 |
Under 16: 155.4 ± 56.4 Under 19: 210.7 ± 46.7 |
Under 16: 392.2 ± 108.2 Under 19: 416.2 ± 107.2 |
Under 16: 112.3 ± 34.2 Under 19: 111.8 ± 34.8 |
Under 16: 37.9 ± 10.4 Under 19: 38.2 ± 9.8 |
Under 16: 1.9 ± 0.6 Under 19: 2.3 ± 0.5 |
Under 16: 4.8 ± 1.1 Under 19: 4.7 ± 1.4 |
Under 16: 1.4 ±0.5 Under 19: 1.3 ± 0.5 |
Food record | 4 days |
| Traversa et al. [84] | 2022 | Canada | 20.5 ± 0.4 | 74.9 ± 2.9 | 15 | Varsity | Female | 2158 ± 87 | 99.6 ± 4.6 | 246.9 ± 12.2 | 91.0 ± 4.6 | 38.6 ± 2 | 1.4 ± 0.1 | 3.4 ± 0.2 | 1.2 ± 0.1 | Weighed food diary (online application) | 7 days |
| Zyla et al. [100] | 2014 | Poland | Forward: 24.0 ± 4.3 Back: 22.0 ± 1.7 |
Forward: 92.6 ± 14.7 Back: 80.8 ± 8.6 |
44 | Amateur | Male | 3613 ± 943 | 157.7 ± 51.6 | 404.5 ± 128.4 | 158.3 ± 52.1 | 1.9 ± 0.7 | 4.8 ± 1.7 | 1.9 ± 0.7 | Dietary recall | 3 days |
* Age and body composition values in the study are provided for n = 18 participants whereas nutrient intake data is provided for n = 11 participants.