Author(s): Daniel Afrifa, Monday Omoniyi Moses, MO Richmond Asamoah, Caleb Adams, Francis Osei and Isaac Kwaku Acheampong

Abstract:
The health athletes of is pivotal in athletic management and optimal sports performance. Although information on the fitness of amateur track events athletes has been well documented, few incidences have been given to Ghanaian athletes. This study presents the energy intake, blood pressure, heart rate, body composition and flexibility of amateur track events athletes and juxtapose that athletes are not always healthy. A cross sectional sample of 153 (Mage = 20.92 ± 2.41, Male =128, Female = 25) athletes participated in this study. 8.5% were underweight, 11.8% were pre-obese while 79.7% have healthy weight. The athletes significantly lack required energy intake (P<0.05). Differences on track events and body mass index classifications were significant (P<0.05). There were significance differences in body mass index (P =.000), systolic blood pressure (P =.001), diastolic blood pressure (P =.001), resting metabolism (P =.000), visceral fat (P =.000), %muscle mass (P =.000), % total body fat (P =.045) depending on gender. Fitness enhancing interventions that focused on integrated health performance monitoring approaches would be needed to improve energy intake, blood pressure, heart rate, body composition and flexibility of Ghanaian amateur track events athletes.

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