Participants engaged in >500 minutes of exercise each week.
For the 10 general quality of life indicators, the greatest improvements were seen in: Sleeping better (27%), Feeling full (24%), and Passion (21%). Only Gastrointestinal issues worsened by 23%. The 4 pickleball-targeted quality of life questions indicated improvement as well with 40% reporting better Endurance and Recovery; 33% had more Energy; and 27% had better Focus. The three questions that were asked using both systems showed similar improvements.
Conclusion
The ability to improve the quality of life in elite athletes exceeds what others have found. In summary, nutrient-dense foods can be readily incorporated into the lives of older, elite pickleball athletes and improve the quality of life indicators.