The association between diet quality indices and oxidative stress biomarkers in male footballers and healthy active controls.

Objective: The aim of the present study was the association between the relationship between Dietary Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and the urinary levels of F-isoprostane (F-IP) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was investigated as indicators of oxidative stress.

Results: Based on HEI (low, moderate, and good), the diet quality of both groups was classified as moderate. In all participants, HEI (β=-0.29; P = 0.04) and DQI-I (β=-0.46; P = 0.005) were inversely associated with 8-OHdG. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between HEI (mean β=-3.53; P = 0.04) and DQI-I (mean β=-5.53; P = 0.004) with F-IP. The quality of the footballers' diet was higher than that of the control group. Following a high-quality diet, which is rich in antioxidants, is likely to effectively reduce oxidative stress.