A importância do Programa de Atletas de Alto Rendimento (PAAR) das Forças Armadas para o desempenho de atletas brasileiros: um estudo transversal

Introduction: In 2008, the Ministry of Defense (MD) created the Program for the Incorporation of High Performance Athletes (PIHPA), with the objective of strengthening the Brazilian military team in high-level sporting events and contributing to the development of national sport. Objective: Assess the level of satisfaction of high-performance athletes in the Armed Forces with the quality of the structure offered by PIHPA, as well as knowing whether these athletes consider the Program important for improving performance. Methods: Study of quantitative methodology and cross-sectional, carried out in the census of athletes participating in the PIHPA. A self-administered questionnaire was developed on an online platform, consisting of questions that aimed to determine the level of satisfaction of athletes with the structure offered.Results: It was observed that 96.46% of the participants agreed that the PIHPA is or was important for the improvement of their sports performance. As for sports facilities, 63.3% rated the training centers as very good and 19.2% as good, totaling 82.2%. Regarding the level of satisfaction of athletes with the program, about 96.46% of survey participants are satisfied or very satisfied with the program. Opportunities for improvement were pointed out by the participants. Conclusion: The satisfaction of PIHPA athletes with the Program is very high. Considering that it provides great financial support, adequate sports facilities and quality health support. The results showed that its members categorically consider the Program as effective in enabling better training conditions, which reflects positively on performance and, consequently, on sports results.