Relationship Between General Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Quality in Elite Athletes

Abstract

mean (Standard Deviation). A total of 101 athletes (Males: 37; Females: 64), 18.6 (4.6) years were recruited mainly from team sports (72.0%). Females scored higher than males for both nutrition knowledge (Females: 59.9%; Males: 55.6%; p = .017) and total A-ARFS (Females: 54.2% Males: 49.4%; p = .016). There was no significant influence of age, level of education, athletic caliber or team/individual sport participation on nutrition knowledge or total A-ARFS. However, athletes engaged in previous dietetic consultation had significantly higher nutrition knowledge (61.6% vs. 56.6%; p = .034) but not total A-ARFS (53.6% vs. 52.0%; p = .466). Nutrition knowledge was weakly but positively associated with total A-ARFS (r = .261, p= .008) and A-ARFS vegetable subgroup (r = .252, p = .024) independently explaining 6.8% and 5.1% of the variance respectively. Gender independently explained 5.6% of the variance in nutrition knowledge (p= .017) and 6.7% in total A-ARFS (p = .016). Higher nutrition knowledge and female gender were weakly but positively associated with better diet quality. Given the importance of nutrition to health and optimal sports performance, intervention to improve nutrition knowledge and healthy eating is recommended, especially for young male athletes.

Sport Nutrition Knowledge, Behaviors and Beliefs of High School Soccer Players

“…Our results (45.6%) are lower than those reported by others [9,10,11,12,13,14], but are most similar to Walsh et al [15] and Spronk et al [11]. Walsh et al examined sport nutrition knowledge in Irish senior male high school rugby players (59.6% overall score), while Spronk et al [11] reported general nutrition knowledge scores of 55% in elite male athletes (≥16 years). Although our questionnaire was adapted from Walsh et al, our scores were still 15% lower.…”

“…Overall, mean general nutrition or sport nutrition knowledge scores for high school athletes range from 55%–74% [9,10,11,12,13,14,15], with higher scores in females (65%–68%) [12,13,14]. Our results (45.6%) are lower than those reported by others [9,10,11,12,13,14], but are most similar to Walsh et al [15] and Spronk et al [11]. Walsh et al examined sport nutrition knowledge in Irish senior male high school rugby players (59.6% overall score), while Spronk et al [11] reported general nutrition knowledge scores of 55% in elite male athletes (≥16 years).…”

“…Studies that have examined these topics in adolescent athletes have focused on elite or club level athletes [9,10,11,12,13], while only two have examined high-school level athletes [13,14,15,16]. Perron and Endres [14] examined both nutrition knowledge and attitudes in high school female volleyball players and found that higher nutrition knowledge was positively correlated with a more positive attitude toward nutrition, but did not translate into better food choices.…”

Habitual Dietary Nitrate Intake in Highly Trained Athletes

“…The vegetable intake was higher in the female athletes: 150 in female compared with 114[61-183] g/d in male athletes. A possible explanation could be higher nutrition knowledge and dietary quality, which previously has been reported in female compared with male elite athletes (Spronk et al, 2015). The higher vegetable and associated nitrate intake in females could possibly explain the higher plasma nitrate values previously found in females compared with men, both by our research group (Jonvik et al, 2016) as well as by others (Kapil et al, 2010;Velmurugan et al, 2013).…”

Conhecimento Sobre Nutrição E Consumo De Suplementos Em Academias De Ginástica De Juiz De Fora, Brasil

“…Contudo, é preciso destacar que, apesar de termos o nutricionista como o profissional mais citado na indicação para o uso do suplemento, com 34,1%, o percentual de indicação por profissionais de outras áreas e o consumo sem orientação também foi elevado, não sendo esta a prática ideal, uma vez que o consumo de suplementos deve vir associado a uma alimentação equilibrada, e o nutricionista é o profissional capacitado para prescrição da dieta e promoção da alimentação saudável. Apesar do presente estudo não apresentar diferença do conhecimento sobre nutrição entre os sexos, estudos com atletas profissionais demonstraram um melhor perfil e conhecimento alimentar por mulheres 29,30 . Segundo Jacobson et al 30 , isto se deu pelo fato de que para a maioria das mulheres a orientação nutricional partiu prioritariamente de um nutricionista.…”