General And Sport-specific Nutrition Knowledge And Behaviors Of Adolescent Athletes

INTRODUCTION: Most youth do not meet national nutrition recommendations and overconsume high-calorie, low nutrient-dense foods. Adequate nutritional intake is crucial for growth and development during adolescence. Further, sound nutrition practices play a key role in sports performance and recovery. Knowledge about nutrition and its role for health and performance can affect eating patterns. However, there is limited research on nutrition knowledge and behaviors of adolescent athletes. PURPOSE: To examine general and sport-specific nutrition knowledge and behaviors of adolescent athletes. METHODS: Data were collected from adolescent athletes (ages 13-18 years) who participated in the Peak Health and Performance nutrition education program from 2017 to 2023. At baseline, athletes were assessed on general nutrition and sport-specific nutrition knowledge (n = 10 general nutrition, n = 10 sport-specific nutrition), self-efficacy for meeting food group recommendations (Five-point Likert scale “Not Sure” to “Very Sure”), and general and sport-specific nutrition behaviors, including food group consumption using the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) survey, (Four-point Likert scale “None” to “3 or more times per day”), hydration practices, and sport supplement use (Five-point Likert scale “Never” to “Always). Descriptive statistics were calculated for baseline values (mean, SD). RESULTS: A total of 195 athletes completed pretest surveys (n = 63 male, n = 132 female, mean age = 14.91 ± 1.63 years). Results show lower fruit (1.39 ± 1.00), vegetable (1.84 ± 1.13) and whole grain (0.99 ± 1.15) intake compared to dietary recommendations. Further, results also show low sugary beverage (0.90 ± 1.14) and candy, cake, and sweets intake (1.38 ± 1.08). Athletes reported consuming both pre- and post-workout meals frequently (4.00 ± 0.99 and 3.33 ± 1.00, respectively) and low use of sport supplements (1.50 ± 1.00). Both general and sport-specific nutrition knowledge scores were below 50% (4.72 ± 1.64 and 4.07 ± 1.56, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent athletes report lower than recommended food group consumption and lack in knowledge of general and sport-specific nutrition information. Improvements in these areas can play a significant role in the health and performance of adolescent athletes.