Enhancing sports nutrition knowledge among undergraduate student-athletes through educational interventions

Introduction: Sports nutrition plays a critical role in enhancing athletic performance and maintaining athlete health. Despite its importance, many university student-athletes demonstrate limited knowledge in this area. Recent advances in educational technology offer innovative methods to deliver nutrition education effectively.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions specifically mobile applications on improving sports nutrition knowledge among university student-athletes. Methodology:A quasi-experimental study was conducted involving 100 university student-athletes divided into two groups: an experimental group that used the MyFitnessPal mobile application and a control group that received traditional lecture-based instruction. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were used to assess knowledge gains. Statistical analyses were performed to compare changes between groups. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in sports nutrition knowledge compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The findings indicate that mobile-based learning tools were more effective than conventional teaching methods. Discussion: These results support the integration of digital tools such as MyFitnessPal into sports nutrition education for student-athletes. The interactivity and accessibility of mobile applications likely contributed to better engagement and retention of information. Conclusions: Educational mobile applications can serve as effective tools for enhancing sports nutrition knowledge among university athletes. Integrating such technologies into athlete development programs may positively influence performance and long-term health outcomes.