Initial Validation of the Hungarian Version of Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (ANSKQ-HU)

Nutrition knowledge is essential for optimizing performance, recovery, and overall health in athletes. This study aimed to (1) adapt and validate the Hungarian version of the ANSKQ (Trakman et al., 2017) (ANSKQ-HU) and (2) assess the nutrition knowledge of Hungarian elite and recreational athletes. Following standard translation procedures and expert review, face validity was established. Data were collected from 1.335 athletes, and item difficulty, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and reliability analyses were performed. A three-factor structure emerged: (1) Fundamentals of nutrition, energy needs, and prohibited substances; (2) Micronutrients and performance-enhancing sports nutrition; and (3) Utilization of macronutrients. While Cronbach's alpha values were low (α = 0.41-0.62), this seemed acceptable given the dichotomous nature of the questionnaire. Most participants scored poorly (63.3%), with the lowest results in the micronutrients and performance-enhancing nutrition factor. Only 6.9% had formal nutrition education and most frequently respondents received help from coaches, family members, and friends. These findings highlight a significant gap in sports nutrition knowledge among Hungarian athletes and support the need for educative activities organized by sport nutrition professionals. The ANSKQ-HU is a reliable and valid tool for assessing nutrition knowledge in Hungarian athletes and can be a useful questionnaire for their support team (nutritionists, physicians).