Nutrition knowledge and dietary composition in Italian adolescent female athletes and non-athletes

This study aims to investigate dietary composition and nutrition knowledge of 60 athlete and 59 non-athlete adolescent females (age, 14-18 years), using a 3-day food recall and a questionnaire on nutrition. The reported daily energy intake was similar in athletes and non-athletes, but less than the recommended and the estimated requirements. In the athletes, the energy supply from breakfast was higher than in the non-athletes (18.5 +/- 6.6 vs. 15.0 +/- 8.2%, p < .005). Energy intake from carbohydrates was higher (53.6 +/- 6.2 vs. 49.8 +/- 6.3%, p < .05) and that from lipids was lower (30.4 +/- 5.5 vs. 34.2 +/- 5.2%, p < .001) in athletes than in non-athletes. Athletes also showed higher fiber (20.0 +/- 5.8 vs. 14.1 +/- 4.3 g/day, p < .001), iron (10.6 +/- 5.1 vs. 7.5 +/- 2.1 mg/day, p < .001) and vitamin A (804 +/- 500 vs. 612 +/- 456 micrograms/day, p < .05) reported intake than non-athletes. Calcium, iron, and zinc intake were less than 100% RDA in both groups. Athletes gave a slightly higher rate of correct answers on the nutrition knowledge questionnaire (77.6 vs. 71.6%, p < .01) than non-athletes. In conclusion, the overall recalled dietary intake and nutrition knowledge of the studied adolescent females show some misconceptions and nutrient deficiencies, but the results in athletes are quite better than in non-athletes, suggesting a favorable role of sport practice on dietary habits and nutrition knowledge.