Nutrition knowledge and dietary practices of college coaches

The objectives of this study were to measure nutrition knowledge of college coaches, to identify educational and demographic factors that affect nutrition knowledge of college coaches, to describe dietary practices recommended by these coaches, and to identify major sources of nutrition information used by coaches. Questionnaires were mailed to 296 coaches of senior and junior colleges in North Carolina using a listing from the National Directory of College Athletics. Coaches of the following sports were included: track and field, cross country, swimming, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, golf, football, and wrestling. The response rate was 36%. Seventy percent of the 15 nutrition knowledge test items were answered correctly; however, only one-third of the coaches indicated a high degree of certainty for the correctness of their responses. There were no significant relationships between nutrition knowledge and sex, age, collegiate conference, course work in nutrition, win/loss record, and years of coaching experience. Major dietary problems of college athletes reported by coaches were consumption of "junk food," poor eating habits, and consumption of an unbalanced diet. The authors recommend an annual workshop for coaches, trainers, and dietitians to develop criteria for nutrition assessment and body composition for college athletes and to develop training diets. Special workshops for foodservice personnel are also recommended.