Nutrition Knowledge and Perceived Dietary Requirements of Adolescent Student-Athletes: A Pilot Study

Adherence to sports-specific nutritional guidelines can help optimize athlete performance and health. However, adolescent athletes may not have adequate nutrition knowledge and understanding of specific nutritional requirements. The objective of the current study was to examine the nutrition knowledge and perceived dietary requirements of adolescent athletes.

Male (n = 29, age: 15.7 ± 1.3 yrs.; height: 178.9 ± 8.3 cm; body mass: 74.7 ± 17.2 kg; body fat %: 13.9 ± 7.9%) and female (n = 15, age: 16.5 ± 1.4 yrs.; height: 169.9 ± 6.5 cm; body mass: 63.3 ± 4.5 kg; body fat %: 23.7 ± 3.8%) secondary school student-athletes completed body composition testing (hydrostatic weighing) and electronic surveys (Abridged Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (ASNKQ); self-perception of dietary energy and macronutrient requirements).

Athletes demonstrated poor sports nutrition knowledge, with no differences observed between sexes for the number of questions answered correctly (males: 45.1 ± 9.8% vs. females: 43.1 ± 12.7%; p = 0.57). No relationships were observed between ASNKQ scores and body composition parameters or between ASNKQ scores and self-reported perception of dietary energy and macronutrient requirements (p > 0.05). Athletes self-reported a lower perceived energy (-560 ± 1272 kcal/d; p = 0.014) and carbohydrate intake (-73 ± 376 g/d; p = 0.014) requirement compared to calculated nutritional recommendations. Athletes self-reported a higher perceived protein intake (263 ± 586 g/d; p = 0.026) requirement compared to calculated nutritional requirements.

The current sample of adolescent athletes from the secondary school level appears to have a poor level of sports nutrition knowledge and understanding of energy and macronutrient requirements.