Nutritional Intake and Dietary Knowledge of Athletes: A Scoping Review

Background: Sports nutrition is a rapidly developing field of study, and optimum nutrition can have a crucial impact on athletic performance and, in turn, overall well-being. Nutritional knowledge and dietary intake of athletes are paramount in terms of reaching optimum athletic performance and promoting recovery. This review will scope the current literature in relation to nutritional knowledge and dietary intake of athletes in order to establish gaps in the research that require further exploration. Methods: A review of papers (n = 21) related to athletes' nutritional knowledge and dietary intake in Sage, Pub-Mud, EBESCO and Sports-Discus databases was undertaken up to October 2024. Each of these papers met the strict eligibility criteria for inclusion following the adoption of the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Results: Studies reported that gaps exist in the nutritional knowledge and awareness of athletes in relation to nutrient intake and the recommended dietary guidelines. Furthermore, a disparity in knowledge exists with females overall exhibiting superior awarenesses in comparison to male counterparts. The findings of this study suggest that food supplements are being used to compensate for a shortfall in nutrition. A lack of access to evidence-based nutritional advice and practical, hands-on nutritional education have been cited as major barriers to enhancing and addressing nutritional awareness and knowledge. Conclusions: This scoping review mapped the existing literature relating to athletes' nutritional knowledge and dietary practices and, in turn, revealed critical gaps and barriers The review established the need for further research to explore and address these gaps.