Sports nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and dietary practices among African football players: a pan-African cross-sectional study

This study assessed sports nutrition knowledge, nutrition-related beliefs, and dietary practices among African football players across all six Confederation of African Football zones and examined how age, sex, education, and competitive level relate to sports nutrition knowledge.

Pan-African, descriptive cross-sectional study.

A total of 1310 players (758 men/boys; 552 women/girls) completed a validated questionnaire adapted from previous literature and the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire. Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U; Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn-Holm correction), Chi-square tests, and Spearman correlations were used to examine group differences and associations.

Overall, sports nutrition knowledge was low. Fewer than half of players correctly identified macronutrient content in common foods (carbohydrates 45-53%; protein 23-41%; fat 50-57%). Knowledge of optimal nutrient timing (34-39%) and hydration strategies (<33%) was similarly limited. Belief misconceptions were widespread: 75% endorsed routine supplement use, and nearly half believed iron tablets should be taken for fatigue and pallor. Only 8.5% reported high confidence in their sports nutrition knowledge, most of which originated from internet sources (34%). Although 68% consumed three meals daily, only 26-32% reported daily fruit or vegetable intake, while ∼40% consumed daily fast food, sweetened beverages, and supplements. Sports nutrition knowledge differed significantly by age, education, and competition level (p < 0.001, respectively), with senior players and those with higher education scoring higher. Women/girls had higher sports nutrition knowledge than men/boys (p < 0.001).

These findings highlight the need for context-specific, evidence-based nutrition education strategies to support healthy and performance-enhancing dietary behaviours among developing and elite football players across Africa.