Room for Improvement in Sports Nutrition Knowledge amongst Parents and Caregivers of Male Academy Soccer Players in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In professional soccer clubs in the UK, nutrition support is often polarised towards senior players or those in the senior academy age groups seeking first team selection/involvement. Accordingly, there is an increased reliance on parents and caregivers to provide support regarding nutritional intake. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of nutrition knowledge of parents and caregivers of male youth soccer players within developmental academies in the UK. Across a single competitive season, 360 registered parents and caregivers of male soccer players from English Premier League under 9-11 (Foundation Phase) and under 12-16 (Youth Development Phase) age group academies completed an online version of the 88-item validated Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire. Nutrition knowledge scores were classified as "poor" (43 ± 23%). Nutrition knowledge scores were significantly greater in respondents with dependents representing Category 1 (45 ± 13%) vs. Category 2 (39 ± 15%) academies and in Foundation Phase (44 ± 13%) vs. Youth Development Phase (41 ± 15%). These results demonstrate that there is room for improvement in the nutrition knowledge levels of parents and caregivers of male soccer academy players. We recommend that club academies provide appropriate resources towards nutritional education for parents and caregivers.

Energy-Adjusted Dietary Intakes Are Associated with Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating but Not Food Insecurity or Sports Nutrition Knowledge in a Pilot Study of ROTC Cadets.

Military service is inherently demanding and, due to the nature of these demands, the term "tactical athlete" has been coined to capture the physical requirements of the profession. Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets are a unique subset of the military service community, and the complexity of their training and educational pursuits increases their susceptibility to unhealthy eating patterns. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationship between the perceived barriers to healthy eating, food insecurity, sports nutrition knowledge, and dietary patterns among Army ROTC cadets. The usual dietary intake was gathered from (N = 37) cadets using the General Nutrition Assessment Food Frequency Questionnaire. The perceived barriers to healthy eating were measured using a set of scales consisting of social barriers (6 items, α = 0.86), access barriers (2 items, α = 0.95), and personal barriers (2 items, α = 0.67), with higher-scale scores indicating greater perceived barriers. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to measure the association between the energy-adjusted dietary intakes and the scores on the barriers scales. Energy-adjusted intakes of calcium (ρ = -0.47, p ≤ 0.01), fiber (ρ = -0.35, p = 0.03), vitamin A (ρ = -0.46, p ≤ 0.01), vitamin C (ρ = -0.43, p ≤ 0.01), fruit (ρ = -0.34, p = 0.04), and vegetables (ρ = -0.50, p ≤ 0.01) were negatively correlated with the perceived personal barrier scores. The energy-adjusted intakes of fiber (ρ = -0.36, p = 0.03), vitamin C (ρ = -0.37, p = 0.03), and vitamin E (ρ = -0.45, p ≤.01) were negatively correlated with perceived social barriers, while energy-adjusted vitamin C intake was negatively correlated with perceived access barriers (ρ = -0.40, p = 0.01). Although additional research is needed to better understand the dietary patterns of ROTC cadets, among the participants in this study, greater perceived personal, social, and access barriers were associated with less nutrient-dense eating patterns. Interventions aimed at addressing such barriers may prove beneficial for the improvement of diet quality among ROTC cadets.

Exploring Sports Nutrition Knowledge in Elite Gaelic Footballers.

Nutrition intake plays a crucial role in improving athletic performance, enhancing adaptations to training, and augmenting recovery from exercise. However, research has reported that Gaelic footballers consistently fail to meet energy and carbohydrate recommendations. Sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) can influence the dietary intake of athletes, and therefore has the potential to have a significant impact on athletic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the current level of SNK in elite Gaelic footballers (n = 100). An online version of the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ) was used to assess sports SNK. The overall mean SNK scores for Gaelic footballers and practitioners were 47.6 ± 12.3% and 78.1 ± 8.3%, respectively. There were no differences in knowledge between age groups, education level or divisional status. The top three sources of nutrition information identified by participants were team dietitian/nutritionists (84.0%), athletic trainers/strength and conditioning coaches (73%), and social media (37%). The results show that there is a major gap in the SNK of Gaelic footballers, while practitioners demonstrated a promising SNK, that could support Gaelic footballers. There is a need for development of interventions and knowledge transfer partnerships, including more effective methods of educating Gaelic footballers and translating sports nutrition principles to players. Developing appropriate nutritional education strategies using online resources and mobile applications could help to improve nutritional knowledge and practice of Gaelic footballers.

The effectiveness of nutrition education programmes on improving dietary intake in athletes: a systematic review.

Nutrition education programmes for athletes aim to enhance nutrition knowledge and more importantly support positive dietary change to enhance performance, health and well-being. This systematic review assessed changes in the dietary intakes of athletes in response to nutrition education programmes. A search was conducted which included studies providing quantitative dietary intake assessment of athletes of any calibre aged between 12 and 65 years in response to a nutrition education programme. Standardised differences (effect sizes) were calculated (when possible) for each dietary parameter. The search yielded 6285 papers with twenty-two studies (974 participants (71·9 % female)) eligible for inclusion. Studies described athletes competing at high school (n 3) through to college level or higher (n 19). Study designs were either single arm with an intervention-only group (twelve studies; n 241) or double arm including an intervention and control group (ten studies; n 689). No control groups received an alternative or 'sham' intervention. Face-to-face lectures (9/22) and individual nutrition counselling (6/22) were the most common education interventions. Non-weighed, 3-d diet records (10/22) were the most frequently utilised dietary assessment method. Although 14/22 studies (n 5 single and n 9 double) reported significant change in at least one nutrition parameter, dietary changes were inconsistent. Poor study quality and heterogeneity of methods prohibit firm conclusions regarding overall intervention success or superior types of educational modalities. Of note, carbohydrate intakes 'post-intervention' when assessed often failed to meet recommended guidelines (12/17 studies). Given the substantial investment made in nutrition education interventions with athletes, there is a need for well-designed and rigorous research to inform future best practice.

The Environmental Impact of the Athlete's Plate Nutrition Education Tool.

Periodized nutrition is necessary to optimize training and enhance performance through the season. The Athlete's Plate (AP) is a nutrition education tool developed to teach athletes how to design their plates depending on training load (e.g., volume × intensity), from easy (E), moderate (M) to hard (H). The AP was validated, confirming its recommendations according to international sports nutrition guidelines. However, the AP had significantly higher protein content than recommended (up to 2.9 ± 0.5 g·kg-1·d-1; p < 0.001 for H male). The aim of this study was to quantify the environmental impact (EnvI) of the AP and to evaluate the influence of meal type, training load, sex and registered dietitian (RD). The nutritional contents of 216 APs created by 12 sport RDs were evaluated using Computrition Software (Hospitality Suite, v. 18.1, Chatsworth, CA, USA). The EnvI of the AP was analyzed by life cycle assessment (LCA) expressed by the total amount of food on the AP, kg, and kcal, according to the Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (SALCA) methodology. Higher EnvI is directly associated with higher training load when the total amount of food on the plate is considered for E (5.7 ± 2.9 kg CO2 eq/day); M (6.4 ± 1.5 kg CO2 eq/day); and H (8.0 ± 2.1 kg CO2 eq/day). Global warming potential, exergy and eutrophication are driven by animal protein and mainly beef, while ecotoxicity is influenced by vegetable content on the AP. The EnvI is influenced by the amount of food, training load and sex. This study is the first to report the degree of EnvI in sports nutrition. These results not only raise the need for sustainability education in sports nutrition in general, but also the urgency to modify the AP nutrition education tool to ensure sports nutrition recommendations are met, while not compromising the environment.

Eating behavior: The influence of age, nutrition knowledge, and Mediterranean diet.

BACKGROUND: Student life during the university period is characterized by many changes in eating behaviors and dietary patterns due to adaptation to a new environment, study stress, lack of proper time management, and busy class schedules. These unhealthy actions may be detrimental to cognitive processing and influence academic performance, which is related to professional success. AIM: To assess different eating patterns in Portuguese university students and relate them to several sociodemographic variables. METHODS: Cross-sectional information about eating behavior was assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire in 169 students between 18 and 50 years of age, from the Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias and from different academic courses, some related to health sciences. Mediterranean diet adherence was also assessed using a validated 14-item questionnaire. RESULTS: According to the analyses of the 169 participants included in the sample, 33 presented restrained eating behavior, with 73 presenting external and 63 emotional. In the same line of thought, 62.10% of nutrition sciences students presented emotional eating behavior and overall it was observed that these students were more likely to have emotional eating behavior. Otherwise, presenting restrained eating behavior was statistically associated with being older and having higher Mediterranean diet adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Studying nutrition sciences was associated with having emotional eating behavior. Older students and those who adhere more closely to the Mediterranean diet were associated with having restrained eating behavior.

Effectiveness of Education Interventions Designed to Improve Nutrition Knowledge in Athletes: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: A range of nutrition education strategies are used to assist athletes to improve nutrition knowledge. Evaluation of nutrition education interventions guides the delivery of efficacious nutrition education for athletes. AIM: Our aim was to systematically review sport/general nutrition education interventions delivered to athletes, and to evaluate their effectiveness. METHODS: A search was conducted using terms related to nutrition knowledge, athletes, education, and intervention. Included studies had to be conducted in athletes (all calibres), use a scored nutrition knowledge assessment tool, and measure knowledge before and after a nutrition education intervention. Peer-reviewed and unpublished theses were included. RESULTS: Thirty-two manuscripts (randomised controlled trial, n = 13; single-arm pre/post design, n = 19) met the inclusion criteria. Participants (n = 2180; mean age 17.4 ± 1.7 years) were mostly female (66.1%), university-level (56.3%) athletes based in the US (75%). Comparison of different education methods was limited since the majority of interventions (n = 28/36, 77.8%) used face-to-face education. Most intervention conditions (n = 19) had a total contact time of < 300 min (5 h). The majority of interventions (n = 30, 85.7%) reported significant knowledge improvement, with a mean increase of 16.1 ± 0.7% (mean effect size 1.72; range 0.4-17.1). Only 15.6% of studies used well-validated knowledge assessment tools (more than three types of validity or reliability testing). CONCLUSIONS: Most interventions reported a significant improvement in nutrition knowledge. Unfortunately, the wide range of knowledge assessment tools with limited validation, and the predominant use of face-to-face interventions, prohibits identification of the most effective modality and dose for nutrition education in athletes.

Nutrição Esportiva como Componente Curricular nos Cursos de Nutrição e Educação Física do Centro-Oeste do Brasil / Sports Nutrition as Curricular Component in the Nutrition and Physical Education Courses of the Center-West of Brazil

Esse estudo objetivou caracterizar a disciplina de Nutrição Esportiva nos cursos de Graduação em Nutrição e Educação Física das Instituições de Ensino Superior do Centro-Oeste do Brasil e Distrito Federal. Material e Métodos: Adotou-se como critério de inclusão os cursos presenciais ou de educação à distância de Graduação em Nutrição (Bacharelado) e Educação Física (Bacharelado e Licenciatura) das Instituições de Ensino Superior reconhecidas pelo Ministério da Educação. Foram analisados os três estados que compõem a Região Centro-Oeste do Brasil e o Distrito Federal. As Instituições foram selecionadas por meio da Base de Dados do Sistema de Regulação do Ensino Superior ­ Sistema e-MEC e para a avaliação considerou-se a presença da disciplina Nutrição Esportiva e sua caracterização de oferta como sua denominação; natureza (obrigatória ou optativa); carga horária e período ministrado. Resultados: Observou-se que para 100% dos cursos de Nutrição a disciplina é de natureza obrigatória, ao passo para que para a Educação Física esse percentual foi de 95,23%. Ambos os cursos apresentaram ampla variabilidade da carga horária total e maior carga horária teórica, quando comparada à carga horária prática. Também, alguns estados não destinam nenhuma carga horária prática para sua realização. Conclusão: Apesar de os cursos apresentarem similaridade em seu perfil de oferta para a maioria dos aspectos avaliados, faz-se necessário entender se as diferenças encontradas impactam no processo de ensino-aprendizagem da disciplina estudada. (AU)

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the discipline of Sports Nutrition in the Nutrition and Physical Education Undergraduate courses of the Institutions of Higher Education of the Center-West of Brazil and the Federal District. Material and Methods: The adopted inclusion criteria were the presential or distance education courses of Undergraduate Nutrition (Bachelor) and Physical Education (Bachelor and Graduation) of Higher Education Institutions recognized by the Ministry of Education. The three states that compose the Central-West Region of Brazil and the Federal District were analyzed. The Institutions were selected through the Database of the System of Regulation of Higher Education - e-MEC System and for the evaluation, it was considered the presence of the discipline of Sports Nutrition and its offer characterization as its denomination; nature (required or optional); workload and time period. Results: It was observed that for 100% of the Nutrition courses the discipline is required, whereas for Physical Education this percentage was 95.23%. Both courses presented wide variability of the total workload and higher theoretical workload compared to the practical workload. Also, some states do not allocate any practical workload for their realization. Conclusion: Although the courses present similarity in their offer profile for most aspects evaluated, it is necessary to understand if the differences found, impact on the teaching-learning process of the studied discipline. (AU)

Creation of a Dual-Purpose Collegiate Athlete Nutrition Advising Program and Educational Curriculum.

The intent of this article is to describe the process of creating a dual-purpose athlete nutrition advising program at the collegiate level. The first goal was to help student athletes enhance their performance through optimal fuel and hydration. The second goal was to provide experiential learning for nutrition students. This program provided a platform for nutrition students to gain hands-on experience assessing, monitoring, and educating athletes in relation to nutrition for performance. The implication for practice is based on recent growth and increased interest in the performance nutrition field that drives the need for more formal training programs.

WAVE~Ripples for Change Obesity Two-Year Intervention in High School Soccer Players: Process Evaluation, Best Practices, and Youth Engagement.

This paper reports the process data on program fidelity, best practices for intervention implementation, youth and coach engagement, and youth application of knowledge and skills for the two-year WAVE~Ripples for Change (WAVE) obesity prevention intervention program focused on healthy eating, physical activity, and life skills with high school (HS) soccer players aged 14⁻19 years. Internal (staff: n = 7; volunteers: n = 27) and external (youth: n = 100; coaches: n = 9) stakeholders were interviewed/ surveyed. Staff rated program fidelity as high (94%), as did volunteers (85%). Best practices included coach encouragement for athlete participation, use of on-line consent for enrollment, building relationships with HS staff to complete assessments, sending text reminders, and providing incentives. Study results showed an enrollment rate of 72%, completion of baseline assessments of 89⁻98%, attendance of sports nutrition lessons in Year 1 and Year 2 of 90% and 39%, respectively, and team-building workshop (TBW) attendance of 25⁻31%. Activities exceeding youth expectations (>90%) included, (1) activities with their soccer team; (2) the TBW-cooking; and (3) sports nutrition lessons. The obesity prevention skills most applied by youth were obtained from the TBW-gardening and harvesting (49%), the TBW-cooking (43%), and sports nutrition lessons (44%). Coaches also rated the sports nutrition lessons highly and reported increased awareness for hydration/fueling during sport by the athletes. Using sport teams/clubs to engage youth in obesity prevention is a feasible model for future study.

Brief Education Intervention Increases Nutrition Knowledge and Confidence of Coaches of Junior Australian Football Teams.

This study evaluated the impact of a brief (20-min) nutrition education intervention embedded in an existing mandatory coach education course for coaches of junior (8-12 years old) Australian football teams. A total of 284 coaches (68% of 415 coaching course participants) completed a presession questionnaire, and 110 coaches (27% of coaching course participants) completed an identical postsession questionnaire. The responses to the pre- and postsession surveys were matched for 78 coaches. Coaches' ratings of their own understanding of the nutritional needs of young athletes (6.81, 8.95; p < .001), the importance of young athletes adhering to a healthy diet (9.09, 9.67; p = .001), their confidence in their own nutrition knowledge (7.24, 8.64; p < .001), and their confidence in advising young athletes on nutrition and hydration practices (6.85, 8.62; p < .001), all significantly improved following the education session. Nearly all coaches (>95%) provided a correct response to six of the 15 nutrition and hydration knowledge questions included in the presession questionnaire. Even with this high level of presession knowledge, there was a significant improvement in the coaches' nutrition and hydration knowledge after the education session across five of the 15 items, compared with before the education session. The results of this study suggest that a simple, short nutrition education intervention, embedded in an existing coach education course, can positively influence the nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy of community-level, volunteer coaches of junior sports participants.

Sport Nutrition Knowledge, Behaviors and Beliefs of High School Soccer Players.

For adolescent athletes (14-18 years), data on sport nutrition knowledge, behaviors and beliefs are limited, especially based on sex, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. High school soccer players (n = 535; 55% female; 51% White, 41% Latino; 41% National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participants (80% Latino)) completed two questionnaires (demographic/health history and sport nutrition). The sport nutrition knowledge score was 45.6% with higher scores in NSLP-Whites vs. NSLP-Latinos (p < 0.01). Supplement knowledge differed by sex (16% lower in females; p = 0.047) and race/ethnicity (33% lower in Latinos; p < 0.001). Breakfast consumption was 57%; females ate breakfast less (50%) than males (60%; p < 0.001); NSLP-participants ate breakfast less (47%) than non-NSLP (62%; p < 0.001). Supplement use was 46%, with Latinos using more supplements than Whites do (p = 0.016). Overall, 30% used protein shakes, with females using less than males (p = 0.02), while use was twice as likely in Latino vs. White (p = 0.03). Overall, 45% reported their nutrient requirements were different from non-athlete peers. Latinos were less likely (p = 0.03) to report that their diet met nutritional requirements, but more than twice as likely to report that nutritional supplements were necessary for training (p < 0.001). Adolescent athletes, especially females and Latinos, would benefit from sport nutrition education that enhances food selection skills for health and sport performance.

Health status, physical activity, and orthorexia nervosa: A comparison between exercise science students and business students.

Orthorexia nervosa is described as an exaggerated fixation on healthy food. It is unclear whether students in health-oriented academic programs, highly focused on physical exercise, are more prone to develop orthorexia nervosa than students in other educational areas. The aim was to compare health status, physical activity, and frequency of orthorexia nervosa between university students enrolled in an exercise science program (n = 118) or a business program (n = 89). The students completed the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and ORTO-15, which defines orthorexia nervosa as a sensitive and obsessive behavior towards healthy nutrition. The SF-36 showed that exercise science students scored worse than business students regarding bodily pain (72.8 vs. 82.5; p = 0.001), but better regarding general health (83.1 vs. 77.1; p = 0.006). Of 188 students, 144 (76.6%) had an ORTO-15 score indicating orthorexia nervosa, with a higher proportion in exercise science students than in business students (84.5% vs. 65.4%; p = 0.002). Orthorexia nervosa in combination with a high level of physical activity was most often seen in men in exercise science studies and less often in women in business studies (45.1% vs. 8.3%; p < 0.000). A high degree of self-reporting of pain and orthorexia nervosa in exercise science students may cause problems in the future, since they are expected to coach others in healthy living. Our findings may be valuable in the development of health-oriented academic programs and within student healthcare services.

High Prevalence of Dehydration and Inadequate Nutritional Knowledge Among University and Club Level Athletes.

Although dehydration of ≥ 2% body weight (BW) loss significantly impairs endurance performance, dehydration remains prevalent among athletes and may be owing to a lack of knowledge in relation to fluid requirements. The aim of this study was to assess the hydration status of university/club level athletes (n = 430) from a range of sports/activities (army officer cadet training; bootcamp training; cycling; Gaelic Athletic Association camogie, football and hurling; golf; hockey; netball; rugby; running (sprinting and endurance); Shotokan karate and soccer) immediately before and after training/competition and to assess their nutritional knowledge. Urine specific gravity (USG) was measured immediately before and after exercise and BW loss during exercise was assessed. Nutritional knowledge was assessed using a validated questionnaire. 31.9% of athletes commenced exercise in a dehydrated state (USG >1.020) with 43.6% of participants dehydrated posttraining/competition. Dehydration was particularly prevalent (>40% of cohort) among karateka, female netball players, army officer cadets, and golfers. Golfers that commenced a competitive 18 hole round dehydrated took a significantly higher number of strokes to complete the round in comparison with their euhydrated counterparts (79.5 ± 2.1 vs. 75.7 ± 3.9 strokes, p = .049). Nutritional knowledge was poor among participants (median total score [IQR]; 52.9% [46.0, 59.8]), albeit athletes who were euhydrated at the start of exercise had a higher overall score in comparison with dehydrated athletes (55.2% vs. 50.6%, p = .001). Findings from the current study, therefore, have significant implications for the education of athletes in relation to their individual fluid requirements around exercise.

Personal Trainer Perceptions of Providing Nutrition Care to Clients: A Qualitative Exploration.

Personal trainers are well placed to provide basic nutrition care in line with national dietary guidelines. However, many personal trainers provide nutrition care beyond their scope of practice and this has been identified as a major industry risk due to a perceived lack of competence in nutrition. This paper explores the context in which personal trainers provide nutrition care, by understanding personal trainers' perceptions of nutrition care in relation to their role and scope of practice. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 15 personal trainers working within Australia. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. All personal trainers reported to provide nutrition care and reported that nutrition care was an important component of their role. Despite this, many were unaware or uncertain of the scope of practice for personal trainers. Some personal trainers reported a gap between the nutrition knowledge they received in their formal education, and the knowledge they needed to optimally support their clients to adopt healthy dietary behaviors. Overall, the personal training context is likely to be conducive to providing nutrition care. Despite concerns about competence personal trainers have not modified their nutrition care practices. To ensure personal trainers provide nutrition care in a safe and effective manner, greater enforcement of the scope of practice is required as well as clear nutrition competencies or standards to be developed during training.

Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Nutrition Knowledge of Australian Football and Soccer Players: Implications for Sports Nutrition Professionals in Practice.

Sports nutrition professionals aim to influence nutrition knowledge, dietary intake and body composition to improve athletic performance. Understanding the interrelationships between these factors and how they vary across sports has the potential to facilitate better-informed and targeted sports nutrition practice. This observational study assessed body composition (DXA), dietary intake (multiple-pass 24-hr recall) and nutrition knowledge (two previously validated tools) of elite and subelite male players involved in two team-based sports; Australian football (AF) and soccer. Differences in, and relationships between, nutrition knowledge, dietary intake and body composition between elite AF, subelite AF and elite soccer players were assessed. A total of 66 (23 ± 4 years, 82.0 ± 9.2 kg, 184.7 ± 7.7 cm) players participated. Areas of weaknesses in nutrition knowledge are evident (57% mean score obtained) yet nutrition knowledge was not different between elite and subelite AF and soccer players (58%, 57% and 56%, respectively, p > .05). Dietary intake was not consistent with recommendations in some areas; carbohydrate intake was lower (4.6 ± 1.5 g/kg/day, 4.5 ± 1.2 g/kg/day and 2.9 ± 1.1 g/kg/day for elite and subelite AF and elite soccer players, respectively) and protein intake was higher (3.4 ± 1.1 g/kg/day, 2.1 ± 0.7 g/kg/day and 1.9 ± 0.5 g/kg/day for elite and subelite AF and elite soccer players, respectively) than recommendations. Nutrition knowledge was positively correlated with fat-free soft tissue mass (n = 66; r2 = .051, p = .039). This insight into known modifiable factors may assist sports nutrition professionals to be more specific and targeted in their approach to supporting players to achieve enhanced performance.

Evaluation of a Theory-Based Intervention Aimed at Improving Coaches' Recommendations on Sports Nutrition to Their Athletes.

BACKGROUND: Coaches are a major source of nutrition information and influence for young athletes. Yet, most coaches do not have training in nutrition to properly guide their athletes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at improving the accuracy of coaches' recommendations on sports nutrition. DESIGN: This was a quasi-experimental study with a comparison group and an intervention group. Measurements were made at baseline, post-intervention, and after a 2-month follow-up period. Coaches' recommendations on sports nutrition during the follow-up period were recorded in a diary. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: High school coaches from various sports (n=41) were randomly assigned to a comparison group or an intervention group. INTERVENTION: Both groups attended two 90-minute sessions of a theory-based intervention targeting determinants of coaches' intention to provide recommendations on sports nutrition. The intervention group further received an algorithm that summarizes sports nutrition guidelines to help promote decision making on sports nutrition recommendations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nutrition knowledge and accuracy of coaches' recommendations on sports nutrition. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: χ(2) analyses and t-tests were used to compare baseline characteristics; mixed and general linear model analyses were used to assess the change in response to the intervention and differences in behaviors, respectively. RESULTS: Coaches in the intervention vs comparison group provided more nutrition recommendations during the 2-month post-intervention period (mean number of recommendations per coach 25.7±22.0 vs 9.4±6.5, respectively; P=0.004) and recommendations had a greater accuracy (mean number of accurate recommendations per coach 22.4±19.9 [87.1%] vs 4.3±3.2 [46.1%], respectively; P<0.001). Knowledge was significantly increased post-intervention in both groups, but was maintained only in the intervention group during the 2-month follow-up (Pgroup*time=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: A theory-based intervention combined with a decision-making algorithm maintained coaches' sports nutrition knowledge level over time and helped them to provide more accurate recommendations on sports nutrition.

Nutritional Supplement Habits of Athletes With an Impairment and Their Sources of Information.

The consumption of nutritional supplements (NS) is common among able-bodied (AB) athletes yet little is known about NS use by athletes with an impairment. This study examined the: (i) prevalence of NS use by athletes with an impairment; (ii) reasons for use/ nonuse; (iii) sources of information regarding NS; and (iv) whether age, gender, impairment, performance level and sport category influence NS use. The questionnaire was completed by 399 elite (n = 255) and nonelite (n = 144) athletes (296 M, 103 F) online or at a sporting event/training camp. Data were evaluated using chi-square analyses. Fifty-eight percent (n = 232) of athletes used NS in the previous 6-month period and 41% (n = 102) of these followed the instructions on the label to determine dose. Adherence to these AB recommendations may partly explain why 9% (n = 37) experienced negative effects from NS use. As expected, the most popular NS were: protein, sports drinks, multivitamins and carbohydrate supplements, which were obtained from health food/sport shops, internet and supermarkets (top 3) where evidence-based, impairment-specific advice is limited. The nutritionist/dietitian was the most used and trusted source of information, which is a promising finding. The most prevalent reasons for use were to support exercise recovery, support the immune system and provide energy. Elite athletes were more likely to use NS, which may reflect greater training hours and/or access to nutritionists. Fifty-two percent of athletes (n = 209) requested more information/ education regarding NS. NS use is prevalent in this population. Education on dosage and appropriate sources of information is required.

Evaluation of Sports Nutrition Knowledge and Recommendations Among High School Coaches.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate high school coaches' knowledge in sports nutrition and the nutritional practices they recommend to their athletes. Forty-seven high school coaches in "leanness" and "non-leanness" sports from the greater region of Quebec (women = 44.7%) completed a questionnaire on nutritional knowledge and practices. "Leanness sports" were defined as sports where leanness or/and low bodyweight were considered important (e.g., cheerleading, swimming and gymnastics), and "non-leanness sports" were defined as sports where these factors are less important (e.g., football). Participants obtained a total mean score of 68.4% for the nutrition knowledge part of the questionnaire. More specifically, less than 30% of the coaches could answer correctly some general nutrition questions regarding carbohydrates and lipids. No significant difference in nutrition knowledge was observed between coaches from "leanness" and "non-leanness" sports or between men and women. Respondents with a university education scored higher than the others (73.3% vs. 63.3%, p < .05). Coaches who participated in coaching certification also obtained better results than those without a coaching certification. The most popular source of information about nutrition used by coaches was the Internet at 55%. The two most popular nutrition practices that coaches recommended to improve athlete performance were hydration and consumption of protein-rich foods. Recommendation for nutritional supplements use was extremely rare and was suggested only by football coaches, a nonleanness sport. Findings from this study indicate that coaches need sports nutrition education and specific training.

Efecto de la hepcidina en el metabolismo del hierro en deportistas / Effect of hepcidin on iron metabolism in atheletes

Las funciones del hierro en el organismo son esenciales, siendo uno de los objetivos del deportista mantener un estado férrico adecuado. La hepcidina, se ha propuesto como la principal hormona responsable de controlar las reservas corporales de hierro, a través de su capacidad para degradar la ferroportina. La acción de la hepcidina sobre la ferroportina provoca una disminución de la absorción del hierro proveniente de la dieta, así como de los macrófagos. Distintos factores como el estado férrico del individuo, la cantidad de hierro proveniente de la dieta, la inflamación, hipoxia, testosterona y el ejercicio, se han comprobado que afectan a la capacidad de síntesis de hepcidina. Los objetivos del presente trabajo han sido analizar las investigaciones que actualmente han estudiado la respuesta de la hepcidina al ejercicio, así como el diseño de un plan específico que tenga por objeto prevenir posibles estados ferropénicos en el deportista. Los principales hallazgos han sido una asociación entre el ejercicio a una intensidad superior al 65% VO2máx con incrementos transitorios en la síntesis de hepcidina, así como un posible efecto regulador de los estímulos de hipoxiaintermitente en la recuperación temprana postejercicio. Otros factores como el volumen de entrenamiento, sexo, modalidad de ejercicio o el tipo de superficie sobre la que se practica el ejercicio no parecen afectar a la respuesta de la hepcidina al ejercicio (AU)

The role of iron in the human body is essential, and athletes must always try to keep an adequate iron status. Hepcidin is proposed as the main hormone responsible for the control of iron reserves in the body, given its ability to induce degradation of ferroportin. The action of hepcidin on ferroportin leads to a decreased dietary iron absorption, as well as to a decrease in macrophages. Several factors such as the iron status, the amount of dietary iron, the inflammation, the hypoxia, the testosterone and the physical exercise have been pointed out as affecting the synthesis of hepcidin. This study has aimed at analysing the researches on hepcidin response to exercise, as well as designing a specific strategy to prevent a potential ferropenic status in athletes. The main findings are an association between exercise at an intensity over 65% VO2max and transient increases in the synthesis of hepcidin, and a possible regulatory effect of intermittent hypoxic stimuli in the early post-exercise recovery. Other factors such as the training volume, sex, kind of exercise or the type of surface where the training takes place do not seem to affect the response of hepcidin to exercise (AU)