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Find out which of your peers knows the most about sports nutrition

Do you know what you need, nutritionally, to reach your athletic potential? According to research, probably not.

As part of a recent study, 123 student-athletes from a Division 1 school in the United States were quizzed on their nutritional knowledge. The quizzes didn’t go so well for most athletes. Only 12 of the 123 student-athletes tested were deemed to have adequate nutritional knowledge! The other 111 student-athletes  scored below 75% on the quiz and were deemed to have inadequate nutritional knowledge [1].

Regardless of the demographic, the study found similar knowledge deficiency.

  • Gender: males and females were equally deficient.
  • Age: upperclassmen and underclassmen were equally deficient.
  • Sport: all teams (baseball, tennis, track and field, men’s soccer, softball) had few statistical differences.
  • Previous Nutrition Class: those who had, and hadn’t, taken a previous nutrition course were equally deficient.

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Another study in 2011 investigated the relationship between nutritional knowledge and the quality of food selections in 185 softball players from 11 Mid-Atlantic Conference schools [2]. The authors found that players with lower nutritional knowledge scores had worse eating habits. Learning a little bit more about nutrition could improve your eating habits, which may result in better performance outcomes [3].

Where should you get your nutrition information?

Getting knowledge from a fellow athlete may not be the best way to gain nutritional knowledge. What if you get your nutrition information from someone else, for example, a trainer or coach? Unfortunately, there’s still a chance that you’re not getting accurate nutrition information. In 2012, another study involved quizzing athletes, team coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches from various NCAA Division I, II, and III universities on nutritional knowledge [4]. The strength and conditioning coaches were most likely to have adequate knowledge (83%), followed by athletic trainers (71%), team coaches (36%), and finally, athletes (9%).

There are many knowledgeable trainers, coaches, and athletes out there; unfortunately, there are also a few that aren’t so knowledgeable. If you’re lucky enough to have a trainer or coach who is a nutritional wizard, that’s great! Utilize their expertise in any way you can. If you find yourself searching for sport nutrition information by scouring the internet, asking friends, or relying on someone who may have sub-par knowledge, ShakeBot can help.

ShakeBot Bottom Line

Here at ShakeBot, it’s our mission to help you reach your potential and crush your exercise-related goals. We’re doing everything we can to provide you with the most accurate, research-driven nutrition recommendations that you know you can rely upon. We’re not just another website giving sport nutrition advice. We take great pride in not being like everyone else. How are we different, you ask?

We grow with the research: we constantly review the most current sports nutrition research and update our recommendations systematically. We’re driven by helping people like you and we’re willing to put our reputation on the line for your benefit. All we want is for you to succeed. If you don’t feel better, perform better, or look better within days of utilizing our advice, then please contact us. We’ll gladly research your particular situation to see what more can be done. All of our services are entirely free for our users.

Reference

  1. Andrews, A., Wojcik, J. R., Boyd, J. M., & Bowers, C. J. (2016). Sports Nutrition Knowledge among Mid-Major Division I University Student-Athletes. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2016, 1-5.

  2. Hornstrom, G. R., Friesen, C. A., Ellery, J. E., & Pike, K. (2011). Nutrition Knowledge, Practices, Attitudes, and Information Sources of Mid-American Conference College Softball Players. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 02(02), 109-117.

  3. Trakman, G., Forsyth, A., Devlin, B., & Belski, R. (2016). A Systematic Review of Athletes’ and Coaches’ Nutrition Knowledge and Reflections on the Quality of Current Nutrition Knowledge Measures. Nutrients, 8(9), 570.

  4. Torres-McGehee, T.M.; Pritchett, K.L.; Zippel, D.; Minton, D.M.; Cellamare, A.; Sibilia, M. Sports nutrition knowledge among collegiate athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning specialists. J. Athl. Train. 2012, 47, 205–211.