Assessing the Impact of Nutritional Knowledge and Information Sources on the Sports Performance of Elite Ethiopian Track Athletes: Insights for Optimized Sports Nutrition

Abstract

Background. Proper nutrition is essential for maximizing athletic performance. Athletes with a high level of nutritional knowledge are more likely to adopt healthy dietary habits, positively impacting their performance. Understanding where athletes obtain nutritional information is crucial, as these sources influence dietary practices and performance. Objectives. The study aimed to inform a culturally tailored nutritional strategy for Ethiopian athletes. Materials and methods. A descriptive study was conducted with 301 randomly selected athletes from 10 sports clubs. Data on nutritional knowledge and information sources were gathered through validated questionnaires (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.844 and 0.802, respectively). SPSS version 26 was used to analyze data via descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation, regression, and ANOVA at a significance level of 0.05. Results. The average scores for nutritional information sources and knowledge were 3.17 (SD = 1.19) and 3.09 (SD = 1.33), indicating moderate adherence. A strong correlation was found between information sources and performance (R = 0.723, p < 0.001), as well as a moderate correlation between nutritional knowledge and performance (R = 0.629, p = 0.000), explaining 79.2% of performance variance. Regression analysis showed that both factors had a significant effect on performance. Conclusions. Nutritional knowledge and credible information sources are critical in enhancing athletes’ performance. The study highlights the need for improved nutrition education among Ethiopian track athletes to promote better dietary practices and performance.