Elite Squash Players Nutrition Knowledge and Influencing Factors

Abstract

Background: There is a reported mismatch between macronutrient consumption and contemporary macronutrient guidelines in elite standard squash players. Suboptimal dietary practices could be due to a lack of nutrition knowledge among players. Subsequently, the purpose of this study was to assess the sports nutrition knowledge of elite squash players through the RNSKQ and provide an indication of whether players require nutrition support to increase their nutrition knowledge.Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the nutrition knowledge of 77 elite squash players via the RNSKQ over the period of June 2020 to August 2020.Results: Players conveyed average nutrition knowledge with a mean RNSKQ score of 48.78 ± 10.06 (56.07 % ± 11.56 %). There were no significant differences in RNSKQ score between male and female players (p = .532). There was found to be a weak positive correlation between world ranking and RNSKQ score (r = .208) and age and RNSKQ score (r = .281). Players who had a relevant undergraduate degree (e.g. BSc Sport & Exercise Science) had significantly greater RNSKQ score than players with no qualifications (p = .022). Players who consulted a sports nutritionist to obtain their main source of nutrition information were shown to have significantly greater knowledge than those who acquired knowledge from a sports scientist (p = .01) or the internet / social media (p = .007).Conclusions: Players should consult with a sports nutritionist to increase their sport nutrition knowledge. Future research should quantify the effectiveness of a nutritional education intervention at increasing nutrition knowledge in players.

Nutritional Knowledge and Eating Habits of the National Brazilian Futsal Team

“…The nutrition knowledge scores in this study were lower than previous studies that have used the A-NSKQ in Australian elite and non-elite mixed-gender athletes, who scored 46% overall-59% in the general nutrition knowledge section and 35% in the sports nutrition knowledge section 28 . More recently, the NSKQ or ANSKQ was used to evaluate nutrition knowledge of Gaelic Football/games players and elite squash players, with scores ranging from 40.2% 29 to 56.7% 30 (40.2% in male, club/county Irish Gaelic Football players 29 , 46.0% in female Gaelic games players 31 , 47.8% in elite and non-elite Gaelic Football Players 32 and 56.7% in elite squash players 30 ).…”