The Impact of Nutrition Education Intervention with and Without a Mobile Phone Application on Nutrition Knowledge Among Young Endurance Athletes

Abstract

Athletes often have significant gaps in their nutrition knowledge. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether young Finnish endurance athletes’ nutrition knowledge and dietary intake can be improved through an education intervention with or without a mobile food application. Seventy-nine endurance athletes, 18.0 years (SD: 1.4), participated in this randomized, controlled intervention. We compared the effects of participatory nutrition education sessions alone (group EDU) to those including the use of a mobile food application (group EDU + APP) for four days after each session. Both groups attended three 90-min education sessions fortnightly. The participants completed a validated nutrition knowledge questionnaire in Weeks 0, 5, and 17, and a three-day food diary in Weeks 0 and 17. The education plan was based on the Self-Determination Theory and the concept of meaningful learning process. The EDU group’s nutrition knowledge scores were: 78 (week 0), 85 (week 5), and 84 (week 17) and the EDU + APP group’s 78, 86, and 85, respectively. Nutrition knowledge increased significantly (main effect of time (p < 0.001)), but we observed no significant group × time interaction (p = 0.309). The changes in dietary intakes were minor (p > 0.05). The amount of carbohydrates was below endurance athletes’ recommendations throughout the intervention. The reported energy intakes were also below the estimated energy expenditures. In conclusion, nutrition knowledge improved significantly after only three education sessions and food diary feedback, but the mobile app did not improve learning further. However, the nutrition education intervention alone was not enough to change dietary intake.

Exploring Sports Nutrition Knowledge in Elite Gaelic Footballers

“…The overall aim of nutrition education is to increase knowledge, support change and maintain appropriate dietary intake [ 19 , 41 ]. There is very little research on the optimal method to educate athletes, lectures and one-on-one counselling are the most common form of education intervention [ 19 , 42 ], but these can be impractical in many cases [ 41 , 43 ]. Nutritional support is usually offered on a part-time or consultancy basis, even in the professional environment, with limited time with the players [ 29 ].…”

“…We therefore propose that the practitioners may need to be innovative in their approach to translate evidence-based nutritional advice into practice. Online platforms such as mobile applications (apps) could provide sports nutrition practitioners the opportunity to make nutrition education interventions more time-efficient and successful [ 41 , 44 ]. Digital health interventions have demonstrated to be successful in enhancing nutrition knowledge and improving individuals’ behaviours which resulted in increased vegetable intake in young adults [ 45 ], and successful weight loss in overweight individuals [ 46 ].…”

Elite squash players nutrition knowledge and influencing factors

“…Consequently, elite squash players should aim to increase their nutrition knowledge, as this may lead to greater dietary behaviours [ 21 ] and athletic ability [ 22 ]. Sport nutrition practitioners implement a variety of techniques to promote positive dietary behaviours, increasing nutrition knowledge in adolescent [ 47 , 55 , 71 – 76 ], collegiate [ 21 , 22 , 77 , 78 ] and elite athletes [ 79 ]. Future research should aim to quantify the effectiveness of a nutritional education intervention at increasing elite squash players nutrition knowledge.…”

Nutrition Knowledge Is Associated with Energy Availability and Carbohydrate Intake in Young Female Cross-Country Skiers

“…This may especially be the case among high school athletes, many of whom have moved away from their parental home and started to take more responsibility over purchasing and preparing food. Indeed, some [ 18 , 19 ], but not all [ 20 ], studies have shown that older athletes have better nutrition knowledge compared to younger ones. Although there is mild evidence to suggest a positive association between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake, a very limited number of studies have used valid tools to assess both nutrition knowledge and dietary intake [ 21 ].…”