Sports And Nutrition Class 12 Pdf Download
Joel Scancarello
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a seven-week nutrition education intervention on the sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) of highly trained UK adolescent swimmers. Fifteen national and international adolescent swimmers (males = 5; females = 10, 15.5 1.1 years, 170.2 7.5 cm, 60.3 5.7 kg) participated in the study during seven consecutive weeks of the competitive swimming season. The participants received 30 min of nutrition education once per week in a classroom-based setting after they had completed their regular swim training. An undergraduate sports nutrition student delivered all nutrition education sessions and SNK questionnaires were administered to the participants pre- and post-intervention. The mean total SNK score improved by 8.3% (SD = 8.4%, 95% CI = 4.1-12.6; p = 0.006; ES = 1.0) following the nutrition education sessions. On an individual basis, ten swimmers significantly improved their total SNK score, whereas four swimmers did not improve, and one swimmer performed significantly worse after the intervention. Moreover, the swimmers' knowledge of hydration improved by 22.2% (SD = 20.6%, 95% CI = 11.8-32.6, p = 0.004, ES = 1.1) over the seven-week timeframe, which was the only nutrition topic to have a significantly increased knowledge score. The current study therefore suggests that a nutrition education intervention can positively influence the SNK of highly trained adolescent swimmers.
Sports Nutrition provides is an overview of the specialized nutritional needs of recreational and competitive athletes. It presents the scientific basis for the role of food and nutrients during athletic training, performance, and recovery. After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:
Sports Nutrition allows students to translate theory into practice and to relate content to fitness and sports. Included are topics on weight and body composition, eating disorders and guidelines through proper nutrition. The material covered gives students comprehensive knowledge of nutrition for use in complementary fields focusing on sport and exercise. Projects include following a social media personality to analyze their communication strategy, evaluating a supplement company, creating a real-life weight loss and performance enhancement plan for an athlete, and providing research-based nutrition advice to an athlete based on an assessment of their needs.
Typically, competitive athletes have two straightforward dietary goals which include eating to maximize performance and eating to obtain optimal body composition. No specific eating regimen will directly increase strength, aerobic endurance, or power, but an adequate nutrient dense diet will allow athletes to train and compete to the best of their abilities [1]. The demands student-athletes place upon their bodies during sport-specific and non-sport-specific training need to be balanced with proper nutrition, especially for females in endurance sports who could be at risk of female athlete triad [2]. The importance of eating a nutrient dense diet is often times not emphasized enough to student-athletes by the professional staff who have the most contact with them: team coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, and athletic trainers. Although some larger universities may employ a full-time or part-time Registered Dietitian (RD) or Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietitian (CSSD), these professionals are only available at approximately 10% of collegiate athletic departments [3]. There is no comprehensive nutrition education program for athletes mandated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) similar to other required academic support and life skills programs [3, 4].
Optimal nutrition facilitates and enhances physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery [5]. Student-athletes need to develop healthy eating habits in order to maintain body weight and health while maximizing training effects. Athletes may not even have knowledge of basic nutrition concepts such that fruits and vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates in addition to grains [4]. As student-athletes enter the collegiate setting, coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, and athletic trainers may wish to assess the student-athlete's knowledge about sports nutrition if a Dietitian is not available. Obtaining this information will allow these professionals to focus on areas which need improvement and potentially make referrals. Due to the demands placed on the student-athletes in sport-specific and non-sport-specific training, education about how to achieve an optimal energy balance is key in order for the student-athletes to perform at their highest level [5].
Student-athletes often rely on team coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, and athletics trainers for sports nutrition knowledge. However, studies have examined the nutrition knowledge of these professionals that indicated they may not be the best source for the student-athletes [3, 6, 7]. Torres-McGehee et al. studied 579 student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches to examine sports nutrition knowledge on a questionnaire they developed. Adequate sports nutrition knowledge was determined if the participant obtained an overall score of at least 75% in all domains. Athletic trainers and strength and conditioning specialists had the highest average scores of 77.8% and 81.6%, respectively, which were higher than the team coaches and the student-athletes [6]. Rockwell et al. assessed the nutrition knowledge, opinions, and practices of 53 coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, and athletic trainers at a Division I university. Strength and conditioning specialists scored significantly more correct answers at 80% compared to team coaches at 62% and athletic trainers at 66%. Coaches who worked with female athletes or both male and female athletes and coaches with at least 15 years' experience gave more correct responses. Not only should the student-athletes be tested on nutrition knowledge and behaviors, but the coaching staff and other professionals who work closely with them should also be studied to ensure the student-athletes are receiving correct and current sports nutrition education, especially if there is no Dietitian [7].
There is a history of student-athletes reporting low sports nutrition knowledge, though findings are mixed due to differences in populations and instrumentation [8]. As far back as 1992, Jacobson and Aldana found only 26.7% of 812 Division I student-athletes could correctly identify fat-soluble vitamins and 50% knew correct functions of protein, but 85% could identify carbohydrates as an immediate energy source. These participants indicated their sources of nutrition knowledge were magazines, athletic trainers, friends, and coursework [9]. Cultural and religious factors may also influence student-athlete nutrition [8]. The Internet can also be a reference for sports nutrition knowledge [8, 10] but may contain inaccurate information from questionable sources. A follow-up to the 2001 study [9] with 330 student-athletes found lower sports nutrition knowledge in that only 29% could identify correct carbohydrate recommendations while even fewer could correctly identify fat and protein recommendations. Female student-athletes reported receiving their sports nutrition knowledge from coursework and nutrition professionals, while male student-athletes indicated strength and conditioning specialists and athletic trainers were their primary sources. Both sexes still relied on friends, family, and magazines [11]. In the 185 student-athletes out of the 579 participants studied by Torres-McGehee et al. they found only 9% of the student-athletes had adequate sports nutrition knowledge on their questionnaire with a score > 75%. For their primary and secondary source of sports nutrition knowledge, the student-athletes reported strength and conditioning specialists to be the highest and then parents and athletic trainers, but not Registered Dietitians [6].
In looking at sports nutrition knowledge in specific teams, Hornstrom et al. studied nutrition knowledge, choices, and practices in 185 collegiate conference softball players [12]. The sports nutrition knowledge mean score on their questionnaire was only 45.7 (4.7) out of 80 points or 57.1%. There were no differences in sports nutrition knowledge by class level. The lower the sports nutrition knowledge scores were, the more the athletes reported poorer eating behaviors. The softball players were most likely to contact a physician to obtain nutrition knowledge, followed by an athletic trainer, college courses, and then a Dietitian [12]. Zawila et al. assessed sports nutrition knowledge and attitudes of 60 female collegiate cross-country runners in two Midwest states. Questions covered topic areas of carbohydrates, protein, fats, calcium, iron, vitamins, minerals, functional foods, vegetables, health benefits of foods, hydration, nutrition for athletes and weight loss, and the runner's attitudes towards nutrition. The runners scored higher than 70% on iron, hydration, and functional foods. Student-athletes who took a nutrition course scored higher, and those who prepared their own food also scored higher. There were no differences between Division I, II, or III universities or between the two states. Sources of sports nutrition knowledge were magazines, parents, coaches, and teammates with only 17% choosing an athletic trainer [13].
Taking a nutrition course did not affect sports nutrition knowledge scores in the current study. It is possible the student-athletes did not retain the information they were taught, or they do not have the motivation or encouragement to focus on the nutrition component of their own sport and performance. Zawila et al. found in their sample of female distance runners that those participants who took a course scored higher on nutrition knowledge [13]. Distance running is a sport where body weight and nutrition are likely more of a focus, so athletes may be more motivated to increase their sports nutrition knowledge. Nascimento et al. also found that individual consultations combined with a lecture improved athletes' nutrition knowledge along with their nutrition [10]. There is potential to deliver tailored for-credit courses to athletes either face-to-face in a classroom setting or in an online format. However, the additional time burden to athletes would need to be considered [3, 4].