Sub-Optimal Nutritional Knowledge and Dietary Intake in Gaelic Team Sport Athletes: Limited Associations Between Knowledge and Dietary Adequacy.

Background/

Objectives

To assess the nutritional knowledge and dietary intake of Gaelic team sport athletes and investigate any association between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake.

Methods

Male/female athletes competing in Gaelic football, hurling and camogie, aged 18-40 years and training/competing at least twice weekly, were recruited. Nutrition knowledge was assessed using the validated Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ). Dietary intake was assessed using a 4-day semi-quantitative food diary.

Results

In total, 354 players (male n = 215, female n = 139; elite n = 133, sub-elite n = 221) completed the NSKQ; 53.1% had "poor" knowledge (score ≤49%). Dietary intake was reported by 139 players (39.3%), whose mean knowledge was also "poor" (49.9 ± 13.1%), with scoring patterns identical to non-reporters. Participants scored "average" in weight management, macronutrient, and alcohol subsections, and "poor" in micronutrient, sports nutrition, and supplement subsections. Dietary intake was sub-optimal; 84.9% under-consumed energy (median deficit 755 kcal/d [IQR -1085, -115]), primarily due to insufficient carbohydrate intake (median 3.2 g/kg/d [IQR 2.6, 3.8]; only 20.9% met the 4-8 g/kg/d recommendation). Most participants met protein and fat recommendations, although few met vitamin D or fibre recommendations, and no female participant met the iron recommendation. Those with average or above knowledge were more likely to meet energy and fibre recommendations; no further significant associations were observed.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that Gaelic team sport athletes lack nutrition knowledge, and their dietary intake appears sub-optimal in several respects. In unadjusted analyses, higher knowledge was modestly associated with meeting energy and fibre recommendations. These findings highlight the need for nutrition interventions, combining education with behaviour change strategies.