Richard Hardy1, Nathalie Kliemann2, Taylor Evansen3, Jefferson Brand4. 1. Heartland Orthopedic Specialists, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria, MN. Electronic address: hardyr@morris.umn.edu. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, United Kingdom. 3. Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Morris, Morris, MN. 4. Heartland Orthopedic Specialists, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria, MN.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationships between energy drink consumption, nutrition knowledge, and socio-demographic characteristics in a convenience sample of student-athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Online survey. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 194 student-athletes (112 female and 82 male). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of human nutrition, energy drink consumption habits. ANALYSIS: Chi-square tests of independence, independent t tests, and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. RESULTS: Most student-athletes in the sample (85.5%) did not consume energy drinks, but those who did tended to be male (P = .004), had lower overall knowledge of nutrition (P = .02), and had a lower grade point average (P < .001) than did nonusers. Also, energy drink consumption was associated with the overall nutrition knowledge score when adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, with nonusers having greater nutrition knowledge (P = .007) than users. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Student-athletes tend to refrain from energy drink use but those who use it have a tendency to have lower nutrition knowledge than do nonusers. Therefore, nutrition education targeted toward student-athletes should encompass the consumption of energy drinks because limited evidence shows the benefits of collegiate athletes consuming energy drinks.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationships between energy drink consumption, nutrition knowledge, and socio-demographic characteristics in a convenience sample of student-athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Online survey. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 194 student-athletes (112 female and 82 male). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of human nutrition, energy drink consumption habits. ANALYSIS: Chi-square tests of independence, independent t tests, and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. RESULTS: Most student-athletes in the sample (85.5%) did not consume energy drinks, but those who did tended to be male (P = .004), had lower overall knowledge of nutrition (P = .02), and had a lower grade point average (P < .001) than did nonusers. Also, energy drink consumption was associated with the overall nutrition knowledge score when adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, with nonusers having greater nutrition knowledge (P = .007) than users. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Student-athletes tend to refrain from energy drink use but those who use it have a tendency to have lower nutrition knowledge than do nonusers. Therefore, nutrition education targeted toward student-athletes should encompass the consumption of energy drinks because limited evidence shows the benefits of collegiate athletes consuming energy drinks.
Authors: Aaron J Riviere; Rae Leach; Haleigh Mann; Samuel Robinson; Donna O Burnett; Jeganathan R Babu; Andrew Dandridge Frugé Journal: Nutrients Date: 2021-05-22 Impact factor: 5.717