Abstract
BACKGROUND: Use of nutritional supplementation is common in athletes at all levels of sport; however, no study to date has investigated both exercise behaviors and nutrition knowledge. To address this gap in knowledge, this cross-sectional study collected current data on aspects related to exercise behaviors and nutrition knowledge and practices in trained athletes in the United States. METHODS: Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit participants (n = 667) in the target population. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. A chi-square test of independence was performed to examine relationships between selected variables. RESULTS: Exercise sessions for respondents were 45–60 min (55.2%) or 90 min (29.4%) with multiple daily workout sessions performed 1–2 (38.5%) for 3–4 days per week (22.5%). Average intensity of cardio sessions was 5 RPE (33.2%) or 6–7 RPE (42.3%), with a similar distribution for strength-based sessions. All respondents reported regular cardio sessions, whereas 10.5% did not regularly engage in strength-based sessions. A majority reported average nutrition knowledge with limited knowledge on amino acids (33.8%) and minerals (32.5%) and advanced knowledge on protein (28.9%), pre-exercise nutrition (27.6%), and training nutrition (27.6%). The nutritional products used daily or often included caffeine (77.6%), electrolytes (55.1%), multi-vitamin (43.0%), and specific vitamins or minerals (46.3%). Products rarely or never used included herbal supplements (74.7%), amino acids (64.5%), and protein powder (50%). Energy gels or similar were used occasionally (48.6%). There was a significant relationship for all pairings of variables with lower level and frequency of soreness associated with higher frequency of recovery activities, higher level and frequency of soreness associated with higher intensity of exercise sessions, and a higher level of nutrition knowledge associated with higher implementation of nutritional focus before, during, and after exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides valuable insight into athlete knowledge and behaviors related to exercise and nutrition and highlights the crucial role of knowledge in optimizing nutrition for athletes. These results can be used to inform areas of education needed to improve athletic performance.