Adolescent athletes have better general than sports nutrition knowledge and lack awareness of supplement recommendations: A Systematic Literature Review

Athletes nutrition choices influence sporting performance and recovery postexercise. Carefully timed pre-, during, and post-training foods and fluids ensure adequate energy availability during exercise and training, aid glycogen re-synthesis post-exercise, and maximise training adaptations 1, 2. The nutritional choices of adolescent athletes are of heightened significance as they face a period of rapid growth and development, during which nutrient intake may influence neurodevelopment, bone mineral density, and the risk of chronic illnesses 3, 4. Adhering to population-based dietary guidelines and sport-specific dietary recommendations can provide long-term health benefits and athletic advantages 1, 5, 6. Despite the benefits of following dietary recommendations, a study of Australian adolescent rugby players found that players were consuming inadequate vegetable serves, excessive energy was derived from discretionary choices (foods typically high in saturated fat/sodium and/or low in fibre and micronutrients), and carbohydrate intake was insufficient when compared to the Sports Dietitians Australia recommendations7. Similarly, low to moderate adherence to recommended dietary guidelines has been observed in adolescent Spanish beach handball players8, adolescent Cypriot swimmers9, and adolescent Brazilian volleyball players10. Considering the implications of non-adherence to both population-based and sport-specific dietary recommendations for short- and long-term health and athletic performance, it is pertinent to investigate the factors influencing adolescent athletes food choices.