A recent study exposes significant gaps in high school athletes’ understanding of general and sports-specific nutrition, highlighting the urgent need for better nutrition education.
High school health classes often revolve around awkward conversations about STDs, drugs and alcohol, while largely ignoring another key aspect of well-being — nutrition. This educational gap is particularly risky for student athletes, whose demanding physical activities require precise fueling to avoid injuries and other health issues.
A new study published in Nutrients brings to light a concerning trend: high school athletes display substantial deficiencies in both general and sports-specific nutrition knowledge.
The research, conducted by Jennifer B. Fields, an assistant professor of nutritional science at the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, in collaboration with teams from the University of Wisconsin and George Mason University, reveals alarming statistics.
“There’s this preconceived notion that all athletes are healthy,” Fields said in a news release. “A lot of times that’s not the case.”
The study draws attention to previously identified issues among college athletes, where eating disorders and disordered eating patterns often stem from inadequate nutrition knowledge. With high school athletes relying heavily on unscientific sources like social media for dietary advice, the research team decided to investigate similar patterns at the high school level.
Using the Abridged Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire, a well-validated survey, the researchers assessed the nutrition knowledge of 44 high school athletes from Wisconsin and other states. The findings were startling: the average total nutrition score was around 45%, with general nutrition knowledge at 58% and sports nutrition knowledge just 35%.
The misconceptions were significant. Students generally underestimated their carbohydrate and total calorie needs while overestimating the requirements for protein and fat. They also lacked understanding of effective nutrition strategies to enhance athletic performance.
“Their level of general nutrition knowledge and sport nutrition knowledge was very, very low,” Fields added. “They didn’t know how to eat a balanced diet for their overall health. Moreover, they didn’t know how to make proper fueling decisions for their sport.”
The primary sources of nutritional information for these students were friends, family and coaches — none of whom typically have formal nutrition training. This misinformation was exacerbated by social media, which often promotes unrealistic body standards and inaccurate dietary advice.
“Adolescents, in particular, are just inundated with social media,” added Fields. “High schoolers are on Instagram, TikTok, whatever it may be, getting preconceived notions about how their bodies should look, how they should eat and how they should exercise. And many times, it’s really conflicting with how they should be fueling as an athlete.”
One glaring contradiction is the intake of carbohydrates.
“Carbohydrates are athletes’ best friends,” Fields added, noting that athletes should derive more than half of their daily calories from carbs — a stark contrast to many popular social media diets advising reduced carbohydrate intake.
Athletes need more consistent fueling throughout the day, contradicting trends like intermittent fasting, to sustain their performance and recovery and ensure adequate calorie intake. Building muscle mass to support their safety is also crucial, which often means they won’t achieve the lean physique frequently idolized online.
The study’s next phase involves creating an educational intervention aimed at empowering high school athletes with the necessary knowledge to make informed, healthy dietary choices.
“One of our biggest takeaways is simply the need for more general nutrition education and sports-specific nutrition education for these adolescent athletes,” Fields concluded. “If we can change the behaviors throughout these high school years, then they get to college and have a much better sense of how to eat for their health and to optimize their performance.”