Food Choice Decisions of Athletes

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Athletes' Perceived Body Pressures from Coaches Questionnaire (APBPCQ)

This study aimed to develop a questionnaire to assess male and female athletes' perceived weight and shape pressure from coaches and establish its psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis (N = 412 in each female sample 1 and 2) provided evidence for 4 scales for female athletes and 3 scales for male athletes which were confirmed in confirmatory factor analysis (N = 260 in each male sample 1 and 2). For both females and males, KMO testing and Bartlett's test of sphericity indicated that the sampling was adequate and survey items were appropriate for factor analysis. Additionally, all scales for both sexes had strong factor loadings (≥0.65), good Cronbach alpha coefficients (>0.70), and made contextual sense. The magnitude of difference results were indicative of a stable factor structure. Goodness-of-fit indicators were all in the expected direction. Good convergent validity was demonstrated. The questionnaire's excellent psychometric properties and novelty make it a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners. This questionnaire has the potential to identify training needs in coaching staff, as well as to identify athletes who may benefit from support and guidance for effectively coping with pressure from coaches.

Food Choice Decisions of Collegiate Division I Athletes: A Qualitative Exploratory Study

Limited research has examined athletes’ food and health beliefs and decisions and the congruence of these decisions with recommendations from nutrition professionals. This study aimed to improve understanding of athletes’ food-related beliefs and practices to enable nutrition professionals to more effectively enhance performance while protecting athletes’ health. Division I college athletes (n = 14, 64% female) from a variety of sports were recruited to participate in 20-min semi-structured phone interviews about food and nutrition-related behaviors and cognitions. Data were content analyzed to identify themes and trends. Prominent factors influencing athletes’ food choices were potential benefits to health and performance, availability of foods, and recommendations from sports dietitians. Foods commonly consumed by athletes, including fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, were generally healthy and aligned with sports nutrition recommendations. Athletes avoided energy-dense nutrient-poor foods, such as fast food and fried foods, with the goal of improving performance. Some athletes took supplements (i.e., multivitamin, iron, protein) on the premise that they would improve health and enhance performance or recovery. While athletes’ nutrition behaviors are generally congruent with current recommendations, findings highlighted misconceptions held by athletes related to the benefits of some supplements and the belief that packaged/processed foods were inherently less healthy than other options. Nutrition misconceptions held by athletes and incongruities between athletes’ nutrition knowledge and behaviors suggest that dietitians should aim to dispel misconceptions held by athletes and provide additional guidance and information to support athletes’ current healthful behaviors to ensure these behaviors extend beyond their college athletic career.