An evaluation of nutritional knowledge levels, nutritional intake, and anthropometric features of Northern Cyprus professional football players

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the body composition, nutrition status and nutrition knowledge level of the Cyprus Turkish Football Association (CTFA) Super League football players in the North Cyprus. METHODS: The football players were interviewed during the football season, and their nutrition status and nutrition knowledge level were determined using a questionnaire (16 questions), while their body compositions were measured by performing a bioelectrical impedance analysis. RESULTS: A total of 191 football players from 13 different teams voluntarily participated in the study. The mean age of the football players was 24.7 +/- 5.5 years, their mean body weight was 75.2 +/- 8.1 kg, their mean body fat ratio was 9.1 +/- 3.3%, and their mean lean tissue mass was 68.2 +/- 6.2 kg. The daily average energy consumption of the players was 2625.6 +/- 571.6 kcal, and of this energy consumption, protein constituted 17 +/- 3.8%, carbohydrate 45.7 +/- 7.6%, and fat 37.4 +/- 6.6%. According to the recommended dietary allowance, the football players met 72.7 +/- 15.9% of their energy needs, 60.2 +/- 17.4% of their carbohydrate needs, and 96.8 +/- 31.2% of their protein needs. The football players correctly answered 48.7 +/- 20.0% of the 16 nutrition knowledge questions in total, and the topic with the most incorrectly answered questions was proteins. CONCLUSIONS: This study shown that professional football players in North Cyprus have inadequate food and nutrient consumption and the findings also indicated that the nutrition knowledge scores of the football players were generally low.