Examination of nutritional knowledge levels of athletes istanbul European Side example

This study was conducted to determine and evaluate the nutritional knowledge and awareness of volleyball athletes. The Short Athlete Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (NUKYA) scale, which was adapted into Turkish by Sabuncu et al. in 2024, was applied. The scale consists of 20 questions and 4 sub-dimensions, including macronutrients, micronutrients, hydration, and periodization. A total of 430 athletes, 225 women and 205 men were included in the study. Personal characteristics such as age, sports age, and gender were also obtained from the athletes participating in the study through a personal information form. The perception that women pay more attention to nutrition than men for a more athletic appearance has been a frequently encountered view in recent years. However, the results of this study show that there is no significant difference in nutritional knowledge levels between genders, indicating that this perception is actually more of a social judgment. In our study, such a result regarding the effect of gender on nutritional knowledge was an unexpected finding. This situation emphasizes the importance of conducting more comprehensive and in-depth research on the subject. No significant difference was found in the other sub-dimensions regarding the education status variable. When the total score averages and comparisons regarding the sub-dimensions regarding the water consumption variable were examined, it was determined that there was no significant difference. Similar studies to be conducted in the future can reveal the effect of gender on the level of nutritional knowledge more clearly. Even if the results obtained show that there is no meaningful difference between genders, it is important to interpret this findingly. It may mean that gender has no effect on nutritional knowledge and that there are similar levels of education and awareness for both groups. However, the scope of the survey can still be expanded and the effect of other factors (socioeconomic status, level of education, athlete profile, etc.) on this awareness can be investigated. Evaluating the nutritional knowledge levels of adolescents who do sports specific to different sports branches and examining their eating habits are of great importance in terms of the sports performance and general health of these individuals. Adolescence is a period of intense physical and psychological changes, and gaining healthy eating habits during this period plays a critical role both in increasing the performance of athletes and in ensuring that they can live a healthy life in the long term.