The aim of the MSc thesis was to develop an ocean of knowledge on sports nutrition in young Slovenian basketball players. To this end, we first translated a questionnaire into Slovenian, which has already been validated internationally and includes 87 questions. The study involved 102 subjects with an average age of 19 years who completed the online version of the questionnaire. The average overall scores were 41 and 47% respectively, which means that the knowledge can be considered as poor. The highest scores were achieved in the macronutrient knowledge (54%), body fat management (53%) and alcohol (56%). The lowest scores were achieved in the sports nutrition section (31%). 72% of all subjects showed a poor general knowledge of nutrition. We found a statistically significant effect of gender (p < 0.001), but not of selection (p = 0.110) and of the interaction of selection and gender (p = 0.532) on the total questionnaire score, with girls (45 points) scoring higher than boys (36 points). We found a statistically significant better knowledge of sports nutrition in boys in the older selections than in boys in the younger selections (+7 points, p = 0.042). However, we did not find similar differences between the two selections for girls (p = 0.558). The association between the total questionnaire score and most sections of the questionnaire (weight management, micronutrients, sports nutrition and dietary supplements) was positive and high.
The aim of this master thesis is to contribute to the promotion and awareness of the importance of nutrition knowledge in trained young athletes, as we believe that they are the best target for educational interventions. Using the questionnaire, we can reveal potential gaps in knowledge and tailor educational interventions accordingly.
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