April 5, 2011 GUEST BLOG POST by Robert Jacobs
When people watch sporting events, particularly the athletes within these sporting events, they might only see the physical skills that that athlete portrays on the field of play. They might think about how that athlete prepares for competition with regards to practice or what they do in the weight room. What this observer may not think about is what these athletes are consuming as far as food goes.
The diet of an athlete is very important to how the athlete performs within their sport. Some research considers how much athletes really know about a proper diet and how to communicate to these athletes about these diets.
In one of these articles, different levels of athletes were questioned about their diets and the supplementation. The common trend seemed to be that the older the athlete was the more then knew. Although the older athlete knew more than the younger, the majority still did not know enough about their diets to effectively fuel their bodies.
These athletes were questioned about who they have previously discussed their diets with and how they have learned about proper dieting. Answers to this question varied. Some athletes stated that they just discuss their diets with fellow teammates and friends, others say they have talked to their coaches and parents, and some say they read magazines and try to learn that eat. Not one athlete had said that they have discussed proper dieting with a doctor, nutritionist, or a trainer.
The problem with athletes learning about proper dieting is that there are not enough available professionals to talk to freely. In order for an athlete to learn about how to properly put a diet together, they must discuss this with someone who knows what they are talking about. In order to solve this problem, the communication barriers between athlete and nutritionist must be addressed.
If you would like to learn more about these communication barriers, go to the following article: Woolisky, Ira, and Judy Driskell. “Nutrition Knowledge of Athletes.” Nutritional Applications in Exercise and Sport (2001): 255- 260. Web. 22 Mar 2011.
