THE IMPACT OF THE NEEDS AND ROLES OF NUTRITION COUNSELLING IN SPORT

Aim. The aim of study was to identify the essential needs and roles of sport nutrition counselling. Material and Methods. 1410 subjects participated in the study: n = 564 (40 %) active athletes; n = 437 (31 %) nutrition and dietetics students; n = 409 (29 %) students of physical education and sports. The assessment targeted a survey based on a questionnaire containing 10 items with Likert responses (5), concerning the degree of needs and the impact of the roles of sport nutrition counselor. Results. The average number of subjects that rated the assessment questionnaire with maximum points 5 were 1082 subjects (76.73 %); 4 points 212 subjects (15.03 %); 3 points 85 subjects (6.06 %). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of questionnaire was 0.926, valid number 1410, suggesting that the items have very high internal consistency and Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test showed data statistically normal of all items of questionnaire. Conclusions. To promote a healthy and active lifestyle, experts in sports nutrition counseling can identify, through a holistic approach, solutions to the issue of change and optimization of dietary habits according to subjects peculiarities and the specific nature of sports activities.