Improvement of sports nutrition knowledge by a dual method education program in track and field athletes: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Athletes with strong sports nutrition knowledge are believed to have sound nutritional practices and better performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a dual-method personalized nutrition education program in improving sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) among Sri Lankan track and field athletes. Methods: This parallel-group, randomized controlled trial recruited national-level track and field athletes aged 18 and above. The intervention group (IG) received personalized sports nutrition consultations at 0, 4th, and 8th weeks, along with online educational materials via WhatsApp from weeks 10 to 16, while the control group (CG) did not receive any intervention. A per-protocol analysis was followed, and t-tests were used to compare the means. Results: Of the 30 participants enrolled, 13 from IG and 14 from CG completed the study. Following the 16-week intervention, the IG demonstrated significant improvements in total nutrition knowledge (TNK) relative to the CG (IG: 34.41 +/- 4.15 vs. CG: 20.96 +/- 4.38; p = 0.01), with significant increases in general nutrition knowledge (GNK) (IG:24.54 +/- 3.66 vs. CG:15.64 +/- 2.33; p = 0.004) and SNK (9.87 +/- 3.87 vs. 5.32 +/- 4.07; p = 0.006). Changes in TNK were also significantly greater in the IG compared to the CG; (IG:9.45 +/- 0.10 vs. CG: -2.63 +/- 0.37; p < 0.0001), GNK (IG:4.47 +/- 0.08 vs. CG: -1.28 +/- 0.09; p < 0.0001), and SNK (IG:4.99 +/- 0.72 vs. CG: -1.25 +/- 0.74; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The 16-week dual-method nutrition education intervention was effective in improving TNK, GNK, and SNK among track and field athletes in Sri Lanka. Trial registration: This trial is registered at the Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry (SLCTR/2024/013), Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1304-8890 on 10 April 2024.