IndexNutrition habitsSelf-conceptCoach/coachCultureMarketingPersonal habitsTraining timeFluid consumptionPeer pressureIn a cross-sectional study conducted in Nigeria among 110 university athletes, revealed that 78% of them do not seek nutritional advice during rest only 21.8% ask for nutritional advice. More than half, or 64% of athletes, had good NKS and 41.8% had poor NKS. Just over half of the 57.1% of NK questions were answered correctly equivalent to an average NKS of 45.7 ± 4.7 from all players and the average Nutrition Practice Score (NPS) across players softball was 2.8 ± 1.3, where a score of 5 was the healthiest nutritional practice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A significant relationship was found between players' NKS and the quality of their food selection, as indicated by the Nutrition Choice Score (NCS), for example the lower the players' nutritional knowledge score, the poorer it's their eating habits. A study conducted among college athletes (volleyball players, weight lifters, and runners) to assess nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices revealed that elite players are sophisticated and knowledgeable about nutrition and its effects on performance. Runners were most aware of the role of nutrition in performance followed by volleyball players and weight lifters were least aware. Runners were more aware of the role of vitamins and minerals and athletes were aware of the importance of hydration during athletic periods. Awareness of carbohydrate loading was observed in 38% of athletes and consumption of glucose polymer drink was followed by 58% of athletes during exercise. Nutritional knowledge depends on the sports disciplines which can be viewed in the following table; in a descriptive study conducted on handball players to access the nutritional practice of athletes in Oman it was found that knowledge of players' nutritional needs was only 23% correct for total energy intake, 46% for carbohydrate intake , 63% for protein, 11% for fat intake and 83% for water. Nutritional Habits According to a study conducted on 30 college-going female hockey players, poor nutritional habits among players lead to the development of female triad syndrome which included eating disorders, amenorrhea, osteoporosis and osteopenia. Players eat more fast food, junk foods, and soda sparingly, which affects their health and performance. 60% of gamers believe that snacks are a good source of energy and are involved in consuming junk foods. A cross-sectional study of 110 Nigerian college athletes found that 70% of athletes do not frequently consume grains, roots and tubers, the main source of carbohydrates, and do not meet the RDA for macronutrients. The foods frequently consumed by most athletes were fish, poultry, and eggs/milk. A study conducted on 17 professional volleyball players in Poland revealed that volleyball players do not fully implement the recommendation for rational nutrition, the energy provided by the daily diet the diet does not provide adequate energy to meet daily needs ( average 1909.6 ± 560.1 kcal). According to the WHO, the daily requirement of dietary fiber is 27-40 g/day but was found to be inadequate (average 19.8 ± 5.8 g) among female volleyball players. In India, a study conducted on athletesselected from Coimbatore district to assess the nutritional status, Nutritional knowledge and impact of nutrition education among 100 selected sportspersons aged between 20 and 35 years found that more than half, i.e. 52%, of the sportspersons had the habit of consuming only two meals a day, 25% had the habit of 3 meals a day and 8% had the habit of consuming more than three meals a day, 10% had the habit of consume 2 meals a day with snacks and the remaining 5% were in the habit of eating three meals a day with snacks. 65% of athletes had the habit of skipping meals, among these meal skippers 15% skipped breakfast, 26% lunch and 24% dinner. And all the players had the habit of eating junk food. The majority of players (54%) consumed baked products, while the remaining 26% preferred fried products. The RDA for all macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) was not met by approximately 90% of sports players, and many players were outside the normal range for iron, calcium and zinc. Only 22% of participants were in the habit of carbohydrate loading before the event and only 22% limited their fat intake, but good hydration practice was observed among the players. In a study conducted in Jalpaiguri, India, to evaluate dietary practices among 120 male university athletes, the change in the nutritional pattern of the athletes was observed in 43.33% during the competition period and skipping of meals was found in 31%. 67% of athletes. Consumption of glucose polymer drink was observed in 43.33% of athletes during physical activity. More than a third (34.17%) of athletes take sports drinks before daily physical activity, while increasing CHO consumption was observed in 63.33% at the time of exercise. A study carried out to evaluate the nutritional practices of Indian female athletes revealed that all 100 athletes ate vegetables, cereals and sugar on a daily basis followed by milk (94%), curd (91%), pulses (85%), cooking oils (79 %), butter (74%), fruit (51%), yes (38%), green leafy vegetables (37%), oilseeds (17%), cheese (12%) and baked goods (10%) . In a study of 102 college athletes in Tamilnadu, India, it was found that 63% of athletes change their dietary pattern during competition and 69% of players skip pre-competition meals. Out of a total of 102 athletes, 34% had the habit of taking energy bars during physical activity, 64% energy gels. 66% of athletes consumed rinses at the time of exercise. The habit of consuming isotonic sports drinks was found in 44% of athletes. Another study conducted among freshman college football players in Georgia found that high school athletes had healthier dietary practices than non-athletes—athletes were more likely to consume more breakfast, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables each day. Players eat on average 3.6 times a day and the most chosen place to dine is fast food (55%), followed by cafeteria/buffet style food (16%), Mexican (10%), American grill (7 %), seafood (7%), Chinese (3%) and pizza (3%). Players enjoyed a wide variety of foods in their diet and only 26% avoided sweets, 13% avoided fried foods, 10% avoided fats and oils, 7% avoided fast food, dairy and fish and 3% avoid red meat. It was found that 42% of players used nutritional supplements. A descriptive study conducted in Oman on 35 handball players concluded that 55% of players consumed <3 meals per day, 51% added extra salt to their diet, 51% ate food during their main meal, 28% had l 'habitto take protein supplements daily. Interestingly, none of the players were in the habit of consuming vitamin or mineral supplements. The players had poor nutritional practice, their meals were high in carbohydrates, red meat, saturated fats but little intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Self-concept The players think that the lower the body weight, the better the performance and the greater the yield. possibility of being selected in the best category. Players' physical appearance and weight influence players' food choices. Players believe that they need to consume a lot of Desi Ghee and milk to get extra energy to play the game. Coach/Coaches The performance of athletes and their nutritional status are associated with the nutritional knowledge of Coaches/Coaches, so coaches and trainers should be more aware of the nutritional knowledge deficit in players and should also be competent to formulate the intervention plan through individual consultancy, pre-season seminars, posters and handouts. In a survey of college freshmen, football players found that players were more likely to be influenced and encouraged by the coach and teachers for nutritional practices. Culture Cultural influence was clearly visible in food choices. During menstruation, players are not allowed to eat cold foods, especially all fruits, except mangoes and dates. The male family members of the players or non-players get the best foods and choicest entrees and the women are served later with the leftovers. Marketing Marketing can also be one of the factors that contribute to confusion between healthy and unhealthy food choices. A study conducted at Kurushetra University in India among female college hockey players found that the players were never involved in any nutrition education program and never sought to obtain nutritional information, whatever they knew came from various sources as; Parents, magazines, TV and teammates. Another study conducted among selected sportspeople in Coimbatore district, India, revealed that most of the nutritional knowledge received by athletes came from parents, coaches and peers and yet the knowledge of many athletes was lacking and inadequate. Study on personal habits on 100 selected sportspersons in Coimbatore District, India found that 60% of the players do not have the habit of smoking, tobacco, alcohol or steroids, and 20% had the habit of smoking, about 17% had the habit of consuming alcohol and few of them consumed tobacco but interestingly none of the players had the habit of using steroids. In a study among college football freshmen conducted in Georgia, it was found that 52% of the players avoided alcohol. Training time The timing and composition of the meal also play an important role in player performance, training adaptations and the prevention of overtraining. Carbohydrates take approximately 4 hours to digest and store as muscle and liver glycogen. Therefore, pre-exercise meal should be consumed 4-6 hours before exercise. Light carbohydrate (50 g) and protein (5-10 g) snacks 30-60 minutes before exercise help increase carbohydrate availability towards the end of intense exercise and increase the availability of amino acids that decrease exercise-induced protein catabolism. When exercise lasts more than one hour, glucose/electrolyte solution should be ingested by athletes to maintain blood glucose level, reduce the immunosuppressive effect of exercise.