Nutrition education using the food guide pyramid for adolescent swimmers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nutrition education based on the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) on nutrition knowledge of adolescent swimmers. A post-test design was performed with members of two swim teams. The athletes were randomly assigned to the control group (odd numbers) or the experimental group (even numbers). The post-test was administered to the control group prior to nutrition education, while the experimental group received the nutrition education and then answered the post-test. The post-test consisted of 10 multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions pertaining to energy requirements, fluid needs, iron consumption, and vitamin and mineral supplementation. Demographic information was also collected through the post-test. There were a total of 82 athletes between the ages of 12 and 18. A significant difference was found between the post-test scores of the control group and experimental group (p < .0005), reflecting that the nutrition education based on the FGP improved the nutrition knowledge of the swimmers. Overall, the experimental group demonstrated adequate knowledge except in the area of iron rich foods. The control group scored low on questions related to iron and vitamin and mineral supplementation. Further nutrition education and intervention for athletes and coaches is needed.