Nutritional Knowledge and Dietary Behaviour of Elite Athletes in the North West Zone National Sports Festival Teams

Optimal sports nutrition is a critical performance determinant for elite athletes, yet the nutritional knowledge base and dietary behaviours of Nigerian competitive athletes have received limited systematic examination. This study examines nutritional knowledge levels and dietary behaviour patterns among elite athletes representing North West Zone states at the National Sports Festival. A cross-sectional descriptive analytical design was employed, with 180 athletes across seven sports disciplines completing a validated sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire and a 72-hour dietary recall instrument. Nutritional adequacy was assessed against sport-specific dietary reference intakes. Correlational analysis examined the relationship between nutrition knowledge scores and dietary behaviour quality. Blood haematological indicators including haemoglobin and serum ferritin were measured in a subsample of 60 athletes. Findings indicate that overall sports nutrition knowledge is moderate, with athletes demonstrating adequate knowledge of carbohydrate loading and hydration but significantly weaker understanding of micronutrient requirements, recovery nutrition, and supplement safety. Dietary analysis reveals inadequate total energy intake in 43 percent of athletes, critically low iron intake in 67 percent of female athletes, and widespread carbohydrate periodisation knowledge gaps. A significant positive correlation is observed between nutrition knowledge and dietary quality scores. Iron deficiency without anaemia is detected in 28 percent of the subsample. Recommendations include mandatory sports nutrition education for National Sports Festival athletes, accreditation of sports dietitians within state sports councils, and development of affordable sports nutrition guidelines for Nigerian competitive athletes. Keywords: sports nutrition, elite athletes, North West Nigeria, dietary behaviour, National Sports Festival