Nutritional Education and it's Impact on Adolescent Athletes Performance and Well-Being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65222/VIRAL.2026.1.3.23Keywords:
Abstract
In the context of the ever-increasing global emphasis on optimizing adolescent health and athletic performance within educational frameworks, this article interrogates the pivotal role of nutritional education as an indispensable determinant of both physiological efficacy and holistic well-being among adolescent athletes. Amidst escalating concerns surrounding malnutrition, suboptimal dietary habits, and the consequent ramifications on young athletes’ performance trajectories and psychosomatic resilience, this research advances a multidisciplinary inquiry into how strategically designed nutritional pedagogy can function as a transformative lever within secondary and tertiary educational systems.
Grounded in a comprehensive meta-analytical synthesis of extant international scholarship and contextualized through empirical data derived from studies conducted in Romanian educational and sports institutions, including the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) in Bucharest, this work elucidates the intricate interplay between nutritional literacy, behavioral modification, and athletic output. It critically appraises the integration of contemporary didactic models - anchored in constructivist learning theory and behavior change frameworks - within adolescent sports curricula, thereby addressing the current lacunae in formalized nutritional guidance in athletic training regimens.
Employing a robust mixed-methods approach, the research triangulates quantitative performance metrics - such as VO2 max, strength, endurance indices, and recovery rates - with qualitative analyses obtained through in-depth interviews and focus groups involving adolescent athletes, coaches, nutritionists, and educational policymakers. This methodology facilitates an intricate exploration of contextual moderators, including socioeconomic stratification, gender disparities, cultural dietary norms, and access to nutritional resources, which collectively influence the effectiveness of educational interventions. The study’s findings substantiate a statistically significant correlation between enhanced nutritional education and improvements in athletic performance markers, injury prevention, cognitive function, and psychosocial well-being.
Moreover, the article elucidates the systemic challenges impeding the effective dissemination and uptake of nutritional knowledge, highlighting infrastructural constraints, pedagogical inadequacies, and policy-level insufficiencies that perpetuate nutritional ignorance among young athletes. It argues for a paradigm shift towards intersectoral collaboration between educational institutions, sports federations, and healthcare entities, emphasizing the necessity for curriculum innovation, educator training, and policy reforms to embed nutritional education as a core pillar of adolescent athletic development.
This scholarly contribution not only fills a critical gap in the literature by providing an integrative framework for nutritional education tailored to the unique needs of adolescent athletes but also offers actionable recommendations to stakeholders aiming to leverage nutritional literacy for enhanced sports performance and lifelong health trajectories. It positions nutritional education as a vital vector of preventive health and performance optimization, advocating for its strategic prioritization within contemporary educational and athletic milieus worldwide.
References
1. Yang P, Xu R, Le Y. Factors influencing sports performance: A multi-dimensional analysis of coaching quality, athlete well-being, training intensity, and nutrition with self-efficacy mediation and cultural values moderation. Heliyon. 2024;10(17).
2. Larsen MN, Elbe AM, Madsen M, Madsen EE, Ørntoft C, Ryom K, et al. An 11-week school-based ‘health education through football programme’ improves health knowledge related to hygiene, nutrition, physical activity and well-being—and it’s fun! A scaled-up, cluster-RCT with over 3000 Danish school children aged 10–12 years old. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(16):906–11.
3. Everett S. Optimizing Performance Nutrition for Adolescent Athletes: A Review of Dietary Needs, Risks, and Practical Strategies. Nutrients. 2025;17(17):2792.
4. Foo WL, Faghy MA, Sparks A, Newbury JW, Gough LA. The effects of a nutrition education intervention on sports nutrition knowledge during a competitive season in highly trained adolescent swimmers. Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2713.
5. Desbrow B. Youth athlete development and nutrition. Sports Med. 2021;51(Suppl 1):3–12.
6. Boidin A, Tam R, Mitchell L, Cox GR, O’Connor H. The effectiveness of nutrition education programmes on improving dietary intake in athletes: a systematic review. Br J Nutr. 2021;125(12):1359–73.
7. Alkasasbeh WJ, Alawamleh T, Alrahahleh WA. Investigating nutrition literacy levels among adolescent swimmers. Int J Hum Mov Sports Sci. 2024;12(2):403–13.
8. McClung JP, Gaffney-Stomberg E. Optimizing performance, health, and well-being: nutritional factors. Mil Med. 2016;181(suppl_1):86–91.
9. Gibbs RL Jr. Peak Health and Performance: A Nutrition Intervention for the Young Athlete. Michigan State University; 2020.
10. Woźniak K, Hedesz P, Żuk-Łapan A, Jung M, Gardian-Baj M, Popczyńska J, et al. Nutrition strategies for optimizing performance and health in young athletes. J Educ Health Sport. 2024;60:11–33.
11. Emakpor OL, Edo GI, Yousif E, Samuel PO, Jikah AN, Zainulabdeen K, et al. The interplay of nutrition, exercise, and dietary intervention for enhanced performance of athletes and general well-being of non-athletes: a review. OBM Integr Complement Med. 2024;9(2):1–41.
12. Bingham ME, Borkan ME, Quatromoni PA. Sports nutrition advice for adolescent athletes: A time to focus on food. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;9(6):398–402.
13. Capra ME, Stanyevic B, Giudice A, Monopoli D, Decarolis NM, Esposito S, et al. Nutrition for children and adolescents who practice sport: A narrative review. Nutrients. 2024;16(16):2803.
14. Colecchia FP, Di Padova M, Mancini S, Polito R, Basta A, Grosu VT, et al. Protein intake in adolescent athletes: Nutritional requirements and performance implications. J Phys Educ Sport. 2025;25(4).
15. Heikkilä M, Lehtovirta M, Autio O, Fogelholm M, Valve R. The impact of nutrition education intervention with and without a mobile phone application on nutrition knowledge among young endurance athletes. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2249.
16. AlKasasbeh W, Akroush S. Investigating the interrelationships among food habits, sports nutrition knowledge, and perceived barriers to healthy eating: a study of adolescent swimmers. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1381801.
17. Bowler AL, Polman R. Role of a ketogenic diet on body composition, physical health, psychosocial well-being and sports performance in athletes: a scoping review. Sports. 2020;8(10):131.
18. Soare V.C. (2024) Knowing when to fold: educational tools and legislative best practices for responsible gambling in the European Union, ICERI2024 Proceedings, pp. 9093-9100, https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2024.2292
19. Aboderin, O. S. (2025). Exploring Integration of 4IR Technologies in Nigerian Universities: Implications for Pedagogy and Skills Development. International Journal of Education, Leadership, Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Business, Life Sciences, and Society, 2(02), 50-66.
20. Păduraru, M. E. (2019). Coping strategies for exam stress. Mental Health: Global Challenges Journal, 1(1), 64–66. https://doi.org/10.32437/mhgcj.v1i1.26
21. Tam R, Beck KL, Manore MM, Gifford J, Flood VM, O’Connor H. Effectiveness of education interventions designed to improve nutrition knowledge in athletes: a systematic review. Sports Med. 2019;49(11):1769–86.
22. Veloso-Pulgar M, de Arriba RF, Farran-Codina A. Effects of nutrition education programs designed to improve dietary intake and nutrition knowledge in female athletes: a systematic review. Nutr Res Rev. 2025;1–50.
23. Mihăilă, A. R., Vulpe, M. I., & Paduraru, M. E. (2025). Assessing the integration of virtual learning environments (vles) in blended learning models for stem education. In EDULEARN25 Proceedings (pp. 4043-4049). IATED., https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2025.1053
24. Savka, I., Kozyar, M., Kozlovsky, Y., Ghahrodi, H. L., Bilyk, O., Kushpit, U., & Zaіats, O. (2025). Integrative education in professional training of doctors of philosophy. International Journal of Education, Leadership, Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Business, Life Sciences, and Society, 3(03), 13-21.
25. Latea, C. D., Bejinariu, C. G., Soare, V. C., & Nen, M. (2025). The role of education in managing team dynamics and performance under stressful conditions. In EDULEARN25 Proceedings (pp. 9152-9161). IATED., https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2025.2365
26. Eisenmann JC, Howard R, Moreno T. Long-term athletic development as a framework to influence wellness during childhood and adolescence. ACSM Health Fit J. 2020;24(5):24–31.
27. Carruth BR, Goldberg DL. Nutritional issues of adolescents: Athletics and the body image mania. J Early Adolesc. 1990;10(2):122–40.
28. Mason L, Connolly J, Devenney LE, Lacey K, O’Donovan J, Doherty R. Sleep, nutrition, and injury risk in adolescent athletes: A narrative review. Nutrients. 2023;15(24):5101.
29. Desbrow B, McCormack J, Burke LM, Cox GR, Fallon K, Hislop M, et al. Sports Dietitians Australia position statement: sports nutrition for the adolescent athlete. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(5):570–84.
30. Vijesh, P. V., Thomas, T., Sait, S. A., & Kasmir, L. (2025). Healthcare Service Quality Over Two Decades: Mapping the Global Research Landscape Through Bibliometrics Analysis. International Journal of Education, Leadership, Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Business, Life Sciences, and Society, 2(02), 103-123.
31. Mirea, C. N., Craiu, D. M., Cepoiu, G. M. (2019). The Relationship between Sustainability and Tourism. Collaborative Research for Excellence in Economics and Social Sciences, 230.
32. Pham, Q. T., Hoang, M. C., & Nguyen, T. H. (2025). Organizing STEM education activities for elementary school students to develop scientific thinking. International Journal of Education, Leadership, Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Business, Life Sciences, and Society, 2(02), 124-142.
33. Elliot DL, Goldberg L, Moe EL, DeFrancesco CA, Durham MB, Hix-Small H. Preventing substance use and disordered eating: initial outcomes of the ATHENA (athletes targeting healthy exercise and nutrition alternatives) program. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(11):1043–9.
34. Munteanu P. (2025), Hybrid learning and international cooperation: a policy framework for education in unstable times https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2025.1063
35. Barraclough, J., Grecic, D., & Harper, D. (2025). The assessment and development of psychosocial skills and characteristics on the male youth football (soccer) academy development pathway: a narrative review. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-29.
36. Vulpe, MI., Stancu, S. (2023). Educational System Through Software Robots Vision. In: Arai, K. (eds) Intelligent Computing. SAI 2023. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 739. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37963-5_84
37. Păduraru, M. E. (2019). Coping strategies for exam stress. Mental Health: Global Challenges Journal, 1(1), 64–66. https://doi.org/10.32437/mhgcj.v1i1.26
38. Marinescu, S.A. , Bejinariu C.G., Marinescu, B., Boiangiu, I., Panche, T., Budurca, R., Botnaru, I., Ciurea, M. (2021) A New Bromelain-Enriched Proteolytic Enzymes Concentrate Treatment In Patients With Extensive Burns: Romanian Consensus, Farmacia Journal, Bucharest, Romania, 2021, 69 (4), pp. 792-798, https://doi.org/10.31925/farmacia.2021.4.22
39. DM Craiu, P Munteanu, VC Soare (2025). THE ROLE OF INFORMAL LEARNING IN ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION: INSIGHTS FROM YOUNG START-UP FOUNDERS, ICERI2025 Proceedings, 2637-2646. doi 10.21125/iceri.2025.0843
40. Kaur, M. N., Kumar, S., & Partap, Y. (2025). Rehabilitation Strategies for Sports Injuries: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. International Journal of Science, Architecture Technology and Environment, 2(5), 234-242.
41. Rojas-Valverde, D., Herrera-González, E., & Bonilla, D. A. (2025). Sports injuries as reversible involution: a novel approach to rehabilitation and readaptation. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, 1519404.
42. Nazarudin, M. N., Singh, S. S. B., Abdullah, M. F., & Pa, W. A. M. W. (2025). Enhancing Youth Athletes' Self-Efficacy, Mental Skills, Emotional Management, and Rugby-Specific Skills through the SUPER Rugby Program.
43. Yarayan, Y. E., Batrakoulis, A., Güngör, N. B., Kurtipek, S., Keskin, K., Çelik, O. B., ... & Alghannam, A. F. (2025). The role of athletic mental energy in the occurrence of flow state in male football (soccer) players. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 17(1), 53.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Education, Leadership, Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Business, Life Sciences, and Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.