title: Nutrition Knowledge and Practices of Varsity Coaches at a Canadian University.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coaches' sports nutrition knowledge and subsequent nutrition recommendations can have an impact on athletes' health and performance. The purpose of this study was to determine sports nutrition knowledge and nutrition recommendation practices of varsity coaches at one Canadian university and to determine if the coaches' nutrition knowledge influenced nutrition recommendations to athletes. The coaches' accessibility to sports dietitians was also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coaches (n = 5) completed a modified psychometrically validated nutrition knowledge questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Mean scores were calculated for questionnaire answers based on the correct answer and the coach's degree of certainty in their answer. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed a low nutrition knowledge, yet all coaches made nutrition recommendations to their athletes for fluid needs, dietary supplementation, and weight management; areas that may be potentially detrimental to the health of athletes. In addition, they made recommendations with regard to fluid needs, training diet, precompetition diet, recovery diet (i.e., post training or competition), dietary supplementation, and weight management; areas that could have potentially negative performance consequences to the athlete.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was determined that coaches had low nutrition knowledge scores and still made nutrition recommendations to athletes. The importance of sports dietitian involvement in varsity athletics is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS.
authors.forename: Kavanagh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danaher
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS.
authors.forename: Tristaca
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Curley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes / Q000193:education*; D003144:Communication Barriers; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009674:Nova Scotia; D064686:Nutritionists; D057566:Self Report; D013177:Sports; D064132:Sports Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D014495:Universities; D000078329:Workforce