title: Relationship Between Energy Drink Consumption and Nutrition Knowledge in Student-Athletes.
abstract: To identify the relationships between energy drink consumption, nutrition knowledge, and socio-demographic characteristics in a convenience sample of student-athletes.
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  
  Online survey.
  
  
  
  A total of 194 student-athletes (112 female and 82 male).
  
  
  
  Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of human nutrition, energy drink consumption habits.
  
  
  
  Chi-square tests of independence, independent t tests, and hierarchical regression analyses were applied.
  
  
  
  Most student-athletes in the sample (85.5%) did not consume energy drinks, but those who did tended to be male (P = .004), had lower overall knowledge of nutrition (P = .02), and had a lower grade point average (P < .001) than did nonusers. Also, energy drink consumption was associated with the overall nutrition knowledge score when adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, with nonusers having greater nutrition knowledge (P = .007) than users.
  
  
  
  Student-athletes tend to refrain from energy drink use but those who use it have a tendency to have lower nutrition knowledge than do nonusers. Therefore, nutrition education targeted toward student-athletes should encompass the consumption of energy drinks because limited evidence shows the benefits of collegiate athletes consuming energy drinks.
authors.affiliation: Heartland Orthopedic Specialists, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria, MN. Electronic address: hardyr@morris.umn.edu.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kliemann
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Morris, Morris, MN.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Evansen
authors.affiliation: Heartland Orthopedic Specialists, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria, MN.
authors.forename: Jefferson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061215:Energy Drinks; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: college students; energy drink consumption; nutrition knowledge; nutritional supplements; sports; student-athletes