Nutrition knowledge, nutritional status and lifestyle of athletes in Ondo Town, Ondo State, Nigeria.

Background: Nutrition knowledge influences food choices and adequate nutrition promotes optimal performance of athletics. Objective: To assess association between nutrition knowledge, nutritional status and lifestyle. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out among 280 Athletes training in Ondo Town, Nigeria. Respondents' socio-demographic characteristics, nutrition knowledge and lifestyle were determined by interviewer administered questionnaire. Nutritional status was assessed by anthropometry and dietary 2 pattern. Body Mass Index (kg/m ) and Body Fat (%) were calculated. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyse data. Association of variables was determined by chi-square having p<0.05. Results: Respondents' mean age was 21±3.9years. Males and females were 73.2% and 26.8% respectively. Majorities (83.9%) were undergraduates. Football (37.9%), volleyball (20.0%), basketball (12.9%) and track and field events (12.5%) were major athletics, 69.4% had good nutrition knowledge and 73.9% normal weight, 15.0% overweight, 2.5% obese and 54.7% had good/excellent body fat. Cereal (57.8%), fruits (52.3%), flesh meat (52.8%), sea foods (45.1%), eggs (42.1%) and dairy products (48.1%) were regularly consumed, 66.1% trained at evening, 54.3% trained 1-2 days per week, 83.9% skipped breakfast. Significant associations were found between athletes' nutrition knowledge and lifestyle practices such as skipping of breakfast, taking of water bottle along for training, frequency of water consumption during training and consumption of carbonated drinks rather than water while thirsty. Conclusion: Many athletes have good nutrition knowledge. Overweight and obesity are prevalent; many skipped breakfast and consumed carbonated drinks instead of water while thirsty. Fruits vegetables and iron rich foods are not adequately consumed