Sources Of Nutrition Information And Knowledge For Ultra-runners

Abstract

PURPOSE: Ultra-marathon events (i.e., >42.2-km) continue to grow in popularity; however, little research exists on the typical dietary intake of ultramarathon participants, or the sources of information which influence their habits and beliefs. The objectives of this study were to characterize the acquisition of nutrition information among ultra-endurance athletes, and to determine the relationship between the use of different sources of information and nutritional knowledge (relative to current evidence-based recommendations). METHODS: Participants (n=196) were adults who had completed an ultramarathon at least once in the past 2 years. Measures included: a demographic questionnaire; the Sources of Nutrition Information (SONI) questionnaire, which included 7 major sources of nutrition information, as well as their credibility, accessibility, frequency, interest; and the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire -Revised (GNKQ-R). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze differences between items on the SONI scale. Spearman rank correlation was used to test for a relationship between sources of information and GNKQ-R score. RESULTS: 18% self-identified as vegan/vegetarian, 6% paleo/ketogenic, 20% traditional American diet, 54% “healthy” and 12% “other”. Peer reviewed literature was reported as the most frequently used (mean score=1.64, p<0.001), credible (3.02, p<0.001), and interesting (2.62, p=0.002). Social media was the most accessible (2.81, p<0.001), but the least credible (1.87, p<0.001). A modest, significant correlation (r=0.185, p = 0.015) exists between use of peer-reviewed literature and nutrition knowledge. CONLCUSIONS: Ultrarunners report high usage of peer-reviewed literature for nutrition information, which is related with improved nutritional knowledge. Because of its accessibility, social media may be a promising tool to provide nutrition information to this population.