Improvement of sports nutrition knowledge by a dual method education program in track and field athletes: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Athletes with strong sports nutrition knowledge are believed to have sound nutritional practices and better performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a dual-method personalized nutrition education program in improving sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) among Sri Lankan track and field athletes. Methods: This parallel-group, randomized controlled trial recruited national-level track and field athletes aged 18 and above. The intervention group (IG) received personalized sports nutrition consultations at 0, 4^th, and 8^th weeks, along with online educational materials via WhatsApp from weeks 10 to 16, while the control group (CG) did not receive any intervention. A per-protocol analysis was followed, and t-tests were used to compare the means. Results: Of the 30 participants enrolled, 13 from IG and 14 from CG completed the study. Following the 16-week intervention, the IG demonstrated significant improvements in total nutrition knowledge (TNK) relative to the CG (IG: 34.41 ± 4.15 vs. CG: 20.96 ± 4.38; p = 0.01), with significant increases in general nutrition knowledge (GNK) (IG:24.54 ± 3.66 vs. CG:15.64 ± 2.33; p = 0.004) and SNK (9.87 ± 3.87 vs. 5.32 ± 4.07; p = 0.006). Changes in TNK were also significantly greater in the IG compared to the CG; (IG:9.45 ± 0.10 vs. CG: −2.63 ± 0.37; p < 0.0001), GNK (IG:4.47 ± 0.08 vs. CG: −1.28 ± 0.09; p < 0.0001), and SNK (IG:4.99 ± 0.72 vs. CG: −1.25 ± 0.74; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The 16-week dual-method nutrition education intervention was effective in improving TNK, GNK, and SNK among track and field athletes in Sri Lanka. Trial registration: This trial is registered at the Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry (SLCTR/2024/013), Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111–1304–8890 on 10 April 2024.