Rodriguez,Glenda
School of Nursing and Allied Health
Professor: Dr. Kylee J. Short
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this research is to assess the dietary habits established at youth and how the habits affect athletes in the long-term. Teenage athlete eating habits have an impact on growth and development and this can transfer over into long-term eating patterns that may hinder performance, cause other health risks and malnutrition. Monitoring eating habits throughout an athlete’s life span may illustrate the benefits of establishing healthy eating habits at a young age for athletes. Eating patterns from adolescence and into maturity will be compared. The questions will reflect upon family involvement with meals and the college/university athlete meal plans. There are multiple factors that influence eating habit changes; they can be environmental, social and/ psychological from adolescence through adulthood. College athletes will undergo a series of questions inquiring their earlier eating habits and whether they have modified those eating habits. College athletes will also compare their eating habits at present. If the latter athletes were conscious of bad eating habits at a younger age then the research will also investigate what caused them to modify their poor eating habits and how the teenage athletes approached the transition. The purpose of this is to reflect how the difference in food choices and how much of an impact this has had on athletes’ long-term health. In addition to the athletes eating habits some questions will address whether they noticed any health issues or health improvements depending on the dietary choices modified if modified at all. Eating patterns in this population is important because the energy intake is as important as the source of energy and how the choices differ from adolescence into adulthood athletes.
