The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Healthy Nutrition and Athletic Mental Energy Levels in Adolescent Athletes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between attitudes toward healthy nutrition and athletic mental energy levels in adolescent athletes. In this context, the study was designed based on a survey model, and a total of 469 volunteers participated, including 239 male athletes and 230 female athletes (mean age = 15.19±1.72 years, mean height = 167.06±11.11 cm, mean weight = 59.26±14.55 kg). Data were collected through the Demographic Information Questionnaire, the Athletic Mental Energy Scale (AMES), and the Healthy Nutrition Attitude Scale (HNAT). The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS software. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to data that showed a normal distribution, while Spearman correlation analysis was used for data that did not. This analysis was conducted to determine the direction and strength of the relationship between variables through correlation coefficients.The findings of the study emphasize the fundamental role of nutrition attitudes and habits in shaping athletes' mental energy. In particular, knowledge about nutrition and positive nutritional habits emerged as key contributors to mental energy, especially in areas such as vitality, confidence, and motivation. In contrast, emotional attitudes toward nutrition and poor dietary habits showed limited or weaker correlations, suggesting that these factors are less critical for overall mental energy. These results highlight the importance of promoting nutritional awareness and supporting positive nutritional behaviors to enhance mental energy and related psychological traits in athletes.

Keywords

• Adolescent Athletes
• Mental Energy
• Nutrition

Supporting Institution

No institution

Ethical Statement

We declare that this study is an original work and that all stages—including preparation, data collection, analysis, and presentation of information—were conducted in accordance with the principles and rules of scientific ethics. We confirm that all data and information not obtained within the scope of this study have been properly cited and included in the references. We also affirm that no modifications were made to the data used, and that we have adhered to all the terms and conditions of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), fulfilling our ethical duties and responsibilities accordingly.

Thanks

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all participants who voluntarily took part in the research process.

Ergen Sporcularda Sağlıklı Beslenmeye Yönelik Tutumlar ile Atletik Zihinsel Enerji Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, ergen sporcularda sağlıklı beslenmeye yönelik tutumlar ile atletik zihinsel enerji düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Bu bağlamda araştırma, tarama modeli temel alınarak tasarlanmış ve 239’u erkek, 230’u kadın olmak üzere toplam 469 gönüllü sporcu çalışmaya katılmıştır (yaş=15,19±1,72 yıl, boy=167,06±11,11 cm, ağırlık=59,26±14,55 kg). Veriler; Demografik Bilgi Formu, Atletik Zihinsel Enerji Ölçeği (AMES) ve Sağlıklı Beslenme Tutum Ölçeği (HNAT) aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Veriler IBM SPSS programı ile analiz edildi. Normal dağılım gösteren veriler için Pearson korelasyon, normal dağılım göstermeyen veriler için ise Spearman korelasyon analizi kullanıldı. Bu analiz, değişkenler arasındaki ilişkinin yönünü ve gücünü korelasyon katsayıları aracılığıyla belirlemek amacıyla gerçekleştirildi. Araştırma bulguları, sporcuların zihinsel enerjilerinin şekillenmesinde beslenmeye yönelik tutum ve alışkanlıkların temel bir rol oynadığını vurgulamaktadır. Özellikle beslenme konusundaki bilgi düzeyi ve olumlu beslenme alışkanlıkları, canlılık, özgüven ve motivasyon gibi alanlarda zihinsel enerjiye önemli katkılar sağlamaktadır. Buna karşılık, beslenmeye yönelik duygusal tutumlar ve sağlıksız beslenme alışkanlıkları ise sınırlı veya zayıf ilişkiler göstermiştir; bu da bu faktörlerin genel zihinsel enerji açısından daha az belirleyici olduğunu düşündürmektedir. Bu sonuçlar, sporcularda zihinsel enerjiyi ve ilgili psikolojik özellikleri geliştirmek amacıyla beslenme farkındalığının artırılmasının ve olumlu beslenme davranışlarının desteklenmesinin önemini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Ergen Sporcular
• Zihinsel Enerji
• Beslenme

Supporting Institution

Yoktur.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmanın, özgün bir çalışma olduğunu; çalışmanın hazırlık, veri toplama, analiz ve bilgilerin sunumu olmak üzere tüm aşamalarından bilimsel etik ilke ve kurallarına uygun davrandığımızı; bu çalışma kapsamında elde edilmeyen tüm veri ve bilgiler için kaynak gösterdiğimizi ve bu kaynaklara kaynakçada yer verdiğimizi; kullanılan verilerde herhangi bir değişiklik yapmadığımızı, çalışmanın Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)' in tüm şartlarını ve koşullarını kabul ederek etik görev ve sorumluluklara riayet ettiğimizi beyan ederiz.

Thanks

Araştırma sürecinde gönüllü katılım gösteren tüm katılımcılara teşekkür ederiz.

References

1. Chiou, S. S., Hsu, Y., Chiu, Y. H., Chou, C. C., Gill, D. L., and Lu, F. J. (2020). Seeking positive strengths in buffering athletes’ life stress–burnout relationship: The moderating roles of athletic mental energy. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 3007. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03007
2. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203771587
3. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
4. Dammann, K. W., Bell, M., Kanter, M., and Berger, A. (2013). Effects of consumption of sucromalt, a slowly digestible carbohydrate, on mental and physical energy questionnaire responses. Nutritional Neuroscience, 16(2), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.1179/1476830512Y.0000000034
5. De Onis, M., Onyango, A. W., Borghi, E., Siyam, A., Nishida, C., and Siekmann, J. (2007). Development of a WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 85(9), 660–667. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.07.043497
6. Demir, G. T., and Cicioğlu, H. İ. (2019). Sağlıklı Beslenmeye İlişkin Tutum Ölçeği (SBİTÖ): Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması [Attitude Scale Towards Healthy Nutrition (ASTHN): A Study on Validity and Reliability]. Gaziantep Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 4(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.31680/gaunjss.559462
7. Gorby, H. E., Brownawell, A. M., and Falk, M. C. (2010). Do specific dietary constituents and supplements affect mental energy? Review of the evidence. Nutrition Reviews, 68(12), 697–718. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00340.x
8. Goulart, J. B., Aitken, L. S., Siddiqui, S., Cuevas, M., Cardenas, J., Beathard, K. M., and Riechman, S. E. (2023). Nutrition, lifestyle, and cognitive performance in esport athletes. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, 1120303. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1120303

9. Halioua, R., Wasserfurth, P., Toepffer, D., Claussen, M. C., and Koehler, K. (2024). Exploring the relationship between low energy availability, depression and eating disorders in female athletes: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 10(3), e002035. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2024-002035
10. Hasanpouri, A., Rahmani, B., Gharakhanlou, B. J., Solaimanian, S., Shahsavari, S., Rasouli, A., Abbasi, S., Ebrahimi-Kalan, A., Rouzitalab, T., Hoseinabadi, Z., and Shiri-Shahsavar, M. R. (2023). Nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practice of professional athletes in an Iranian population (a cross-sectional study). BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 15(1), 164. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00776-3
11. Hinkle, D. E., Wiersma, W., and Jurs, S. G. (2003). Applied statistics for the behavioral sciences. Houghton Mifflin. Karasar, N. (2012). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi (23. baskı). Nobel Yayıncılık.
12. Kim, H. Y. (2013). Statistical notes for clinical researchers: Assessing normal distribution (2) using skewness and kurtosis. Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics, 38(1), 52–54. https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2013.38.1.52
13. Lu, F. J. H., Gill, D. L., Yang, C. M. C., Lee, P.-F., Chiu, Y.-H., Hsu, Y.-W., and Kuan, G. (2018). Measuring athletic mental energy (AME): Instrument development and validation. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2363. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02363
14. Lykken, D. T. (2005). Mental energy. Intelligence, 33(4), 331–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2005.03.005
15. Malinowska, Z., Hadjieva, I.-M., Majsiak, J., and Jurek, J. M. (2024). A review: Exploring nutrition approaches to improve mental health among athletes: Focus on depression and disordered eating. Journal of Coaching and Sports Science, 3(2), 60–75.
16. Mishra, P., Pandey, C. M., Singh, U., Gupta, A., Sahu, C., and Keshri, A. (2019). Descriptive statistics and normality tests for statistical data. Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia, 22(1), 67–72. https://doi.org/10.4103/aca.ACA_157_18
17. Mohajeri, M. H., Wittwer, J., Vargas, K., Hogan, E., Holmes, A., Rogers, P. J., Goralczyk, R., and Gibson, E. L. (2015). Chronic treatment with a tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate improves emotional processing, mental energy levels, and reaction time in middle-aged women. British Journal of Nutrition, 113(2), 350–365. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514003754
18. Murathan, G. (2023). Exploring Attitudes Towards Healthy Nutrition Among Athletes In Diverse Disciplines. International Journal of Disabilities Sports and Health Sciences, 6(Special Issue), 351-359. https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.1358382
19. Murphy, S. (2012). The Oxford handbook of sport and performance psychology. Oxford University Press.
20. Nideffer, R. (1985). Athletes’ guide to mental training. Prairie Striders Library Collection. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/prairiestriders_pubs/19
21. O’Connor, P. J. (2006). Mental energy: Developing a model for examining nutrition-related claims. Nutrition Reviews, 64(7), S2–6. https://doi.org/10.1301/nr.2006.jul.s2-s6
22. Oulhaj, A., Jernerén, F., Refsum, H., Smith, A. D., and de Jager, C. A. (2016). Omega-3 Fatty Acid Status Enhances the Prevention of Cognitive Decline by B Vitamins in Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Alzheimers Dis, 50(2), 547-57. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-150777.
23. Özsarı, A., Kara, M., Dilek, A. N., Uysal, H., Tek, T., and Deli, Ş. C. (2024). Attitude towards healthy nutrition and mental toughness: A study of taekwondo athletes. PeerJ, 12, Article e17174. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17174
24. Saraç, O. E., and Eskici, G. (2023). Mental Failure Cognitive Performance and Nutritional Strategies in Athletes: Traditional Review. Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Sports Sciences, 15(2), 297–307. https://doi.org/10.5336/sportsci.2022-93558
25. Serway, R. A., and Jewett, J. W. (2013). Physics for scientists and engineers. Cengage Learning.
26. Spriet, L. L. (2014). Exercise and sport performance with low doses of caffeine. Sports Medicine, 44(2), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0257-8
27. Suinn, R. M. (1986). Seven steps to peak performance: The mental training manual for athletes. H. Huber Publishers.
28. Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.
29. World Health Organization (2023). BMI-for-age (5–19 years). WHO Growth Reference. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/tools/growth-reference-data-for-5to19-years
30. Yıldız, A. B., Yarayan, Y. E., Yılmaz, B., and Kuan, G. (2020a). Adaptation of the athletic mental energy scale to the turkish language and investigation of its psychometric properties. Spormetre Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 18 (3), 108-119. https://doi.org/10.33689/spormetre.684587
31. Yıldız, A., Doğu, G., Büyükakgül, S., and Yılmaz, C. (2020b). The relationship between athletic mental energy and eating behaviors. Progress in Nutrition, 22(2-S), 10547. https://doi.org/10.23751/pn.v22i2-s.10547