Author(s): MCLAGAN, B., LUNDSTROM, E.A., WHITNEY, K.E., SIGWARD, S.M., SCHROEDER, E.T. , Institution: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA , Country: UNITED STATES, Abstract-ID: 343

INTRODUCTION:
Recreational athletes rely on a variety of resources to inform nutritional, hydration, and training decisions. The rise of social media has enabled more equitable access to nutrition plans and training practices, but has also increased the spread of misinformation. Fitness content creators often base their content on personal life experiences rather than empirical evidence. Additionally, paid opportunities may bias what information is shared with followers. The purpose of this descriptive analysis is to classify resources used for nutrition and training among recreational female athletes training for a half-marathon.
METHODS:
One hundred and seven (n = 107) female runners (32.17 ± 8.59 years) competing in a community-based half-marathon completed questionnaires on nutrition, hydration, and training resources used during the four weeks leading up to race day. Resources were classified as professional (sports dietician/nutritionist, coach, eating disorder specialist, sports scientist, sports physician/medical doctor, naturopath/herbalist, chiropractor, education information provided by event, scientific publications, educational conferences) or non-professional (friends, audio programs, online media, television, and social media). Participants could select multiple sources. Data are presented as means ± SD or counts/total (%).
RESULTS:
Many participants reported “[they] did not use resources” for nutrition (48/161; 29.8%), hydration (62/150; 41.3%), and training (34/107; 18.8%). Among individuals who reported using resources, the mean was 2.00 ± 1.13 for nutrition resources, 1.87 ± 0.97 for hydration resources, and 2.01 ± 1.28 for training resources. Use of non-professional sources was more frequently cited in those who used at least one resource across domains (diet: 63/161 (55.7%); hydration: 61/88 (69.3%); training: 107/147 (72.8%)). Among only non-professional resources, social media was selected in 49.2% (31/63) of nutrition, 42.6% (26/61) of hydration, and 28.9% (31/107) of training responses. Regarding training information, 36.4% (39/107) relied on friends.
CONCLUSION:
Recreational female athletes frequently rely on non-professional sources, particularly social media, for information on training and nutrition. This study highlights the importance of providing accessible, evidence-based resources for athletes to safeguard athlete health.