An Abstract of the Thesis Of
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Susan M. Burky for the degree of Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition presented on August 16, 19 85 Title: Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Workshop for High School Coaches Abstract approved: . s ~ // James E. Leklem The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effec- tiveness of a one-hour in-service nutrition education workshop for high school coaches in Corvallis, Eugene and Salem, Oregon. The objectives were to determine: 1. if the workshop can make positive changes in nutrition know- ledge; 2. which type of participant benefits most from the workshop in terms of an increase in knowledge; and 3. how high school coaches feel about the usefulness of this type of workshop. Eighty-one coaches participating in the study com- pleted a pre-questionnaire immediately prior to and then a post-questionnaire immediately following the workshop. The questionnaire was designed to measure the nutrition for fitness and sport knowledge of coaches. A 17 minute slide/tape program (Nutrition in the Fast Lane) was the major educational component of the workshop. Statistically significant differences were found between pre- and post-questionnaire scores indicating that coaches increased their nutrition knowledge as a result of attending the workshop. Similar results were found for a group of student athletic trainers, teachers and parents of young athletes. It was also found that the age of the coach, academic degree, number of years of coaching, completion of a college level nutrition course or attendance at a nutrition education workshop within the past two years did not have a significant effect on the overall knowledge score. However, female coaches had significantly greater overall knowledge scores than male coaches. Nearly all coaches (95%) found this workshop either very or somewhat useful and 97.5% would recommend it to their colleagues. The conclusions are that within the framework of a one-hour in-service nutrition education workshop coaches are able to achieve significant increases in nutrition knowledge and that with the exception of female coaches, no one type of participant benefited most in terms of an increase in knowledge. Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Workshop for High School Coaches by Susan Marie Burky A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Completed August 16 , 19 85 Commencement June 1986 APPROVED Professor/ofW Foods and Nutrition in charge of major Head of department of Foods and mitrition ,1 - -fcW^p*. Dean of Graduatie School I Date thesis is presented August 16, 19 85 Typed by Sadie's Word Processing for Susan M. Burky ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are several people I would like to thank for their various contributions which made the completion of this degree possible. First and foremost, I thank Dr. Jim Leklem for his unceasing patience, guidance and friendship over the course of my graduate career. I feel most fortu- nate in having had the opportunity to work with such a fine professor and human being. Next, I would like to thank my parents, Earl and Billie Burky, for their continual support, both financial- ly and morally throughout my education. Words cannot express my love and appreciation for all that you have done for me. A big thank you to Margaret Lewis for her enthusiasm and assistance in the planning and production of Nutrition in the Fast Lane. It was a pleasure to work with such a dynamic and creative lady. Without the support of the Extension Service, this project would not have been possible. Thank you to Pam Bodenroeder and Suzi Maresh for their expert assistance in survey design and statistical analysis, respectively. I thank the many graduate students I have gotten to know while I've attended O.S.U. for their encouragement and friendship. Thanks to Lynn Rodger, my comrade in academia for the past seven years. From UCD to OSU, life has been much more pleasant having had such a wonderful roommate and friend. A very special thank you to Christopher Day, who provided often needed emotional support. I cannot begin to say how much your listening and caring has meant. And finally, with a great deal of love and admiration, I dedicate this thesis to my late grandparents Robert and Mary Katherine Burky. My gratitude to them is enormous, for their generosity allowed this dream to become a reality. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 6 The Role of Carbohydrates in Exercise 6 A. Carbohydrate Metabolism in Exercise 7 B. Carbohydrate Ingestion Prior to Exercise 20 C. Carbohydrate Ingestion During Exercise 23 D. Carbohydrate Ingestion Following Exercise 26 The Role of Fats in Exercise 28 A. Fat as a Fuel for Exercise 28 B. Fat Metabolism in Exercise 30 C. Benefits of Fat as a Fuel 33 D. Effects of Other Nutrients 35 The Role of Protein in Exercise 36 A. Protein Metabolism in Exercise 37 B. Protein Supplements 42 C. Protein Regxiirements for Athletes 43 The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Exercise 45 A. Fat Soluble Vitamins 47 B. Water Soluble Vitamins 52 C. Minerals 64 D. Trace Elements 70 The Role of Water and Electrolytes in Exercise 79 A. Fluid Loss and Gain in the Body 81 B. Thermoregulation 81 C. Heat Illness 83 D. Sweat and Electrolyte Losses 85 E. Fluid Intake for Exercise 87 F. Recommendations for Athletes 89 III. METHODS 91 A. Nutrition in the Fast Lane, Development of Research 91 B. Preliminary Research Organization 92 C. Workshop Design 93 D. Evaluation Instruments 95 E. Pilot Test 98 F. Selection of Sample 100 G. Data Collection 100 H. Scoring of Questions 101 I. Data Analysis 101 Page IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 104 A. Workshop Participants 104 B. Workshop's Effect on Knowledge 108 C. Factors Affecting Change in Knowledge 111 D. Item Analysis 113 E. Coach Reaction to the Workshop 140 F. Effective In-service Education 142 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 147 REFERENCES 151 APPENDICES A. Script - Nutrition in the Fast Lane 174 B. Nutrition in the Fast Lane - A Guide for Coaches 182 C. Questionnaires 190 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Workshops Given for Purposes of Data Collection 94 2. General Plan of the One Hour Workshop 96 3. Number of Participants Completing Questionnaires by Workshop and Category 105 4. Number of Persons Coaching Mens and Womens Teams and the Years Coached 106 5. Demographic Data and Nutrition Background of Coaches 107 6. Do Coaches Teach Athletes About Nutrition? How Much Time is Spent on the Subject Throughout a Sport Season? 109 7. Means and Standard Deviations for Total Knowledge Score by Participant Category 112 8. Factors Affecting Change in Overall Knowledge Score of Coaches (pre to post) 113 9. Percent of Coaches and Parents Choosing Foods Believed to be a Good Source of Iron 115 10. Percent of Coaches and Parents Selecting Beverages They Would Recommend to Athletes During Either Practice or Competition 117 11. Percent of Coaches and Parents Selecting Foods Believed to be Complex Carbo- hydrate Foods 119 12. Percent of Coaches and Parents Choosing Foods Believed to be High in Salt 12 0 13. Percent of Coaches and Parents Selecting Foods Believed to be Sources of Low-fat Protein 121 Table Page 14. Percent of Coaches Selecting Sample Pre-competition Meals 122 15. Percent of Coaches Indicating How Soon Before Competition They Believe That Athletes Should Finish the Meal 124 16. Coach Response to Question 7 125 17. Coach Response to Question 8 128 18. Coach Response to Question 9 138 19. Coach Reaction to the Workshop 141 Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Workshop for High School Coaches I. INTRODUCTION It is generally accepted that good nutrition can make a positive contribution to the health of any individual. In athletics, it is axiomatic that the athlete is given a nutritious diet not only to maintain health, but to pro- vide for the increased energy needs required for his or her physical exertions. The role of nutrition in physical performance has been recognized for a very long time. Early Greek athletes were apparently concerned with diet (Harris, 1966; Gardiner, 1930; Gardiner, 1910). Charmis of Sparta, a victorious sprinter in the Olympic games of 668 B.C., is said to have trained on diet of dried figs (Harris, 1966). The first athlete to train on a predominantly meat diet was Dromeus of Stymphalus, who twice won the long race at Olympia (460, 456 B.C.) (Gardiner, 1930). The dietary habits of athletes have continued to change over the years. G. 0. Nickalls wrote about the training practices for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race during the late 1800's. Crew members were advised to avoid cheese, pastry, puddings, bread and potatoes. Fruit and green salads were encouraged and meat and poultry were to be plainly cooked. Liquid refreshment included milk before the morning run, tea or coffee for breakfast, beer (prob- ably limited to one glass), lemonade or water for luncheon and a pint of beer and one or two glasses of port for dinner. "Fizz nights" (a bottle of champagne per person) were given two or three times before the day of the race as an "invaluable restorative." On the following day, the crew reportedly rowed like giants. Most early dietary recommendations for athletes were based on fads or the experience of coaches and trainers. With the development of nutrition as a science, it has become possible to investigate much more accurately how diet affects physical performance. Such information has been invaluable in identifying and clarifying sports nutrition misinformation. The review of literature of this thesis will concentrate on the scientific studies which have been done in the field of sports nutrition and what such research implies.