The Body Composition, Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Future Education Needs of Senior Schoolboy Rugby Players in Ireland

The percentage body fat (PBF) of senior schoolboy rugby players ranged from 5.1% to 25.3%.

• Sixty-eight percent of players had a healthy PBF classified between 10-20%.
• Twenty-two percent of players were classified as underweight with less than 10% body fat.
• Nutritional knowledge was inadequate, particularly regarding refueling foods and protein's role in muscle formation.
• Alcohol consumption and dietary supplement use were reported by 87.7% and 64.5% of players, respectively.
• A belief that larger body size improves performance did not correlate with increased dietary supplement use.
• Nutritional advice was sought by many players, yet better knowledge did not link to improved dietary behaviors.

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