Nutrition and Elite Kenyan Athletes: Nutrition Knowledge, Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status of Elite Kenyan Athletes

Kenyan athletes are renowned the World over for their outstanding performance in middle and long distance races. Sometimes the performance of some athletes has been impaired by injuries possibly traceable to nutritional deficiency. This study was therefore designed to assess the nutrition knowledge, nutritional status and dietary intake of energy, protein, iron and calcium of a selected group of elite Kenyan athletes. In conclusion the nutritional knowledge possessed by the athletes was low, their nutritional status was poor and their dietary intake of the essential nutrients especially carbohydrates, protein, calcium and iron was below the recommended.