Nutritional Knowledge and Characteristics of HYROX Athletes

Dietary intake

A validated Short Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFFQ) will be used to assess dietary quality. The questionnaire consists of 20 items covering key food groups, including fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods, high-fat and sugary foods, meat and meat products, and fish. Participants are asked to report the frequency of foods and beverages consumed during a "typical week" over the past month. Response options range from "rarely or never" to "more than five times per day." The final score will be calculated based on the extent to which participants meet the UK dietary recommendations.

Body composition

Assess body composition by anthropometry to estimate muscle mass and fat mass

Eating behaviours disorders

Information on eating disorders will be collected using the EAT-26 test and the Figure Rating Scale (FRS). The EAT-26 comprises three subscales: Diet, Bulimia, and Oral Control, with responses on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). It also includes five questions related to disordered eating behaviors to identify athletes at risk, with a score of 20 or more suggesting possible eating disorders. The FRS is a visual tool assessing body image and perceived body size, with nine male and nine female figures ranging from very thin (1) to overweight (9).

Nutritional Knowledge

Nutritional knowledge will be assessed with the Abbreviated Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ), divided into two subsections: the first with 17 items on general nutrition knowledge, and the second with 20 items focused on athletes' knowledge about macronutrient and fluid requirements, weight loss and gain strategies, and dietary supplements. Each correct answer is awarded +1 point, while each incorrect answer is assigned -1 point. The maximum possible score is 59 points, and the minimum possible score (all answers incorrect) is -59 points. The questionnaire is divided into four sections: Macronutrients: 29 points (equivalent to 49.1 on a 0-100 scale), micronutrients: 19 points (32.2 on a 0-100 scale), hydration: 8 points (13.6 on a 0-100 scale) and periodization: 3 points (5.1 on a 0-100 scale).