{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:59:46Z","timestamp":1787029186554,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,30]],"date-time":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675036800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The optimal body composition for health is an individual trait and is determined by genetic factors, sex, age, somatotype, physical activity, and individual variability. The present study aims to assess how professional football players\u2019 body composition has changed over the training macrocycle in various age groups and to determine the correlation between nutritional awareness and body composition maintenance. Thirty-eight football players participated in the study, with 16 players classified in the younger age group (19\u201325) and 22 in the older age group (26\u201331). Using the direct segmented multi-frequency electrical impedance analysis technique, the athletes\u2019 body composition was assessed six times across a training macrocycle made up of preparatory, competitive, and transitional periods. The Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire was used to evaluate nutrition knowledge. The above correlations show that both younger and older athletes with higher awareness are better able to adjust their nutrition to meet the goals of the preparation period and can achieve greater gains in muscle mass and greater reductions in body fat. According to the study\u2019s results, athletes who are better conscious of their nutritional needs during competition experience less muscle loss and exhibit more consistent body weight and BMI levels. Football players\u2019 body composition suffers detrimental alterations throughout the transition period. Higher body mass, lean body mass content, and skeletal muscle mass are traits of older players. Higher nutritional knowledge reduces the negative modifications of body composition consisting of muscle mass reduction and fat gain. Nutritional knowledge influences the stability of body composition in both age groups during all the analyzed periods: Preparation, competition, and transition.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15030705","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,30]],"date-time":"2023-01-30T10:19:28Z","timestamp":1675073968000},"page":"705","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":25,"title":["The Assessment of Body Composition and Nutritional Awareness of Football Players According to Age"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2420-5935","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wiktoria","family":"Sta\u015bkiewicz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Technology and Quality Evaluation, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"El\u017cbieta","family":"Grochowska-Niedworok","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences and Physical Culture, University of Applied Sciences in Nysa, Ul. Ujejskiego 12, 48-300 Nysa, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Grzegorz","family":"Zydek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport Nutrition, Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Ul. Miko\u0142owska 72A, 40-065 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6588-8598","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mateusz","family":"Grajek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Department of Public Health Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9330-0771","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolina","family":"Krupa-Kotara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7798-6424","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Bia\u0142ek-Dratwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Nutrition, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0142-2013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sylwia","family":"Jaruga-S\u0119kowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oskar","family":"Kowalski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Nutrition, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4810-1025","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marek","family":"Kardas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Technology and Quality Evaluation, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"912","DOI":"10.23736\/S0022-4707.20.09913-2","article-title":"Bone metabolism, bone mass and structural integrity profile in professional male football players","volume":"60","author":"Filippella","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Sports. Med. Phys. 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