Selecting and Specifying Target Behaviours to Enable Nutritional Adherence in Male Academy Footballers

Background Adolescent male academy footballers often fail to meet nutritional recommendations, risking impaired growth, health, and performance. Therefore, this study, guided by the Behaviour Change Wheel, aimed to select and specify dietary behaviours to underpin a sport nutrition service within an English Football League Championship academy. Two Nominal Group Technique (NGT) workshops (mean duration = 2 h 20 min) with four experienced sport nutritionists, either currently (n = 3) or recently (n = 1) employed at the club, were conducted. Participants generated, ranked, and refined behaviours through structured group discussion, and a follow-up questionnaire. Audio data were descriptively analysed to provide context around behaviour selection and prioritisation. Results Twenty-six behaviours were generated, with a prioritised top 10 identified. The three most important were: 1) consuming ≥3 main meals (≥900 kcal or 13 kcal·kg⁻¹) and 2 snacks daily (≥350 kcal or 5 kcal·kg⁻¹); 2) consuming ≥3 carbohydrate portions (40–50g or 0.5–0.75 g·kg⁻¹) per main meal, and ≥1 per snack; and 3) consuming a protein portion (25–30g or 0.4 g·kg⁻¹) at ≥4 eating occasions daily. These behaviours collectively formed the “meal frequency and portion size guidance.” Other behaviours ranked in the top 10 included fruit and vegetable intake, attendance at club meals, hydration, and cooking from the club recipe app. Practitioners reported difficulty conceptualising behaviours, often defaulting to macronutrient prescriptions, and found prioritisation challenging given the number of valuable behaviours generated. Nonetheless, the iterative NGT process facilitated consensus and provided actionable, evidence-based nutritional guidance. Conclusion This study demonstrates the suitability of the NGT for co-producing and prioritising dietary behaviours, to enable in male academy footballers. This method proved effective in structuring practitioner insights, to inform priority areas in a sport nutrition service. However, working in behavioural terms proved time-intensive, highlighting the need for further behavioural science training for sport nutrition practitioners. Defining what athletes should do , not just what nutrients they should consume, is crucial for designing effective behavioural interventions. These findings will support the design and development of a targeted, theoretically informed intervention to support the health, wellbeing, and performance of male academy footballers.