Impact of Short-Term Parental Nutrition Education on the Performance and Body Composition of Young Basketball Players: A Pre-Post Intervention Study

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the impact of nutrition education provided to parents on the sports performance and body composition of young basketball players. Methods This study involved 30 young players, aged 8 to 13 years, who participated in a Basketball team. This questionnaire included socio-demographic data, eating habits, and an assessment of sports nutrition knowledge. Anthropometric measurements of participants were taken before the beginning of sports nutrition education and performance tests. A 3-day food consumption record form was utilized employing the retrospective recall method in pre- and post-education. The players' body compositions were assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results The mean age of the players was 10.2 ± 1.5 years. The mean body fat percentage of the players before and after the education was 9.6% ± 6.1 and 8.9% ± 4.9, respectively (p < 0.05). The players' parents mean pre-education nutrition knowledge score was 34.0 ± 17.6, but their post-education nutrition knowledge score mean was 57.5 ± 11.7. Sub-group analysis revealed that participants who achieved a higher increase in protein intake gained significantly more lean body mass compared to the low-change group. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of involving parents in nutritional interventions targeting young players. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07344870. Registered 09 December 2025 - Retrospectively registered.