ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH, FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERN AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AMONG STUDENTS’ ATHLETES IN FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC BAUCHI

Nutrition and well-being play vital roles in the field of sports and the overall performance of Athletes. The main purpose of nutrition is to ensure the compensation of increased energy consumption and the need for nutrients in the athlete's body, thereby enabling maximum adaption of physical loads. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between health, food consumption patterns, and physical activities among student athletes to improve their performance. This will help boost their physical performance. The study aim to improve the effect of sport nutrition intervention on nutritional knowledge and dietary practices among student athlete. A cross-sectional study was used and data was collected from the respondents using a well-structured questionnaire. The respondents were selected using a simple random technique and the data obtained was analyzed using the statistical package for social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. The majority of respondents (58.6%) engaged in moderate physical activity. 44.4% of the respondents ate twice daily 33.6% ate twice daily and 17.7% ate more thrice daily. Most of the respondents (43. 1%%) ate fruits occasionally but 18. 5% of the respondents did not eat fruits daily. 74. 1% of the respondents had not suffered from any of the ailments while 24.1% of the respondents had suffered from a form of ailment. The study revealed that nutrition, physical performance and the level of functional capacity of human beings are interrelated. Athletes must ensure that they take their dietary practices with optimum importance, as it enhances and boost physical performance, overall health and quick recovery.