Hydration Status, Dietary Habits, and Functional Food Consumption Preferences of Football Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Background/Objectives: Hydration and nutrition are two key aspects of high-quality athletic performance. However, little is known about the potential beneficial effects of functional foods in sports. The present study investigates the hydration statuses of and knowledge, dietary habits, and consumption of functional foods among football athletes, both professional (n = 24) and non-professional (n = 20). Methods: The study sample had a mean age of 19.9 +/- 4.9 years, a mean weight of 74.0 +/- 6.0 kg, and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.0 +/- 1.40 km/m(2). All the athletes filled out a questionnaire about their hydration knowledge regarding sports and a functional food consumption questionnaire. Hydration status was assessed through urine color (Ucol) before and after training. Results: The results of this study show that 65% of the non-professional and 59.1% of the professional football players started their training dehydrated, and this proportion increased to 73.7% at the end of the training. Moreover, >50% of athletes were poorly educated in hydration practices during and after exercise. In addition, nutritional habits differences were observed among the professional and non-professional athletes regarding alcohol consumption (p < 0.0001) and fries (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A comprehensive understanding of and tailored approaches to nutrition and hydration need to be promoted among football athletes to realize the benefits of hydration and nutritional strategies that optimize their physiological resilience and competitive edges.