The New Challenge of Sports Nutrition: Accepting Insect Food as Dietary Supplements in Professional Athletes
Abstract
:1. Introduction
Factors Influencing Edible Insects’ Acceptance
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Partecipants
2.2. Measures
- (a)
- Information on socio-demographic characteristics, sports characteristics, knowledge and motivational aspects on nutritional supplement consumption, and dietary habits mainly related to animal protein food.
- (b)
- The personal knowledge about general and sport nutrition (general nutrition knowledge—GNK and sport nutrition knowledge-SNK) by an adapted version of the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ) [46,47]. Total scores were assessed using one point for each correct answer, no negative points, and coding “unsure” answers as incorrect. The total score was out of 37. All domains were weighted equally during scoring, and percentages were determined. The following cut-off points were used poor knowledge (0–49%), average knowledge (50–65%), good knowledge (66–75%), and excellent knowledge (over 75%).
- (c)
- Food neophobia was evaluated by the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) [48]. It consists of 10 statements, five neophilic and five neophobic statements about food or situations related to food consumption, rated on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree. After reverse coding the responses for the neophilic statements, a total FNS score ranging from 10 to 70 was then calculated by summing the ratings for each item; the higher the FNS score, the higher the food-neophobia level. According to recent studies, the consumers were categorized as having a low, medium or high level of food neophobia, and sustainable behavior. The frequency distribution of the FNS scores was calculated and the subjects were divided into the following three groups: “low neophobia” (subjects in the lowest quartile, FNS scores ≤ 23), “medium neophobia” (subjects in the second and third quartile, FNS scores ≥ 24 and ≤41) and “high neophobia” (subjects in the highest quartile, FNS scores ≥ 42) [49].
- (d)
- Athletes’ willingness to taste an insect-based protein bar was evaluated using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). The population was split between groups: willing (from 5 to 7 points), uncertain (point 4) and unwilling (from 1 to 3 points).
- (e)
- A brief informative text on the environmental and nutritional benefits of edible insects was provided to the participants (Table 1). After reading the text, participants were asked to assess their degree of agreement/disagreement in tasting the product.
- (f)
- After the athletes expressed their willingness to taste the insects, two separate groups were identified (taster/no taster) and the factors which influenced their choice, i.e., curiosity about the texture, palatability, and alternative protein source for the tasters, and disgust, suitability for society, personal diet, poor hygiene and fear of unpleasant taste for the no tasters, were investigated using a 7-point Likert scale.
- (g)
- Finally, athlete-endorsements in the food market were also explored using the following question: “from what it has been described above, how much would you be willing to promote this novel food product?” A 7-point Likert scale was used (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). The population was split between groups: willing to endorse (from 5 to 7 points), uncertain (point 4) and unwilling to endorse (from 1 to 3 points).
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Dietary Habits and Nutrition Supplements
3.2. Neophobic Scale
3.3. Abridged–Nutritional Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ)
3.4. Willingness to Taste the Cricket Flour Enriched Bar
3.5. Athletes Endorsement in Cricket-Bar Marketing
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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In recent years, several European countries have begun to sell edible insects in supermarkets. Energy or protein bars are produced in a certified way, using insect’s flour as supplements and their use is already widespread among athletes all over the world. From a nutritional point of view, insects are rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins, have a low-fat content and a reduced caloric intake, all elements that identify them as complete and healthy foods. Furthermore, insects farming has a lower environmental impact (e.g., few resources needed to raise them and reduced emission of carbon dioxide) compared to domestic animals. |
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Placentino, U.; Sogari, G.; Viscecchia, R.; De Devitiis, B.; Monacis, L. The New Challenge of Sports Nutrition: Accepting Insect Food as Dietary Supplements in Professional Athletes. Foods 2021, 10, 1117. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10051117
Placentino U, Sogari G, Viscecchia R, De Devitiis B, Monacis L. The New Challenge of Sports Nutrition: Accepting Insect Food as Dietary Supplements in Professional Athletes. Foods. 2021; 10(5):1117. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10051117
Chicago/Turabian StylePlacentino, Umberto, Giovanni Sogari, Rosaria Viscecchia, Biagia De Devitiis, and Lucia Monacis. 2021. "The New Challenge of Sports Nutrition: Accepting Insect Food as Dietary Supplements in Professional Athletes" Foods 10, no. 5: 1117. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10051117