SOCCER: Exploring Sustainable Plant-Based Nutrition in Youth Soccer: Experiences and Perceptions of Players, Parents, and Professionals in Youth Soccer Academies
The SOCCER project explores how sustainable diets are perceived, practiced, and potentially implemented in the structured environments of German youth soccer academies (Nachwuchsleistungszentren, NLZs). The project is grounded in the growing global discourse on environmentally responsible nutrition and its alignment with health and athletic performance, especially during adolescence, a critical developmental phase.
This study set out to understand the cultural, social, and structural dynamics that influence dietary behaviors in elite youth football. It sought to elucidate the opportunities of and barriers to integrating plant-based diets in sports nutrition through the lived experiences and views of adolescent players, parents, coaches, nutritionists, and academy officials. The overarching goal is to generate context-specific insights that can support future interventions promoting sustainable eating practices in high-performance sports settings.
Countries: Germany
Methodology
SOCCER adopts a mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data collection comprised semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, a quantitative questionnaire for adolescent players, and ethnographic observation in one academy. The study draws on the Socio-Ecological Model to capture multi-level influences on dietary behaviors, ranging from individual knowledge and peer dynamics to institutional structures and societal norms.
The study design allowed for an in-depth exploration of how personal beliefs, social relationships, institutional routines, and broader cultural dynamics shape dietary practices in structured athletic environments. By combining multiple data sources and stakeholder insights, the study develops a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities for implementing sustainable nutrition in elite youth sport.
Data collection has now been completed. Analysis is ongoing, and the first publications are in preparation.
Main Cooperation Partners
- Prof. Dr. Katharina Wirnitzer (Pädagogische Hochschule, Tirol, Austria)
- Prof. Dr. Juliane Heydenreich (Faculty of Sports Sciences, Department of Experimental Sports Nutrition, University of Leipzig)
- Prof. Dr. Anja Carlsohn (Faculty of Health, University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg)
- Dr. Mario Ost (Paul Flechsig Institute of Neuropathology, University Clinic Leipzig)
Main funder(s)
Duration of the project
1.5 years
(01 May 2025 – 01 December 2026)
Publications
There have been no publications yet from this project.
Team
- Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah (PI)
- Dr. Alexander Rothenberg