Environmental impact of athletes’ diets greenhouse gas emissions, water footprint, and sustainability awareness
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Date
2026-01
Authors
Acar, Selva
Tuna, Tuğba
Ersoy, Nesli
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
This cross-sectional study evaluated the environmental impact of athletes’ dietary patterns by estimating greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and water footprint (WF). It also assessed knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sustainable nutrition using a structured questionnaire aligned with the FAO definition of sustainable diets. Conducted between January and August 2023 in Ankara, the study included 100 elite athletes (mean age: 21.0 ± 3.3 years; 65% female) from various sports disciplines. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and GHGE and WF values were calculated based on life cycle assessment data. The mean GHGE and WF values of athletes’ diets were 3017.1 ± 1877.4 g CO₂-eq/day and 5.4 ± 3.2 mL/g, respectively. Male athletes and strength/power athletes exhibited significantly higher dietary environmental impacts than female and team sports athletes (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). Red meat and animal protein consumption were strongly associated with higher GHGE and WF values (p < 0.001). Despite the increasing importance of sustainability, more than 90% of participants lacked accurate knowledge of sustainable nutrition. Moreover, a discrepancy was observed between athletes’ stated willingness to support environmental values and their actual food choices, indicating an intention–behavior gap. This study contributes to the limited literature by quantifying the environmental impact of athletes’ diets while concurrently examining sustainability-related behavioral factors. The findings underscore the importance of integrating sustainability principles into sports nutrition planning and education to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining performance goals.
Description
Q1
Keywords
Greenhouse gas emission , Water footprint , Sports nutrition , Sustainable nutrition , Environmental impact
Citation
Acar, S., Tuna, T. & Ersoy, N. (2026). Environmental impact of athletes’ diets: greenhouse gas emissions, water footprint, and sustainability awareness. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-026-37459-8
