Collegiate-level athletes face many challenges throughout their athletic careers regarding their education, their social lives' balance, proper nutritional choice-making, all while keeping a healthy mental state. A literature review was conducted to examine whether or not having proper nutritional knowledge influences perceived performance. Keywords such as “athletes and nutrition,” “collegiate athletes and nutrition,” and “periodized nutrition and athletics” were used to locate possible articles. At the end, fifteen articles regarding athletics, nutrition, and nutrition questionnaires were located from PubMed and analyzed.

Results from the literature review don't provide an answer to the question as whether or not having proper nutritional knowledge influences perceived performance. However, results do indicate that understanding the definition of “proper sports nutrition” is essential in helping athletes make decisions regarding their own nutritional intake. Most of the nutritional literature regarding athletes describes the best guidelines for fueling an athlete’s body, and why certain macronutrient breakdowns are beneficial for athletes playing specific sports. Future research needs to be conducted in order to determine whether or not having proper nutritional knowledge affects an athlete’s perceived performance.