Abstract

Introduction: Eurycoma Longifolia is an herbal supplement commonly used in the Asean region to enhance athletic performance. Despite its widespread use, information on its consumption among Malaysian athletes remains limited. Athletes must have adequate knowledge regarding Eurycoma longifolia to ensure safe and effective use. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the total energy intake and nutrition knowledge related to Eurycoma longifolia among young athletes. Methodology: A total of 100 athletes, comprising 62 males (age: 20.59 ± 1.24 years; height: 168.55 ± 5.97 cm; weight: 66.96 ± 13.15 kg; body mass index: 23.54 ± 4.12 kg/m²; waist-to-hip ratio: 0.83 ± 0.05) and 38 females (height: 156.39 ± 4.54 cm; weight: 51.24 ± 8.88 kg; body mass index: 20.90 ± 3.09 kg/m²; waist-to-hip ratio: 0.81 ± 0.05) were recruited in this study. A nutritional knowledge questionnaire was used to assess athletes’ knowledge of Eurycoma Longifolia. Energy intake was determined using a 24-hour dietary recall and analysed with nutritional analysis software. Descriptive statistics and frequency analyses were used to interpret the data. Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare data between groups. Data were analysed using SPSS version 29.0. Results and Discussion: The findings showed that 79.0% of athletes were aware that Eurycoma longifolia Jack is a commercially available supplement. However, overall nutrition knowledge scores were low among both males and females (3.08 ± 2.56 and 2.84 ± 2.43 scores, respectively), with no significant difference between groups. Total energy intake was below recommended levels in both males (energy: 1717.78 ± 645.08 kcal; carbohydrate: 213.15 ± 74.71 g; protein: 70.09 ± 29.80 g; fat: 65.31 ± 42.01 g) and females (energy: 1272.02 ± 463.46 kcal; carbohydrate: 187.51 ± 138.17 g; protein: 48.74 ± 20.40 g; fat: 44.61 ± 19.37 g). Conclusion: Adequate and accurate nutrition knowledge is essential for athletes to ensure proper use of supplements such as Eurycoma Longifolia and to prevent misuse. Improving nutrition awareness may also support athletes in achieving recommended dietary intake levels and optimizing their athletic performance.