Background: Sports nutrition knowledge supports appropriate food, fluid, and supplement decisions, yet evidence from Libyan recreational exercise settings is scarce. Objective: To compare sports nutrition knowledge between male and female recreational aerobic and resistance practitioners in Al-Marj, Libya, and identify educational priorities. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional analysis integrated two convenience samples. The male cohort comprised 100 adults from five gyms; the female cohort comprised 26 adults from three fitness centers in the same locality. Both completed an Arabic-adapted Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ). Aggregate means were compared using pooled-variance independent-samples t tests, with Cohen's d as the standardized effect. Results: Mean total knowledge was 57.2% ± 12.8% among men and 35.0% ± 11.5% among women (difference 22.2 percentage points; t(124) = 8.04, p < .001; d = 1.77). Men scored higher across all reported domains. Poor knowledge characterized 28.0% of men and 88.5% of women. In men, micronutrients were the weakest domain (48.7% ± 14.8%); 68% reported supplement use, most frequently protein powder. Education and qualified professional guidance were positive predictors of male knowledge. Conclusions: Both groups demonstrated actionable knowledge gaps, with especially low female scores and weak micronutrient knowledge. The sex comparison remains exploratory because of non-probability sampling, unequal cohorts, missing adjusted female data, and lack of formal local validation of the Arabic questionnaire. Culturally tailored, dietitian-led education and a concurrently recruited replication are recommended.
Keywords: sports nutrition knowledge; gym users; sex differences; Libya; NSKQ; dietary supplements.
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