Audiovisual Education Boosts Nutrition and Hydration Knowledge of Young Football Athletes at Batu Football Academy

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FORMOSA NEWS - Malang - In a major development for youth athletic training, a research team from the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Negeri Malang (State University of Malang) has demonstrated that interactive audiovisual education significantly improves sports nutrition and hydration management among youth football players. Published in mid-2026, the community service initiative conducted at the Batu Football Academy (BAFA) addresses a critical vulnerability in youth sports development: the widespread issue of poor dietary habits and voluntary dehydration among adolescent athletes. The team, led by researcher Moh. Abduh Malik and senior sports medicine expert Dr. dr. Moch. Yunus, M.Kes., revealed that structured multimedia training rapidly closes the sports literacy gap for both young athletes and their parents.

The Dangerous Reality of Voluntary Dehydration in Youth Sports
Achieving peak performance in national youth football requires optimal physiological support alongside technical skill and psychological maturity. However, adolescent football players frequently exhibit poor nutritional habits due to limited literacy regarding food selection and fluid metabolism. A primary concern highlighted by the Universitas Negeri Malang research team is "voluntary dehydration," a condition where young athletes fail to consume sufficient fluids during intense training sessions despite having unrestricted access to drinking water on the field. Globally, pre-training hypohydration affects between 60% and 80% of youth football academy populations. From a medical perspective, a body fluid deficit exceeding 2% of total body weight triggers severe cardiovascular stress, accelerates muscle glycogen exhaustion, and significantly impairs cognitive function. For a football player, this cognitive decline directly undermines real-time tactical decision-making and physical coordination on the pitch. Prior to the intervention at the Batu Football Academy, the Universitas Negeri Malang researchers documented alarming metabolic and nutritional baseline anomalies among the academy's athletes:

• Nutritional Imbalances: Approximately 10% of the young athletes were classified as undernourished (thin), while 3% were overnourished (obese).
  
• Macronutrient Disproportion: 20% of the players suffered from an overall energy deficit, whereas 30% consumed excessive calories.
  
• Excessive Protein Consumption: An astounding 87% of the athletes consumed excessive protein, reaching up to 186% of their actual daily physiological requirement.
  
• Clinical Red Flags: Blood and physical evaluations revealed that 16.67% of the athletes showed signs of anemia, while 83.33% indicated hyperuricemia.
  
• Poor Hydration Habits: The vast majority of the athletes experienced chronic fluid deficits due to a habitual preference for high-sugar packaged beverages, combined with a low frequency of rehydration during training.
  

Designing a 100-Minute Interactive Multimedia Intervention
To break the cycle of malnutrition and poor hydration at the Batu Football Academy, the Universitas Negeri Malang expert team designed a highly structured, 100-minute educational program. Held at the Among Tani City Hall Hall with the logistical support of the Batu City Government, the intervention actively engaged 49 participants, consisting of 25 youth football athletes and 24 of their parents. The program moved away from traditional, dry academic lectures. Instead, the Universitas Negeri Malang team combined interactive PowerPoint slide decks with custom-designed, visually engaging educational videos. According to educational psychology and neurophysiology principles, simultaneous visual and sensory stimulation through motion graphics enhances memory retention in children far better than conventional instructional methods. The curriculum focused heavily on two critical areas: the "Four Pillars of Balanced Nutrition" (emphasizing dietary variety, hygiene, physical activity, and weight monitoring) and the physiological timing of sports rehydration. To evaluate the efficacy of the program, the researchers administered validated pre-test and post-test questionnaires, analyzing the data shifts through a paired t-test.

Key Findings: A Dramatic Surge in Athlete Literacy

The quantitative data extracted from the project confirmed an immediate, statistically profound leap in the participants' cognitive understanding of sports nutrition and fluid management. Athlete Knowledge Score Comparison

Evaluation Phase	Average Score ± SD	Knowledge Gain	Statistical Significance
Before Education (Pre-test)	56.67 ± 18.33	Baseline	—
After Education (Post-test)	75.24 ± 14.70	+18.57 points	Highly Significant ($p < 0.001$)

This empirical surge from 56.67 to 75.24 proves that the audiovisual approach is highly effective at moving complex biological concepts into the short-term memory of young athletes. Understanding the early physiological markers of dehydration such as urine discoloration or rapid post-workout weight loss empowers young athletes to become proactive. Instead of waiting for a coach's instruction, literate athletes initiate self-hydration on a scheduled basis.

Real-World Implications and the Maintenance Phase
While the initial cognitive improvement is remarkably successful, the senior research team from Universitas Negeri Malang stresses that a single educational session must be backed by a long-term "maintenance phase" to fully transform knowledge into permanent, real-world habits. The practical benefits of this research extend directly to households and sports academies. Parents play a decisive role by replacing high-sugar packaged drinks with optimal fluid sources and prepared, balanced meals at home. Simultaneously, the academy coaching staff must integrate mandatory water breaks into training schedules. Collaborative support between families and coaches ensures that youth athletes maintain an optimal hydration status (euhydration), protecting their physical growth, preventing sports injuries, and securing peak performance for the future of national football.

Author Profiles
Moh. Abduh Malik: Lead researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Malang (State University of Malang), specializing in youth sports nutrition and community-based health interventions.
Dr. dr. Moch. Yunus, M.Kes.: Senior lecturer and medical expert at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Malang, with extensive expertise in human physiology, sports medicine, and athletic metabolic management.
Nanang Tri Wahyudi, Safirah Afah Enzeli, Lucretia Zalfa Shabira, Lintang Nirmalasari Gemalocahaya Manggolono: Co-authors and research collaborators at Universitas Negeri Malang, dedicated to advancing sports literacy and public health frameworks for youth academies.

Source
Moh. Abduh Malik, Moch. Yunus, Nanang Tri Wahyudi, Safirah Afah Enzeli, Lucretia Zalfa Shabira, Lintang Nirmalasari Gemalocahaya Manggolono. Audiovisual Based Nutrition Education Strategies in Improving Balanced Nutrition Knowledge and Hydration Management of Young Football Athletes. Asian Journal of Community Services (AJCS). Volume 5, Nomor 6 2026, Halaman 369-376.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ajcs.v5i6.36
URL: https://journalajcs.my.id/index.php/ajcs