Nutritional Self-efficacy and Reactive Decision - Making Speed among Players in a Sports Facility

HAIYANG LUO

doi:10.71097/IJSAT.v17.i3.11505

Nutritional Self-efficacy and Reactive Decision - Making Speed among Players in a Sports Facility

Author(s)	Dr. HAIYANG LUO
Country	Philippines
Abstract	Background: In competitive youth sports, cognitive processing speed under physical exertion is increasingly recognized as a decisive performance variable. However, the psychological mechanism linking off-field nutritional autonomy to on-court reactive decision-making remains underexplored in Asian sports training contexts. Purpose: This study examined the relationship between nutritional self-efficacy and reactive decision-making speed among youth basketball players in Wuhan, China, and tested demographic variations across age, sex, and year level. Method: A descriptive-comparative-correlational design was employed with 279 players from Hubei Hansheng Empowerment Culture Communication Co., Ltd. Data were collected using a validated 4-point Likert researcher-made questionnaire (Cronbach's α = .988) measuring five dimensions of nutritional self-efficacy (preparation readiness, supplement literacy, hydration discipline, digestive intuition, long-term consistency) and five dimensions of reactive decision-making speed (anticipation accuracy, recovery from false starts, visual quiet eye, mental lag under fatigue, complexity scaling). Descriptive statistics, One-Way ANOVA with Scheffé post-hoc, and Pearson correlation were computed via SPSS at p < .05. Results: Overall nutritional self-efficacy was "Effective" (M = 3.17, SD = .51) and decision-making speed was "Fast" (M = 3.19, SD = .48). Significant age differences emerged: players aged 19–20 years consistently reported the highest self-efficacy across all dimensions (p < .05), while those >21 years old scored lowest. Sex was a significant factor in supplement literacy and hydration discipline (males > females, p < .001). A significant positive correlation was found between total nutritional self-efficacy and reactive decision-making speed (p < .05). Conclusion: Nutritional self-belief is a measurable cognitive performance multiplier. Findings support the integration of behavioral nutrition education into tactical training curricula. The proposed Cognitive-Nutritional Self-Monitoring Program offers a structured framework for translating dietary autonomy into millisecond-level decision advantages in youth sports facilities.
Keywords	Nutritional Self-Efficacy; Reactive Decision-Making Speed; Youth Basketball; Sports Facility; Cognitive-Nutritional Self-Monitoring; Fatigue; Visual Quiet Eye; China
Field	Sociology > Sports
Published In	Volume 17, Issue 3, July-September 2026
Published On	2026-08-30
DOI	https://doi.org/10.71097/IJSAT.v17.i3.11505

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Nutritional Self-efficacy and Reactive Decision - Making Speed among Players in a Sports Facility

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