Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fueling The Competition: Exploring Individual Events Competitors' Nutritional Choices, Anne Kerber

Speaker & Gavel

Despite ongoing scholarly conversations surrounding the health of forensic competitors and educators, there remains a dearth of published research demonstrating the impact of efforts to improve the activity’s wellness environment. Additionally, the dialogue has primarily focused on educators’ perspectives, obscuring how students’ participation in forensics influences their health behaviors as well as how they experience initiatives to improve wellness. This study aims to address the literature gaps, using the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory to analyze how forensic competitors account for their nutritional judgments during tournaments. Competition emerged as a logical force that not only guides students’ nutritional choices, but …