Design and procedures
A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the dietary intake and NK during the competitive season in elite female soccer players. On the other hand, an experimental randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the effects of two different 12-week nutrition education interventions on NK, adherence, anthropometric data, physical performance, and biochemical indices. The intervention was performed at the start of the second part of the competitive season, and all the tests were conducted at two times points: pre-intervention (PRE) (i.e., one week before the start of the intervention) and post-intervention (POST) (i.e., one week after the end). Dietary intake was only recorded at PRE.After baseline assessments, participants were informed about their specific nutritional plan. The main researcher conducted the educational session (60 minutes) in a relaxed atmosphere using a slide keynote focused on the importance of nutrition for soccer performance and explaining the specific intervention on each group. Both group diets were designed to provide the same amount of energy (Kcal) and nutrients (PROT, CHO and fat) at a similar timing. Total energy needs were calculated taking into account the average weight of the players in the study (60 kg) (42 ± 3 Kcal·kgBM