In the context of the ever-increasing global emphasis on optimizing adolescent health and athletic performance within educational frameworks, this article interrogates the pivotal role of nutritional education as an indispensable determinant of both physiological efficacy and holistic well-being among adolescent athletes. Amidst escalating concerns surrounding malnutrition, suboptimal dietary habits, and the consequent ramifications on young athletes’ performance trajectories and psychosomatic resilience, this research advances a multidisciplinary inquiry into how strategically designed nutritional pedagogy can function as a transformative lever within secondary and tertiary educational systems.

Grounded in a comprehensive meta-analytical synthesis of extant international scholarship and contextualized through empirical data derived from studies conducted in Romanian educational and sports institutions, including the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) in Bucharest, this work elucidates the intricate interplay between nutritional literacy, behavioral modification, and athletic output. It critically appraises the integration of contemporary didactic models—anchored in constructivist learning theory and behavior change frameworks—within adolescent sports curricula, thereby addressing the current lacunae in formalized nutritional guidance in athletic training regimens.

Employing a robust mixed-methods approach, the research triangulates quantitative performance metrics—such as VO2 max, strength, endurance indices, and recovery rates—with qualitative analyses obtained through in-depth interviews and focus groups involving adolescent athletes, coaches, nutritionists, and educational policymakers. This methodology facilitates an intricate exploration of contextual moderators, including socioeconomic stratification, gender disparities, cultural dietary norms, and access to nutritional resources, which collectively influence the effectiveness of educational interventions. The study’s findings substantiate a statistically significant correlation between enhanced nutritional education and improvements in athletic performance markers, injury prevention, cognitive function, and psychosocial well-being.

Moreover, the article elucidates the systemic challenges impeding the effective dissemination and uptake of nutritional knowledge, highlighting infrastructural constraints, pedagogical inadequacies, and policy-level insufficiencies that perpetuate nutritional ignorance among young athletes. It argues for a paradigm shift towards intersectoral collaboration between educational institutions, sports federations, and healthcare entities, emphasizing the necessity for curriculum innovation, educator training, and policy reforms to embed nutritional education as a core pillar of adolescent athletic development.

This scholarly contribution not only fills a critical gap in the literature by providing an integrative framework for nutritional education tailored to the unique needs of adolescent athletes but also offers actionable recommendations to stakeholders aiming to leverage nutritional literacy for enhanced sports performance and lifelong health trajectories. It positions nutritional education as a vital vector of preventive health and performance optimization, advocating for its strategic prioritization within contemporary educational and athletic milieus worldwide.

Keywords: Nutritional education in adolescent athletics, performance enhancement and dietary literacy, holistic well-being in young athletes, behavioral nutrition interventions, educational policy and sports health integration.