Nutrition as a Part of Comprehensive Health Management of Elite Athletes
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 112
Special Issue Editors
Interests: energy availability; relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S); sports nutrition; dance science; injury prevention; body composition; athlete health monitoring; performance optimisation
Interests: injury prevention; health and physical activity; performance; military medicine; public health (occupational safety); physical medicine; kinesitherapy; rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nutrition is a fundamental determinant of both performance and health in elite sport, yet its role extends far beyond fueling training and competition. Increasing scientific evidence highlights the importance of adequate energy availability as a central factor influencing physiological function, adaptation, recovery, and long-term athlete well-being. When energy intake does not meet the combined demands of training and daily physiological processes, low energy availability may occur, potentially leading to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). This multifactorial condition is now recognised across a wide range of sports and in both female and male athletes, with implications for metabolic, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and psychological health.
As high-performance sport evolves, so too does the need for integrated, multidisciplinary approaches that place nutrition at the core of athlete health management. Advances in monitoring technologies, precision nutrition, and sport-specific dietary strategies provide new opportunities to individualise support and enhance both performance and career longevity.
This Special Issue aims to bring together current research and applied perspectives on the role of nutrition within comprehensive athlete care. We welcome contributions addressing mechanisms, assessment methods, interventions, and practical applications that support sustainable performance and protect athlete health across diverse sporting contexts.
This Special Issue of Nutrients aims to highlight nutrition as a foundational component of comprehensive health management in elite athletes. By bringing together contributions from diverse disciplines and sporting contexts, the issue seeks to deepen understanding of the mechanisms linking energy availability with physiological function and performance, explore innovative assessment and monitoring approaches, and present practical strategies to support athletes across different stages of their careers. Collectively, the work presented in this issue underscores a central message: safeguarding athlete health through evidence-based nutritional practices is not only an ethical imperative but also a prerequisite for sus tainable high performance. Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.
Prof. Dr. Petra Zaletel
Prof. Dr. Vedran Hadžić
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- energy availability
- low energy availability (LEA)
- relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)
- sports nutrition
- athlete health
- performance nutrition
- recovery and adaptation
- endocrine function
- bone health
- metabolic health
- athlete monitoring
- precision nutrition
- injury prevention
- high-performance sport
- multidisciplinary athlete care
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