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Nutrients
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Food First: A New Perspective on Sports Nutrition
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Food First: A New Perspective on Sports Nutrition

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 1855

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Zvonimir Šatalić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: sports nutrition; vegetarian diets; dietary assessment methods; chrono-nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

“Food first’’ is a priority that is endorsed by nutrition professionals in general, and also by sports nutritionists. Although this approach has been utilized for many years, there is no reason to miss the opportunity of taking advantage of dietary supplements, in a broad sense, and of specific ergogenic aids. That being said, another potentially missed opportunity is whole foods. With this paradigm shift occurring, structured (defined aim, dose, detailed source, and consumption frequency) supplementation with whole foods can now be regarded as a justified sports nutrition strategy (beetroot juice as a ‘’new creatine’’ is a great example). However, there is a lack of data regarding evidence-based ‘’food first’’ approach in sports nutrition, which is needed as a base for establishing practical recommendations. Therefore, we invite authors willing to share their work with athletes showing the pros and cons of a ‘’food first’’ approach to sports nutrition.

This Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled “Food First: A New Perspective on Sports Nutrition”, welcomes original research and reviews of the literature concerning this important topic. 

Prof. Dr. Zvonimir Šatalić
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sports nutrition
  • food first
  • whole foods
  • supplementation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 391 KiB  
Article
Hydration Status, Dietary Habits, and Functional Food Consumption Preferences of Football Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study
by Georgios Papaoikonomou, Aikaterini Kandyliari, Antonis Vlassopoulos, Olga Malisova and Antonios E. Koutelidakis
Nutrients 2025, 17(6), 1078; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17061078 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 528
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Hydration and nutrition are two key aspects of high-quality athletic performance. However, little is known about the potential beneficial effects of functional foods in sports. The present study investigates the hydration statuses of and knowledge, dietary habits, and consumption of functional [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Hydration and nutrition are two key aspects of high-quality athletic performance. However, little is known about the potential beneficial effects of functional foods in sports. The present study investigates the hydration statuses of and knowledge, dietary habits, and consumption of functional foods among football athletes, both professional (n = 24) and non-professional (n = 20). Methods: The study sample had a mean age of 19.9 ± 4.9 years, a mean weight of 74.0 ± 6.0 kg, and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.0 ± 1.40 km/m2. All the athletes filled out a questionnaire about their hydration knowledge regarding sports and a functional food consumption questionnaire. Hydration status was assessed through urine color (Ucol) before and after training. Results: The results of this study show that 65% of the non-professional and 59.1% of the professional football players started their training dehydrated, and this proportion increased to 73.7% at the end of the training. Moreover, >50% of athletes were poorly educated in hydration practices during and after exercise. In addition, nutritional habits differences were observed among the professional and non-professional athletes regarding alcohol consumption (p < 0.0001) and fries (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A comprehensive understanding of and tailored approaches to nutrition and hydration need to be promoted among football athletes to realize the benefits of hydration and nutritional strategies that optimize their physiological resilience and competitive edges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food First: A New Perspective on Sports Nutrition)
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23 pages, 2159 KiB  
Article
The Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Short Course of Sauerkraut Supplementation on the Gut Microbiota of Active Athletes: A Pilot Follow-Up Study
by Jadran Zonjić, Andrija Karačić, Ivona Brodić, Antonio Starčević, Ira Renko, Željko Krznarić, Matija Ivančić, Ana-Marija Liberati Pršo and Zvonimir Šatalić
Nutrients 2025, 17(5), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050929 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1133
Abstract
Objectives: The application of whole fermented foods in sports nutrition for gut microbiota personalization is a promising area of investigation. Sauerkraut, a traditional fermented food, has not been extensively studied in this context. This study aimed to replicate earlier findings of a [...] Read more.
Objectives: The application of whole fermented foods in sports nutrition for gut microbiota personalization is a promising area of investigation. Sauerkraut, a traditional fermented food, has not been extensively studied in this context. This study aimed to replicate earlier findings of a proof-of-concept study on the potential of sauerkraut for gut microbiota personalization in active athletes. Methods: A pilot follow-up study was conducted on active recreational athletes who consumed 250 g of organic pasteurized sauerkraut daily for 10 days. Changes in gut microbiota composition and functionality were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing and metabolic pathway analysis across three time points: pre-intervention, postintervention, and one-month postintervention. Laboratory parameters, bowel function, and side effects were monitored throughout the study. Results: In total, 11 male participants with an average age of 30 years completed the study. The pilot follow-up study did not replicate the original study’s findings on sauerkraut’s short-term effects on β-diversity and taxonomic and functional groups. However, long-term effects of sauerkraut supplementation were demonstrated, including a significant reduction in α-diversity variance and increased gut microbiota composition similarity (β-diversity) as well as several significant changes in bacterial taxa and metabolic pathways after a washout period. The intervention also induced a transient decrease in B12 vitamin levels and a short- and long-term increase in leukocyte concentrations. The probability for physiological types of stools increased after one week of sauerkraut supplementation as well as the incidence of gastrointestinal side effects, such as bloating, diarrhea, pain, nausea, and constipation. Conclusions: This study suggests that the short-term effects on the gut microbiota of sauerkraut supplementation depend on its baseline status, but it can induce long-term effects. Sauerkraut supplementation requires a seven-day adaptation period. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind the short- and long-term effects of sauerkraut supplementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food First: A New Perspective on Sports Nutrition)
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