Nutritional Strategies for Muscle Recovery and Exercise Adaptations

Dear Colleagues,

Intense training and competition, particularly for elite athletes, place significant metabolic and structural demands on the body, underscoring the necessity for targeted nutritional strategies. Prolonged or high-intensity exercise can lead to varying levels of muscle damage, which is characterized by disruptions in tissue integrity and infiltration of inflammatory cells. This damage results in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and temporary decreases in strength and performance. While muscle damage is a natural part of exercise adaptation, insufficient rest between training sessions or competitions can hinder complete recovery, potentially impacting performance and increasing the risk of injury. In this light, developing nutritional strategies that support muscle recovery is essential—not only for optimizing athletic performance but also for reducing the heightened injury risk associated with inadequate recovery. Certain bioactive compounds, such as vitamins and minerals, are crucial in regulating key processes including muscle protein synthesis, the resolution of inflammation, oxidative stress management and the maintenance of anabolic–catabolic balance. However, important factors like optimal dosage, timing of intake and possible synergistic interactions still require further clarification. This Special Issue invites original research, reviews and meta-analyses that investigate the role of dietary interventions and supplementation in muscle damage and recovery. Submissions that explore mechanisms of action, novel compounds, dosing strategies, sport-specific efficacy, safety and individual variability (e.g., responders vs. non-responders) are particularly welcome. High-quality studies involving trained populations should be proposed, with the goal of advancing evidence-based, practical recommendations for athletes and practitioners. We welcome topics of interest, including but not limited to, the following:

• Nutritional strategies for the reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
• The role of functional foods in post-exercise recovery processes
• Optimal dosages of micronutrients in recovery physiology
• Innovative devices and protocols for the assessment of muscle recovery

Dr. Giuseppe Cerullo
Dr. Cristian Petri
Guest Editors

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