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The Role of Nutritional Intake and Supplements in Improving Athletic Performance

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026 | Viewed by 11842

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Luis Manuel Martínez Aranda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Physical and Sports Performance Research Centre, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
2. SEJ-680: Science-Based Training (SBT) Research Group, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
Interests: strength; resistance exercise; isoinertial training; training optimization; physical performance; skeletal muscle; sports injuries; sports medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutritional intake and supplementation are fundamental components in optimizing athletic performance, enhancing recovery, and supporting long-term health in athletes. The intricate relationship between nutrition and physical performance continues to gain attention, as evidence-based dietary strategies can significantly influence training adaptations, energy availability, and injury prevention. This Special Issue focuses on the latest developments in sports nutrition, with an emphasis on how tailored nutritional interventions and supplements can improve endurance, strength, and overall athletic outcomes.

We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses exploring the role of macronutrients, micronutrients, hydration strategies, and ergogenic aids in various types of physical performance. Studies examining nutrient timing, energy balance, and the effectiveness of dietary supplements for post-exercise recovery are highly encouraged. In addition, we are particularly interested in research that addresses specific populations, including elite athletes, amateur sports participants, and individuals with unique nutritional requirements or health conditions.

By compiling innovative research and critical analyses, this Special Issue aims to provide actionable insights for athletes, coaches, sports scientists, and healthcare professionals. We seek to expand the understanding of how personalized nutrition and supplementation strategies can unlock an athlete’s full potential and contribute to peak performance across various sporting disciplines.

Prof. Dr. Luis Manuel Martínez Aranda
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • nutritional strategies
  • dietary supplementation
  • nutrient timing
  • energy availability
  • macronutrients and performance
  • recovery nutrition
  • ergogenic aids
  • hydration strategies
  • micronutrients in sports
  • sports-specific dietary needs

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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31 pages, 2087 KB  
Article
Synbiotic Supplementation with Probiotics and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Enhances Upper-Body Muscle Strength in Elite Swimmers: Evidence for Gut–Muscle Axis Modulation During Race-Pace Training
by Babak Imanian, Mohammad Hemmatinafar, Ideh Maymandinejad, Mohammad Reza Binazade, Ralf Jäger, Zeinab Jahan, Kimia Naseri, Rasoul Rezaei and Katsuhiko Suzuki
Nutrients 2025, 17(18), 2959; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17182959 - 15 Sep 2025
Viewed by 3840
Abstract
Background: The gut–muscle axis is believed to influence training adaptations through microbiota-derived signals and the regulation of inflammation, but evidence in elite swimmers is limited and mixed. This study aims to determine whether synbiotic supplementation (probiotics + omega-3) combined with ultra-short race-pace training [...] Read more.
Background: The gut–muscle axis is believed to influence training adaptations through microbiota-derived signals and the regulation of inflammation, but evidence in elite swimmers is limited and mixed. This study aims to determine whether synbiotic supplementation (probiotics + omega-3) combined with ultra-short race-pace training (USRPT) improves sprint-related upper-body strength. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, 8-week trial of male elite sprint freestyle swimmers, participants completed USRPT and were allocated to either synbiotic supplementation or its single-component arms (probiotic or omega-3) or placebo. Primary outcomes indexed dynamic/explosive strength (isokinetic shoulder torque and power at 180°/s, rate of force development, time-to-peak torque); secondary outcomes included maximal strength (MVIC; 60°/s) and field/strength-endurance tests (dead-hang, handgrip, medicine-ball throw). Analyses reported p-values with effect sizes. Results: The synbiotic group showed greater improvements in high-velocity, sprint-relevant measures versus comparators—higher 180°/s torque and power, increased rate of force development, and shorter time-to-peak torque (Time × Group p < 0.05 across domains; effects in the medium–large range). Changes in handgrip and medicine-ball throw were small and not different between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Synbiotic supplementation concurrent with USRPT preferentially enhances dynamic (explosive) upper-body strength in elite sprint swimmers, whereas non-stroke-embedded field tests show limited added value. Any reference to gut–muscle-axis modulation is hypothesis-generating, as stool sequencing and metabolite profiling were not performed. Larger, sex-inclusive trials incorporating in-water, stroke-embedded assessments and microbiome/metabolomic profiling are warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutritional Intake and Supplements in Improving Athletic Performance)
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11 pages, 1024 KB  
Article
Recovery of Strength After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Vegetarians Consuming the Upper and Lower Ends of Protein Recommendations for Athletes
by Nicole Presti, Todd C. Rideout, Jennifer L. Temple, Brian Bratta and David Hostler
Nutrients 2025, 17(6), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17061046 - 17 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2206
Abstract
Background/Objective: Plant-based protein is less bioavailable than animal protein. It is unclear if the protein recommendations for athletes should be increased when following a vegetarian diet. This study’s purpose is to document the recovery of strength and power, as well as to [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Plant-based protein is less bioavailable than animal protein. It is unclear if the protein recommendations for athletes should be increased when following a vegetarian diet. This study’s purpose is to document the recovery of strength and power, as well as to assess soreness after exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), in people following a vegetarian diet while consuming the lower (1.2 g/kg/day) and upper (2.0 g/kg/day) ends of protein recommendations for athletes. Methods: In this crossover design study, subjects were randomly assigned to consume 1.2 or 2.0 g/kg/day of protein and were supplemented up to their allotted amount with pea protein. Sixteen male (n = 9) and female (n = 7) subjects (24 ± 2 yr, 170 ± 7 cm, 68.2 ± 10.0 kg) performed a single-leg vertical jump and maximal isometric and isokinetic knee extension prior to, and five days following, EIMD. The quadricep muscle was injured by completing 10 × 10 eccentric contractions on an isokinetic dynamometer. The opposite condition was performed after a 2-week washout period. Results: There was a difference over time (p < 0.001), but not between conditions, for isometric strength (p = 0.92), vertical jump (p = 0.78), concentric strength at 60 (p = 0.92), 180 (p = 0.91), and 240 degrees per second (p = 0.90). There was a difference over time (p < 0.001), but not between groups, for pressure pain threshold while sitting (p = 0.74) and standing (p = 0.94), and the 10 cm visual analog scale completed while walking (p = 0.10), sitting (p = 0.32), and standing (p = 0.15). Conclusions: There was no difference in recovery of strength, power, and soreness after EIMD in people who follow a vegetarian diet while consuming the lower and upper ends of protein recommendations for athletes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutritional Intake and Supplements in Improving Athletic Performance)
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Review

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26 pages, 512 KB  
Review
Artificial Intelligence in Endurance Sports: Metabolic, Recovery, and Nutritional Perspectives
by Gerasimos V. Grivas and Kousar Safari
Nutrients 2025, 17(20), 3209; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17203209 - 13 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5208
Abstract
Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied in endurance sports to optimize performance, enhance recovery, and personalize nutrition and supplementation. This review synthesizes current knowledge on AI applications in endurance sports, emphasizing implications for metabolic health, nutritional strategies, and recovery optimization, while [...] Read more.
Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied in endurance sports to optimize performance, enhance recovery, and personalize nutrition and supplementation. This review synthesizes current knowledge on AI applications in endurance sports, emphasizing implications for metabolic health, nutritional strategies, and recovery optimization, while also addressing ethical considerations and future directions. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using targeted searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with cross-referencing. Extracted items included sport/context, data sources, AI methods including machine learning (ML), validation type (internal vs. external/field), performance metrics, comparators, and key limitations to support a structured synthesis; no formal risk-of-bias assessment or meta-analysis was undertaken due to heterogeneity. Results: AI systems effectively integrate multimodal physiological, environmental, and behavioral data to enhance metabolic health monitoring, predict recovery states, and personalize nutrition. Continuous glucose monitoring combined with AI algorithms allows precise carbohydrate management during prolonged events, improving performance outcomes. AI-driven supplementation strategies, informed by genetic polymorphisms and individual metabolic responses, have demonstrated enhanced ergogenic effectiveness. However, significant challenges persist, including measurement validity and reliability of sensor-derived signals and overall dataset quality (e.g., noise, missingness, labeling error), model performance and generalizability, algorithmic transparency, and equitable access. Furthermore, limited generalizability due to homogenous training datasets restricts widespread applicability across diverse athletic populations. Conclusions: The integration of AI in endurance sports offers substantial promise for improving performance, recovery, and nutritional strategies through personalized approaches. Realizing this potential requires addressing existing limitations in model performance and generalizability, ethical transparency, and equitable accessibility. Future research should prioritize diverse, representative, multi-site data collection across sex/gender, age, and race/ethnicity. Coverage should include performance level (elite to recreational), sport discipline, environmental conditions (e.g., heat, altitude), and device platforms (multi-vendor/multi-sensor). Equally important are rigorous external and field validation, transparent and explainable deployment with appropriate governance, and equitable access to ensure scientifically robust, ethically sound, and practically relevant AI solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutritional Intake and Supplements in Improving Athletic Performance)
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