Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.1
2.2
Journals
Sports
Special Issues
Enhancing Performance and Promoting Health Through Nutrition
share announcement

Enhancing Performance and Promoting Health Through Nutrition

A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 478

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Drew Gonzalez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: sports nutrition; exercise training; tactical athlete nutrition; supplementation; sports performance
Dr. Broderick Dickerson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Sports Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: sports nutrition; exercise training; athlete nutrition; supplementation; sports performance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutritional practices that aim to improve sport-specific and exercise performance, reduce the risk of injury, and promote overall health are paramount to athletic success. Often, athletes, and even recreationally active and exercising individuals, are trying to gain a competitive edge or enhance aspects of their training. Over the last three decades, the field of sports nutrition has blossomed, with numerous nutritional strategies emerging and believed to confer a benefit to the end user. The Special Issue calls for papers that address topics related to nutrition and its impact on training, exercise, and sport-specific performance and overall health. The scope extends to assessing the impact of short- and long-term nutrition interventions on a range of performance and health metrics, including those evaluated in isolation and applied research within a sport-specific setting. Original research as well as narrative and systematic reviews are welcome.

Dr. Drew Gonzalez
Guest Editor

Dr. Broderick Dickerson
Guest Editor Assistant

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. Sports is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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

  • supplements
  • health
  • diet
  • sports nutrition
  • sports
  • performance
  • ergogenic aids

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 2386 KiB  
Article
Putting the Fe into Female Athletes: Insights into Heightened Iron Status and Women’s Australian Football Performance—A Case Study
by Michael Pengelly, Kate Pumpa, David Bruce Pyne and Naroa Etxebarria
Sports 2025, 13(5), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13050136 - 29 Apr 2025
Abstract
Background: Iron deficiency affects up to 70% of female athletes, yet the effectiveness of improving iron status in team sport athletes remains unclear. Purpose: To evaluate the impact of variations in iron status on physical performance in elite female Australian Rules Football players. [...] Read more.
Background: Iron deficiency affects up to 70% of female athletes, yet the effectiveness of improving iron status in team sport athletes remains unclear. Purpose: To evaluate the impact of variations in iron status on physical performance in elite female Australian Rules Football players. Methods: Iron status was measured in 30 players (age 23 ± 4 y; body mass 70 ± 6 kg) across three time-points of a 24-week season. Players identified as iron deficient non-anemic stage 2 in week 1 received an iron infusion. Remaining players were categorized into heightened iron status (FeUP; iron deficient non-anemic stage 1 players who were advised to take iron supplementation; n = 8) or non-supplemented (Ctrl; week 10: n = 17; week 24: n = 16) groups following week 10. Relative external load measures (e.g., total distance at different velocities), and strength and power measures (e.g., counter-movement jump, reactive strength index) were recorded in weeks 10 and 24 (same weeks as blood samples) to compare physical performance between FeUP and Ctrl groups. Results: Iron status improved in FeUP (30 µg/L to 49 µg/L) and reduced in Ctrl (39 µg/L to 34 µg/L) between weeks 10 and 24. Iron deficiency prevalence among all players was 47–54%. FeUp exhibited small to moderate improvements (5–19%) in some external load measures but no consistent improvement across all measures. At week 24, FeUP showed trivial to moderate differences outperforming Ctrl in seven physical performance measures (e.g., both hip adduction tests), but Ctrl outperformed FeUP in all other measures. Conclusion: Heightened iron status does not consistently enhance physical performance, although avoiding deficiency remains essential for athlete health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Performance and Promoting Health Through Nutrition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 273 KiB  
Article
The Role of Recreational Physical Activity in Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in the Greek Population: Public Health and Sustainability Implications
by Ioannis Tsartsapakis, Ioannis Trigonis, Aglaia Zafeiroudi, Olga Kouli, Vasileios Papacharisis and Dionisis Stavrousis
Sports 2025, 13(4), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13040095 - 25 Mar 2025
Viewed by 273
Abstract
The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is renowned for its health benefits and cultural significance in Mediterranean populations. The present study investigates the question of whether individuals who participate in recreational activities exhibit higher adherence to the MedDiet than those who do not engage in [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is renowned for its health benefits and cultural significance in Mediterranean populations. The present study investigates the question of whether individuals who participate in recreational activities exhibit higher adherence to the MedDiet than those who do not engage in such activities. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with participants completing questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, MedDiet adherence, and dietary habits. A total of 1055 participants of both sexes with an average age of 32.2 ± 10.1 years participated in the survey, and they were classified based on their engagement in recreational physical activity. Statistical analyses included independent samples t-tests, chi-squared tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrated that physically active individuals exhibited significantly higher adherence to the MedDiet than non-exercisers (p < 0.001), supporting the hypothesis that exercise is associated with healthier dietary choices. Regression analysis further revealed that exercise, olive oil consumption, and family meals were significant predictors of MedDiet adherence. Additionally, group comparisons highlighted differences in BMI (p < 0.001), meal frequency (p < 0.001), and food preparation habits (p < 0.001), indicating that exercisers were more likely to adopt a holistic Mediterranean lifestyle. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating physical activity with dietary education in public health policies. Promoting an active lifestyle alongside MedDiet principles may enhance overall well-being and contribute to sustainable health strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Performance and Promoting Health Through Nutrition)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop