Open AccessEnergy Availability, Macronutrient Intake, and Nutritional Supplementation for Improving Exercise Performance in Endurance Athletes
Author(s) -
Gretchen A. Casazza,
Ashley P. Tovar,
Christine Richardson,
Angela N. Cortez,
Brian A. Davis
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
current sports medicine reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.424
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1537-8918
pISSN - 1537-890X
DOI - 10.1249/jsr.0000000000000494
Subject(s) - medicine , athletes , physical therapy , health benefits , sports nutrition , time trial , endurance training , sports medicine , performance enhancement , physical medicine and rehabilitation , heart rate , blood pressure , traditional medicine
Endurance athletes use nutritional guidelines and supplements to improve exercise performance and recovery. However, use is not always based on scientific evidence of improved performance, which type of athlete would benefit most, or the optimal dose and timing of a particular supplement. Health professionals that give advice to athletes need to target their recommendations on the energy systems and muscle fiber types used for the athlete's sporting event, the goal of the training block, the time of the competitive season, and the characteristics and food preferences of the individual athlete. This review aims to summarize the most current research findings on the optimal calorie, carbohydrate, and protein intake for athlete health, performance, and recovery. We also summarized new findings on fluid intake and the optimal dose and timing of beetroot and caffeine supplementation on time trial performance in endurance athletes.