Cited by 221Muscle metabolism and nutritionExercise and Physiological ResponsesSports Performance and Training

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 189 of the 189 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 4 of the 225 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

New strategies in sport nutrition to increase exercise performance

Open access
Close, G.L., Hamilton, D.L., Philp, A., Burke, L.M., Morton, J.P.·2016·Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Abstract

Despite over 50 years of research, the field of sports nutrition continues to grow at a rapid rate. Whilst the traditional research focus was one that centred on strategies to maximise competition performance, emerging data in the last decade has demonstrated how both macronutrient and micronutrient availability can play a prominent role in regulating those cell signalling pathways that modulate skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and resistance training. Nonetheless, in the context of exercise performance, it is clear that carbohydrate (but not fat) still remains king and that carefully chosen ergogenic aids (e.g. caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, nitrates) can all promote performance in the correct exercise setting. In relation to exercise training, however, it is now thought that strategic periods of reduced carbohydrate and elevated dietary protein intake may enhance training adaptations whereas high carbohydrate availability and antioxidant supplementation may actually attenuate training adaptation. Emerging evidence also suggests that vitamin D may play a regulatory role in muscle regeneration and subsequent hypertrophy following damaging forms of exercise. Finally, novel compounds (albeit largely examined in rodent models) such as epicatechins, nicotinamide riboside, resveratrol, β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate, phosphatidic acid and ursolic acid may also promote or attenuate skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and strength training. When taken together, it is clear that sports nutrition is very much at the heart of the Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger).

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This narrative review argues that sports nutrition is moving toward “targeted nutritional periodization,” separating competition nutrition (performance-focused) from training nutrition (adaptation-focused). It concludes that carbohydrate remains central for performance, while strategic low-carbohydrate training, protein/amino acid timing, selected traditional supplements, and several novel compounds may modulate skeletal muscle adaptations.

Key findings

  • Carbohydrate remains “king” for exercise performance: high pre-exercise muscle glycogen (>500 mmol·kg⁻¹ dw) improves endurance/team-sport performance when exercise is >60–90 min; elite athletes are advised to consume 6–12 g/kg body mass CHO in the 24–36 h before competition. Exogenous CHO oxidation can rise to 1.8 g/min with sucrose or fructose added to a CHO blend, versus ~1 g/min with glucose alone, and CHO mouth rinsing for 10 s every 5–10 min can be ergogenic.
  • Training with reduced CHO availability can enhance endurance-training adaptations—increased mitochondrial enzyme activity/protein content, whole-body and intramuscular lipid oxidation, and sometimes exercise capacity—via AMPK, p38MAPK, PGC-1α, p53, and PPARδ signaling, supporting a “train-low, compete-high” model. Potential pitfalls include immune perturbations, impaired training intensity, reduced exogenous CHO oxidation during competition, and increased muscle protein oxidation.
  • Traditional supplements with evidence include caffeine, creatine, nitrate/beetroot juice, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, vitamin D, and antioxidants. Reported numbers include creatine elevating muscle creatine stores by ~20%; bicarbonate producing a moderate 1.7 ± 2.0% enhancement of a single 1-min sprint in male athletes; beta-alanine at 3–6 g/d for 4–12 weeks increasing muscle carnosine by 50–85%; and vitamin D deficiency below 30 nmol/L impairing muscle function, with no performance-enhancing effect when starting concentrations are around 50 nmol/L.
  • Novel compounds are mostly early-stage: nicotinamide riboside (400 mg/kg/day in mice) increased skeletal muscle NAD⁺ by ~5% and endurance capacity by ~25%; HMB (3 g/day) enhanced fat-free mass gains after 6 weeks resistance training and increased MPS by +70% versus leucine +110%, while attenuating MPB by −57%; phosphatidic acid (750 mg/day) during 8 weeks resistance training increased squat strength by 12.7% and lean body mass by 2.6% versus 9.3% and 0.1% in placebo in one study, but other data are inconsistent or negative. Resveratrol supplementation in humans has been reported to blunt exercise-training adaptations.

Methods

  • Design: Narrative review of sports nutrition strategies for exercise performance and training adaptation; it covers molecular regulation of endurance and resistance training, carbohydrate/fat/protein nutrition, traditional supplements, and novel compounds.
  • Data or sample: Not stated in the paper; no primary sample or systematic search strategy is reported. The review cites human, rodent, and cell-based studies.
  • Main analysis: Narrative synthesis of existing literature, including a table categorizing common supplements as Green, Amber, or Red based on the authors’ interpretation of published evidence.

Limitations

  • Stated by the paper: many unanswered questions remain, including the best way to implement train-low carbohydrate strategies, whether and for how long fat adaptation may enhance performance, whether novel compounds from rodent models translate to human performance, and how much research on non-elite performers translates to elite athletes.
  • Stated/evident: the supplement categorization in Table 1 is based on the authors’ interpretation of existing literature, not a systematic review or meta-analysis.
  • Evident: as a narrative review, it provides no primary data, no systematic search or quality appraisal, and several novel-compound conclusions rely heavily on rodent/cell studies or inconsistent human findings.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.01.016

Cites

189 of 189 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

168 Not checked yet · 24 Own interpretation · 15 No basis given · 2 Partly supported · 1 Supported · 1 Supported so far · 1 Own result · accuracy not yet measured

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Show all 132 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 57
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 26
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 2
80 of 80
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Performance of sports requiring high rates of energy production from anaerobic glycolysis is often limited by excessive accumulation of hydrogen ions (H+) in the muscle.

    “Performance of sports requiring high rates of energy production from anaerobic glycolysis is often limited by excessive accumulation of hydrogen ions (H+) in the muscle.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Acute ingestion of dietary bicarbonate, if it achieves a meaningful albeit temporary increase in blood bicarbonate concentrations and pH, can enhance extracellular disposal of the H+ efflux from the working muscle.

    “Acute ingestion of dietary bicarbonate, if it achieves a meaningful albeit temporary increase in blood bicarbonate concentrations and pH, can enhance extracellular disposal of the H+ efflux from the working muscle.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    To date, there have been no data to suggest that eating high quality fruit and vegetables attenuates adaptations to exercise.

    “A final note is that to date there have been no data to suggest that eating high quality fruit and vegetables attenuates adaptations to exercise so it may be best to advise athletes to consume a high quality diet and avoid mega dose micronutrient supplementation, it really could be that simple [164].”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    It is currently unknown whether (-)-epicatechin supplementation can promote mitochondrial biogenesis and enhance endurance-training adaptation in human skeletal muscle.

    “However, it is currently unknown whether (-)-epicatechin supplementation can promote mitochondrial biogenesis and enhance endurance-training adaptation in human skeletal muscle.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No study has assessed if increasing the amount of muscle mass worked, or if the size of the individual, plays any role in the protein requirements post exercise.

    “However, no study has assessed if increasing the amount of muscle mass worked, or if the size of the individual, plays any role in the protein requirements post exercise.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The role that the fat fraction plays in regulating the feeding response to the protein is very underexplored.

    “Finally, protein-containing foods also contain fat and the role that the fat fraction plays in regulating the feeding response to the protein is very underexplored.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The possibility of digested peptides from ingested proteins having beneficial biological activities is highly speculated but very underexplored.

    “However, an area that has been highly speculated about, but very underexplored is the possibility of digested peptides from ingested proteins having beneficial, biological activities [113].”
7 of 7

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Citations

Cites

Show all 189 references

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Fentz, 2015, AMPKalpha is essential for acute exercise-induced gene responses but not for exercise training-induced adaptations in mouse skeletal muscle, Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab., 00157, 02015

Cited by

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Items 201–221 of 221

Metadata

Authors
Close, G. L., Hamilton, D. L., Philp, A., Burke, L. M., & Morton, J. P.
Affiliations
  • Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
  • University of Stirling (GB)
  • University of Birmingham (GB)
Corresponding author
Close, G.L.
Venue
Free Radical Biology and Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-09
Volume
98
Pages
144-158
ISSN
0891-5849 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2272552897
Cited by
221
References
189
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 4
FWCI
2.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Locations
  • Free Radical Biology and Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Liverpool John Moores University (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
  • Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BB/L023547/1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Exercise and Physiological Responses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
Keywords
sports nutrition, exercise performance, carbohydrate intake, ergogenic aids, caffeine, creatine, sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine, dietary nitrate, macronutrients, micronutrients, dietary protein, carbohydrate restriction, antioxidant supplementation, training effects, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, muscle regeneration, vitamin D, epicatechin, nicotinamide riboside, resveratrol, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, phosphatidic acid, ursolic acid, endurance training, resistance training
MeSH terms
Dietary Proteins, Humans, Exercise, Carbohydrate Metabolism, Diet, High-Fat, Sports Nutritional Sciences, Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena

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