There is ongoing debate about the role of nutrition during critical illness in terms of long-term outcomes. Even taking into account the inability to adequately assess all biological mechanisms associated with nutrition, it should be recognized that the available randomized trials, nutritional support during the early phase of critical illness, when considered in isolation from other treatment, may have very limited long-term functional value. This review focuses on recent clinical studies and evaluating the impact of critical nutrition on long-term physical and functional recovery. Critical survival is becoming an increasingly important subject of attention. Future research on nutritional support should consider specific factors that can provide measurable benefits in terms of both physical and functional recovery. These factors include the development of strategies to ensure adequate nutritional interventions, the provision of nutrition for a period of time in which biologically it is possible to observe differences in the results assessed, and the selection of appropriate methods of assessing the results recorded at clinically significant time points. One of these results is an assessment of muscle mass and function, as well as quality of life. In addition, selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from nutritional interventions and nutritional research after transfer from ICU deserves special attention.