A systematic review of interventions targeting modifiable factors that impact dietary intake in athletes

Abstract

Appropriate dietary intake has been found to positively impact athletes’ performance, body composition, and recovery from exercise. Strategies to optimise dietary intake often involve targeting one or more of the many factors that are known to influence dietary intake. This review aims to investigate the types and effectiveness of interventions used to impact modifiable factors of dietary intake in athletes. MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to May 2022 for intervention studies that measured dietary intake with a quantitative tool and explored at least one factor thought to influence the dietary intake of adult athletes. Study quality was assessed using the ADA Quality Criteria Checklist: Primary Research. Twenty-four studies were included. The most common interventions focused on nutrition education (n=10), macronutrient adjustment (n=7), and physical activity (n=5). The three most common factors thought to influence dietary intake addressed were nutrition knowledge (n=12), hunger and appetite (n=8), and body composition (n=4). Significant changes in dietary intake were found in 16 studies, with nutrition education interventions returning significant results in the largest proportion of studies (n=8). Study quality within this review was mostly average (n=4 < 50%, n=19 50-80%, n=1 >80%). As studies included were published between 1992 and 2021, interventions and factors explored in older studies may require up-to-date research to investigate possible differences in results due to time-related confounders.

The Relationship of Hedonic Hunger, Macronutrient Balance, Nutrition Knowledge, and Body Image and Weight Control with Dietary Intake in Student Athletes and Exercisers

“…These findings are in line with a recent systematic literature review which reported that nutrition education interventions improved nutrition knowledge in randomised controlled trials (n = 13) and single-arm pre/post-design (n = 19) studies [6]. Similar results were found in a recent systematic literature review by Janiczak et al [61], which showed all studies (10 out of 24 included) that used nutrition education interventions positively impacted nutrition knowledge, with eight of those studies having a positive impact on some aspect of dietary intake. Interestingly, we also found that nutrition education was associated with improved body contour ratings, indicating that nutrition education may have a role to play in improving body image.…”

A Review: Exploring Nutrition Approaches to Improve Mental Health Among Athletes: Focus on Depression and Disordered Eating

“…Furthermore, traditional dietary patterns focusing on regular consumption of these products, such as the Mediterranean, Paleo, and plant-based diets, show promise; it is crucial to tailor nutritional approaches towards the unique needs of athletes, as they can vary depending on the performance level, sports discipline, and the training load (Janiczak et al, 2024). For example, the Mediterranean diet originated from the countries associated with the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy, Greece, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, and Lebanon, and is primarily based on plants and seafood, allowing for moderate consumption of other animal proteins.…”