Literature review: nutrition supplementation for muscle fatigue in athletes

Abstract

The use of natural or conventional-based supplementation has become a popular strategy among athletes seeking to reduce oxidative stress, improve recovery, and enhance athletic performance. This literature review searched four reputable international electronic databases, including PubMed, MedRxiv, Cochrane, and Clinical Trial.gov until December 2021, using Boolean operators with keywords and Mesh methods. The keywords used were "Supplementation", AND "Muscle Fatigue Recovery", AND "Athletes", which yielded 24 articles as study findings. The literature review found that exhaustive exercise can induce a neutrophil antioxidant response by increasing antioxidant enzymes. Nutritional supplements, specifically antioxidant supplements, Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA), citrulline, omega-3, and caffeine, have been scientifically proven to reduce oxidative damage, which can block signaling pathways related to muscle hypertrophy. In order to combat muscle fatigue in athletes based on this research (literature review), natural ingredients and synthetic nutritional supplements have been utilized as dietary interventions. This literature review identified numerous natural micronutrients and synthetic supplements used in sports that possess anti-fatigue properties, decrease oxidative stress and enhance athletes' endurance capacity. The effectiveness of nutritional supplements in addressing muscle fatigue may vary based on the various ingredients in the supplements. However, natural-based supplements have become a preferred option among athletes and coaches currently.

The Impact of Physical Exercise on Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress: Balancing the Benefits and Risks

“…Managing oxidative stress is crucial for optimizing performance and recovery for high-intensity and endurance training athletes. A balanced diet of natural antioxidants is recommended to counteract exercise-induced stress [77,78]. While considering supplementation, athletes should be cautious, as it could impact training adaptations.…”

The Impact of Physical Exercise on Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress: Balancing the Benefits and Risks

“…Powers et al noted that although antioxidants can reduce acute oxidative damage, they might also impede long-term physiological adaptations such as improvements in the body's natural antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial efficiency, indicating a possible trade-off between immediate oxidative stress reduction and delayed muscular adaptations [19,38]. The effectiveness of antioxidants appears more pronounced when sourced from natural foods, with dietary polyphenols enhancing antioxidant status and supporting recovery and performance effectively when part of a balanced diet, possibly due to the synergistic effects of nutrients within natural food matrices [52,54,57,69,77,78]. These sources like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains deliver complex nutrients that supplements might not replicate [41].…”