In worldwide, the number of female football players is growing exponentially; as an example, from 2012/13 to 2016/17, the number of professional and semi-professional players increased by 119% (from 1303 to 2853). 1 Hence, the search for methods to maximize performance and accelerate recovery has increased.Nutrition is seen as part of the strategies to maintain a good health condition, improve performance, and accelerate recovery. 2 Notwithstanding, dietary supplements can be used to prevent or treat nutrient deficiencies, as a convenient form of energy and nutrients, or even to improve sports performance when the respective protocols are respected. 2 However, their use by athletes also raises safety questions,

The current study aimed to investigate if the gut microbiota composition of elite female football players changes during an official international tournament.The study was conducted throughout ten consecutive days, encompassing seven training sessions, and three official matches. The matches were separated by 48-72 h. Seventeen elite female football players from the Portuguese women's national football team participated in the study. Fecal samples were collected at two time points: at the beginning and end of the tournament. Fecal microbiota was analyzed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. Throughout the study, the duration and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded after training sessions and matches. The internal load was determined by the session RPE.The gut microbiota of players was predominantly composed of bacteria from the phyla Firmicutes (50% of relative abundance) and Bacteroidetes (20%); the genera Faecalibacterium (29%) and Collinsella (16%); the species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (30%) and Collinsella aerofaciens (17%). Overall, no significant changes were observed between time points (p ≥ 0.05). Also, no relationship was found between any exercise parameter and the gut microbiota composition (p ≥ 0.05).These findings demonstrate that the physical and physiological demands of training and matches of an official international tournament did not change the gut microbiota composition of elite female football players. Furthermore, it supports that the gut microbiota of athletes appears resilient to the physical and physiological demands of training and match play.

Dietary supplements are widely used among athletes, and soccer players are no exception. Nevertheless, evidence supporting the use of dietary supplements aiming to enhance performance in soccer is somewhat contradictory, scarce, or even nonexistent. Thus, the present study aimed to systematically review and synthesize the effects of dietary supplements on athletic performance (e.g. distance covered, sprinting, jump performance) in elite soccer players. Studies enrolling highly trained, elite, and world-class soccer players using dietary supplements were searched in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO databases in June 2022. In total, 1043 studies were identified, and 18 met the eligibility criteria. The studies evaluated the impacts on athletic performance of several dietary supplements, including caffeine, creatine, protein, beverages with carbohydrates and electrolytes, tart cherry juice, nitrate-rich beetroot juice, sodium bicarbonate with minerals, yohimbine, and a proprietary nutraceutical blend. Caffeine supplementation in doses between 3 and 6 mg/kg of body mass may improve jump height and sprint ability, particularly in female players, but individual response to caffeine must be considered. Creatine may improve sprint, agility, and in female players, jump performance. Protein supplementation can improve sprint and jump performance between matches, especially if protein ingested from food is not up to recommendations. Beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes can be used as part of the strategies to achieve carbohydrate intake during training and match-days but used alone do not benefit athletic performance. Tart cherry juice might be useful for maintaining athletic performance after matches that produce higher force loss and exercise-induced muscle damage, although polyphenols from the diet might attenuate the effects of tart cherry supplementation. Nitrate-rich beetroot concentrate can attenuate performance decrease in the days following matches. Further investigation with sodium bicarbonate alone is necessary, as supplementation protocols with elite players included other substances. Finally, the available data does not support yohimbine supplementation or the use of Resurgex Plus® to improve athletic performance in elite soccer players. Still, more well-designed research with elite soccer players is needed to improve support and advice regarding the use of dietary supplements for athletic performance enhancement.

In competitive events, athletes’ performances can be affected by their food choices. In addition, nutrition labels are essential to sustain informed decisions and to allow athletes to comply with their dietary planning. Knowing what influences athletes’ food choices will help to improve the food provision in future championships. Therefore, we aimed to study the factors influencing athletes’ choices, their knowledge on nutrition labels, and their opinion on the food service at two European Athletics Championships. Questionnaires were completed by 339 athletes (57% males, 19.6 ± 1.3 years) competing at the 2019 European Athletics Under 20 and Under 23 Championships. Factors that may impact performance (time of the day and nutrient composition) were rated as important and very important by a higher percentage of athletes (78% and 74%, respectively) compared to the presence of teammates (32%) and the coach (23%). Among the athletes who knew what nutrition labels are (49%), 72% would like to have additional nutritional information in future championships. Furthermore, our study revealed that for most athletes (72%), food temperature is important or very important for food choices. Overall, food provision had positive results, but further research is needed to help organizers better tailor food provision to athletes’ needs.

Review question / Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effect of dietary supplements on athletic performance in elite soccer players. Eligibility criteria: This review will be conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines and the PICOS approach. Articles were eligible if they were published or in-press in peer-reviewed journals (i.e., abstracts published in conference proceedings, books, theses, and dissertations will not be considered), published in English language with available abstract for screening. The PICOS approach will be established as follows: Population: highly trained or elite, adult (>18 years old) male or female soccer players; Intervention: use of one or more dietary supplements for performance; Comparison: same conditions with placebo or without dietary supplements; Outcome: athletic or soccer-related performance outcomes; Study design: intervention in parallel groups or with crossover, blind or double-blind, and randomized controlled trials (experimental studies).

Objective: Salt restriction and potassium (K) intake can lower blood pressure (BP) and reduce the risk for cardiovascular (CV) diseases. However, it is still unclear which approaches are most effective in changing diet behavior. We evaluated the impact of two education prevention programs in promoting healthy eating habits in the general population. Design and method: A total of 311 adults (20–70 years) responsible for acquiring and making their meals were randomly assigned to one of the 2 multi-component educational programs (intervention and healthy lifestyle) during 12 weeks, consisting in face-to-face sessions, e-learning and telephone contacts. The healthy lifestyle program was an integrated approach addressing healthy food and lifestyle habits, including increase in K intake, while intervention was based on education and motivation strategies for reducing salt consumption. Training and clinical evaluation sessions occurred every 4 weeks and 24-h urine samples were collected at beginning and after 12 weeks. Results: 269 subjects completed the study (71% women, mean age of 45 years). Groups were similar (mean values) at baseline: weight 75 Kg, BMI 27 kg/m2, waist 86 cm, salt intake 9.2 g/d, K+ 1.9 g/d and BP 116/74 mmHg. After 12 weeks the intake per week of vegetables and legumes doubled, while consumption increased of fruits and fish (50%) and of shellfish (30%) along with reduction of salty (6%) and processed foods (20%). After 12 weeks clinical improvements were similarly observed with both programs: reduction of BP by 2/2 ± 11/7 mmHg P < 0.01, body weight by 0.3 ± 2.1 Kg, P = 0.007) and Na/K ratio by 0.05 ± 0.36, P = 0.027). Benefits were greater in subjects eating salt above mean (from 10.3 g/d salt/d salt intake reduced by 0.6 ± 1.5 g/d; P = 0.001), eating K+ bellow the median (from 2.1 g/d K intake increased 0.1 ± 0.2 g/d; P < 0.001) and with BP above 130/85 mmHg (from 136/88, BP reduced 6/5 ± 14/8 mmHg P = 0.001). Conclusions: Both education programs showed a positive impact in weight, salt and K+ intakes and BP. Subjects with higher BP and / or salt intake were those who benefited most from these dietary approaches.

Introduction and objectivesDietary supplements are part of the nutritional strategies frequently applied in sports performance support. With growing research on this subject and high demand from athletes, nutritionists need to keep up to date with the latest evidence and utility of dietary supplements, particularly in real-world contexts. As information about the use of dietary supplements among elite soccer players is still scarce, this work aimed to know how nutritionists working with elite soccer teams perceive and use these substances in their daily practice.MethodsA questionnaire previously used to describe nutritionists’ beliefs and attitudes regarding the use of dietary supplements in a clinical context was adapted for this study. The online questionnaire was addressed to nutritionists working with elite soccer teams from six European Leagues and Brazil, between November 2022 and February 2023.ResultsOverall, the participants considered themselves well-trained (76.9%), knowledgeable (95.4%), and interested in dietary supplements (95.4%). The majority (70.8%) of the participants agreed or strongly agreed to recommend dietary supplements to soccer players. Personal usage of dietary supplements was associated with recommending supplements (p &lt; 0.001), but no relationships were found with years of experience and academic level.DiscussionNutritionists working with elite soccer players consider the use of dietary supplements for performance-enhancement purposes and not only to compensate for nutritional deficits, which might contribute to their higher interest, training and perceived knowledge about this topic. Participants recognize players’ interest in dietary supplements, and are mindful of the safety and efficacy of these products. The present study suggests that nutritionists working with elite soccer teams are among the highest prescribers of dietary supplements, although personal usage is lower than that of nutritionists working in a clinical context.