Sports nutrition is not just about eating pasta the night before a competition. The consensus of the International Olympic Committee, published in 2023 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, has redefined the risks associated with insufficient energy intake under the term REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). This syndrome affects both men and women and goes far beyond caloric issues. It impacts mood, hormones, injury frequency, and overall performance.
Optimizing nutrition to boost athletic performance requires going beyond generic advice. Recent clinical recommendations encourage a more nuanced understanding of individual needs, far from the universal thresholds applied indiscriminately.
Energy Availability and REDs: The Risk Most Nutritional Guides Overlook
Competing articles discuss macronutrients, meal timing, and hydration. Very few address the concept of energy availability, which refers to the energy remaining after subtracting the expenditure related to training. When this balance remains chronically low, the body reduces its non-essential metabolic functions: hormonal synthesis, bone density, immunity.
REDs does not only manifest as visible weight loss. Persistent fatigue, mood disturbances, unexplained performance declines, and repeated injuries: these combined signals should raise alarms. The consensus of the International Olympic Committee recommends evaluating a set of markers rather than relying on a single caloric threshold.
An update published in 2026 in Sports Medicine by the Female Athlete Triad Coalition goes further. It states that the traditional threshold of 30 kcal/kg of lean body mass per day is less reliable than previously thought. The preferred approach is now a graduated interpretation of risk, tailored to each athlete’s profile. The available data do not allow for a universal figure applicable to all disciplines and body types.
To deepen the links between diet and physical practice, the resources available on the nutrition page of Az Sport allow for cross-referencing these concepts with products suited to different effort profiles.
Dietary Supplements for Athletes: Contamination and Banned Substances
The market for dietary supplements aimed at athletes represents a blind spot in sports nutrition. A significant portion of products sold online contains undeclared substances on the label, sometimes banned by anti-doping regulations.
Among pre-workouts, several ingredients appear on banned substance lists without clear consumer information. Field reports vary on this point: some manufacturers display third-party certifications, while others provide only vague mentions.
- Check for the presence of a recognized anti-doping certification (such as Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport) before purchasing any supplement
- Avoid proprietary formulations that obscure individual ingredient dosages behind a global “blend”
- Be wary of claims of spectacular performance, often associated with non-compliant dosages or unauthorized molecules
An uncertified supplement may contain banned substances even if sold legally. This reality affects both athletes subject to anti-doping controls and amateur practitioners concerned about their health.
Adapting Your Diet to the Type of Effort and Recovery
Carbohydrate, protein, and fat needs vary significantly depending on the nature of the effort. An endurance runner does not have the same priorities as a weightlifter or a combat athlete subject to weight categories.
Carbohydrates and Prolonged Effort
Carbohydrates remain the primary fuel during efforts exceeding one hour. The necessary amount depends on intensity and duration, not a fixed rule. A light active recovery workout does not justify the same intake as a long high-intensity session.
Adjusting carbohydrate intake to the training volume day by day, rather than maintaining a constant intake, allows for better management of available energy and limits excess on rest days.
Proteins and the Recovery Window
Muscle recovery depends on a regular protein intake spread throughout the day. Distributing protein over several meals is more effective than a single massive post-workout intake. This distribution promotes more consistent muscle protein synthesis.
Foods rich in complete proteins (eggs, fish, legumes combined with grains) meet the needs of most practitioners without the systematic use of powders.
Body Signals to Monitor for Adjusting Sports Nutrition
Rather than following a rigid meal plan, recent recommendations emphasize observing individual markers. Adjusting nutrition based on concrete signals reduces the risk of chronic energy deficiency.
- Sleep quality: persistent degradation may indicate insufficient energy intake relative to training load
- Frequency of minor infections (colds, sore throats): a weakened immune system often signals a nutritional imbalance
- Performance trends: stagnation or decline despite regular training justifies a dietary assessment
- Hormonal disturbances: irregular cycles in women, decreased libido in men, all documented markers of REDs
These signals are worth more than a theoretical caloric calculation. The body sends alerts long before a deficiency becomes pathological, provided one knows how to read them.
Sports nutrition is evolving towards a more individualized approach, moving away from universal recipes. The framework established by the International Olympic Committee in 2023 and the updates in 2026 confirm this trend. Monitoring energy availability, verifying the reliability of supplements, and adjusting intake based on concrete signals remains more relevant than strictly applying a standardized meal plan.
