The Science of Performance: Nutrition and Herbal Products in Sport

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15752484

Keywords:

Athlete , Performance , Nutrition , Herbal Products

Abstract

There are common goals for nutritional support depending on the type of training and individual factors. The aim is to determine the appropriate type, amount, and timing of nutrient intake and hydration. Additionally, many athletes face the risk of energy deficiency due to an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Therefore, before, during, and after exercise, good nutritional strategies, especially carbohydrate intake and fluid replacement, are important. Following the policy of ''food first, but not only food'', dietary supplements can be used to support nutrition and performance. In this context, the use of herbal products by athletes has become increasingly widespread in recent years. However, these products may be used by athletes with the misconception that 'if it is herbal, it is harmless/has no side effects' and as a result, the athlete's performance may be negatively affected. These products, which are used by athletes to support or enhance their physical performance, support the athlete's performance when using the right plant, the standardized product, at the right time, with the right dose. The aim of this review is to identify and explain in detail the practical nutritional recommendations, effects, and herbal products commonly used by athletes in recent years. In conclusion, personalized nutrition and evidence-based supplements contribute to athletic performance and recovery.

References

Amawi, A., AlKasasbeh, W., Jaradat, M., Almasri, A., Alobaidi, S., Hammad, A.A., Bishtawi, T., Fataftah, B., Turk, N., Saoud, H.A., Jarrar, A., Ghazzawi, H. (2024). Athletes' nutritional demands: a narrative review of nutritional requirements. Frontiers in Nutrition, 18, 10, 1331854. [CrossRef]

Burke, L.M., Castell, L.M., Casa, D.J., Close, G.L., Costa, R.J.S., Desbrow, B., Halson, S.L., Lis, D.M., Melin, A.K., Peeling, P., Saunders, P.U., Slater, G.J., Sygo, J., Witard, O.C., Bermon, S., Stellingwerff, T. (2019). International association of athletics federations consensus statement 2019: Nutrition for athletics. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 1, 29(2), 73-84. [CrossRef]

Kerksick, C.M., Wilborn, C.D., Roberts, M.D., Smith-Ryan, A., Kleiner, S.M., Jäger, R., Collins, R., Cooke, M., Davis, J.N., Galvan, E., Greenwood, M., Lowery, L.M., Wildman, R., Antonio, J., Kreider, R.B. (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: Research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15, 38. [CrossRef]

Castillo, M., Lozano-Casanova, M., Sospedra, I., Norte, A., Gutiérrez-Hervás, A., Martínez-Sanz, J.M. (2022). Energy and Macronutrients Intake in Indoor Sport Team Athletes: Systematic Review. Nutrients, 10, 14(22), 4755. [CrossRef]

Jäger, R., Kerksick, C.M., Campbell, B.I., Cribb, P.J., Wells, S.D., Skwiat, T.M., Purpura, M., Ziegenfuss, T.N., Ferrando, A.A., Arent, S.M., Smith-Ryan, A.E., Stout, J.R., Arciero, P.J., Ormsbee, M.J., Taylor, L.W., Wilborn, C.D., Kalman, D.S., Kreider, R.B., Willoughby, D.S., Hoffman, J.R., Krzykowski, J.L., Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 20. [CrossRef]

Casazza Gretchen, A., Tovar Ashley, P., Richardson Christine, E., Cortez Angela, N., Davis, Brian A. (2018). Energy availability, macronutrient intake, and nutritional supplementation for improving exercise performance in endurance athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 17(6), 215-223. [CrossRef]

Noakes, T.D. (2022). What is the evidence that dietary macronutrient composition influences exercise performance? A narrative review. Nutrients, 14, 862. [CrossRef]

Nieman, D.C. (2021). Current and novel reviews in sports nutrition. Nutrients, 26, 13(8),2549. [CrossRef]

Bayır, E., Elgin Cebe, G., Öztürk, B. (2023). Naturally sourced ergogenic supports used by athletes. Journal of Faculty of Pharmacy of Ankara University, 47(3), 1155-1169. [CrossRef]

Anjana, D.L. (2021). Doping and stimulants in sports: a menace and threat. Asi̇an Journal of Multi̇di̇mensi̇onal Research, 10(10), 62-69.

Ayubi̇, N., Kusnani̇k, N.W., Herawati̇, L., Komai̇ni̇, A., Mutohi̇r, T. C., Gemai̇ni̇, A., Nugroho, A.S., Pronata, N.W. (2023). Effects of curcumin on inflammatory response during exercise-induced muscle damage (literature review). Bi̇oi̇nterface Research in Appli̇ed Chemi̇stry, 13(2), 132-146. [CrossRef]

García, J. F., Seco-Calvo, J., Arribalzaga, S., Díez, R., López, C., Fernández-Martínez, M.N., García, J. J., Diez, M.J., De la Puente, R., Sierra, M., Sahagún, A.M. (2023). Use of doping substances in sport information and availability on the internet. Preprints, 2023061158. [CrossRef]

Qazi, H.J., Ahmed, W. (2023). Nutraceuticals in sports medicine. Industrial Application of Functional Foods, Ingredients and Nutraceuticals, 583-625.

Sellami, M., Slimeni, O., Pokrywka, A., Kuvačić, G., Hayes, L. D., Milic, M., Padulo, J. (2018). Herbal medicine for sports: A review. In Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 14. [CrossRef]

Antonio, J., Newmire, D. E., Stout, J. R., Antonio, B., Gibbons, M., Lowery, L. M., Harper, J., Willoughby, D., Evans, C., Anderson, D., Goldstein, E., Rojas, J., Monsalves-Álvarez, M., Forbes, S. C., Gomez Lopez, J., Ziegenfuss, T., Moulding, B. D., Candow, D., Sagner, M., & Arent, S. M. (2024). Common questions and misconceptions about caffeine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? In Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 21(1), 2323919. [CrossRef]

Diel, P. Caffeine and doping—what have we learned since 2004. (2020). Nutrients, 12, 2167. [CrossRef]

Fatolahi, H., Farahmand, A., Rezakhani, S. (2020). The effect of caffeine on health and exercise performance with a cold brew coffee approach: A scoping review. Nutrition and Food Science Research, 7(2), 1-12. [CrossRef]

Gomez-Bruton, A., Marin-Puyalto, J., Muñiz-Pardos, B., Matute-Llorente, A., Del Coso, J., Gomez-Cabello, A., Vicente-Rodriguez, G., Casajus, J.A., Lozano-Berges, G. (2021). Does acute caffeine supplementation improve physical performance in female team-sport athletes? Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 13, 3663. [CrossRef]

Georgalas, V.L., Kalantzi, N., Harpur, I., Kenny, C. (2023). The effects of caffeine on voice: A systematic review. Journal of Voice, 37(4), 636.e7-636.e19. [CrossRef]

Naulleau, C., Jeker, D., Pancrate, T., Claveau, P., Deshayes, T.A., Burke, L.M., Goulet, E.D.B. (2022). Effect of pre-exercise caffeine intake on endurance performance and core temperature regulation during exercise in the heat: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 52, 2431–2445. [CrossRef]

Saraiva, S.M., Jacinto, T.A., Gonçalves, A.C., Gaspar, D., Silva, L.R. (2023). Overview of caffeine effects on human health and emerging delivery strategies. In Pharmaceuticals, 16(8), 1067. [CrossRef]

Simões, C.B., Gomes, P.L.C., Silva, R.A.D., Fonseca, I.C.S., Fonseca, M., Cruz, V. M., Drummond, M.D.M. (2022). Acute caffeine and capsaicin supplementation and performance in resistance training. Motriz: Revista De Educação Física, 28,e1021010121. [CrossRef]

Starling-Soares, B., Pereira, M., Renke, G. (2023). Extrapolating the coffee and caffeine (1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine) effects on exercise and metabolism—A concise review. In Nutrients, 15(24), 5031. [CrossRef]

Santos, M.A.P., Lira, F.S., Rossi, F.E. (2024). Ten weeks of Capsicum annuum L. extract supplementation did not change adipose tissue-derived hormones, appetite, body composition, and muscle strength when combined with resistance training in healthy untrained men: A clinical trial study. Nutrition Research, 122, 33-43.

Wu, W., Chen, Z., Zhou, H., Wang, L., Li, X., Lv, Y., Sun, T., & Yu, L. (2024). Effects of acute ingestion of caffeine capsules on muscle strength and muscle endurance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 12, 16(8), 1146. [CrossRef]

Saunders, B., da Costa, L.R., de Souza, R.A.S., Barreto, G., Marticorena, F.M. (2023). Caffeine and sport. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 106, 95-127. [CrossRef]

de Souza, J.G., Del Coso, J., Fonseca, F.S., Silva, B.V.C., de Souza, D.B., da Silva Gianoni, R.L., Filip-Stachnik, A., Serrão, J.C., Claudino, J.G. (2022). Risk or benefit? Side effects of caffeine supplementation in sport: a systematic review. European Journal of Nutrition, 61, 3823–3834. [CrossRef]

Carrizo García, C., Barfuss, M. H. J., Sehr, E. M., Barboza, G. E., Samuel, R., Moscone, E. A., & Ehrendorfer, F. (2016). Phylogenetic relationships, diversification and expansion of chili peppers (Capsicum, Solanaceae). Annals of Botany, 118(1), 35–51. [CrossRef]

Emir, M., Vohra, M., Raj, R.G., Osoro, I., Sharma, A. (2023). Adaptogenic herbs: A natural way to improve athletic performance. Health Science Review, 7, 1000092. [CrossRef]

Lu, Y., Deng, B., Xu, L., Liu, H., Song, Y., Lin, F. (2022). Effects of Rhodiola Rosea supplementation on exercise and sport: A systematic review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, 9, 856287. [CrossRef]

Sanz-Barrio, P. M., Noreen, E. E., Gilsanz-Estebaranz, L., Lorenzo-Calvo, J., Martínez-Ferrán, M., & Pareja-Galeano, H. (2023). Rhodiola rosea supplementation on sports performance: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy Research, 37(10), 4414–4428. [CrossRef]

Tinsley, G.M., Jagim, A.R., Potter, G.D.M., Garner, D., Galpin, A.J. (2024). Rhodiola rosea as an adaptogen to enhance exercise performance: a review of the literature. British Journal of Nutrition, 14, 131(3), 461-473. [CrossRef]

Mandal, S.K., Rath, S.K., Logesh, R., Mishra, S.K., Devkota, H. P., & Das, N. (2023). Capsicum annuum L. and its bioactive constituents: A critical review of a traditional culinary spice in terms of its modern pharmacological potentials with toxicological issues. In Phytotherapy Research, 37(3), 965–1002. [CrossRef]

Moura E Silva, V. E. L., Panissa, V. L. G., Cholewa, J. M., Vieira, M. M., Antunes, B. M., Moura, R. C., Rossi, P. A. Q., Santos, M. A. P., Lira, F. S., & Rossi, F. E. (2024). Ten weeks of Capsicum annuum L. extract supplementation did not change adipose tissue-derived hormones, appetite, body composition, and muscle strength when combined with resistance training in healthy untrained men: A clinical trial study. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 122, 33–43. [CrossRef]

Nanavati, K., Rutherfurd-Markwick, K., Lee, S.J. Bishop, N.C., Ali, A. (2022). Effect of curcumin supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage: a narrative review. European Journal of Nutrition, 61, 3835–3855. [CrossRef]

Palma, J.M., Terán, F., Contreras-Ruiz, A., Rodríguez-Ruiz, M., Corpas, F.J. (2020). Antioxidant profile of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruits containing diverse levels of capsaicinoids. Antioxidants, 9(9), 1–19. [CrossRef]

Giuriato, G., Venturelli, M., Matias, A., Soares, E.M.K.V.K., Gaetgens, J., Frederick, K.A., Ives, S.J. (2022). Capsaicin and its effect on exercise performance, fatigue and inflammation after exercise. Nutrients, 14(2). [CrossRef]

Grgic, J., Memon, A. R., Chen, S., Ramirez-Campillo, R., Barreto, G., Haugen, M. E., Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Effects of Capsaicin and capsiate on endurance performance: A meta-analysis. In Nutrients, 14(21). [CrossRef]

Petran, E.M., Periferakis, A., Troumpata, L., Periferakis, A.-T., Scheau, A.-E., Badarau, I.A., Periferakis, K., Caruntu, A., Savulescu-Fiedler, I., Sima, R.M.; Calina, D., Constantin, C., Neagu, M., Caruntu, C., Scheau, C. (2024). Capsaicin: emerging pharmacological and therapeutic insights. Molecular Biology, 46, 7895-7943. [CrossRef]

Ito, H., Ito, M. (2024). Recent trends in ginseng research. In Journal of Natural Medicines, 78(3), 455–466. [CrossRef]

Garcia, J.F., Seco-Calvo, J., Arribalzaga, S., Díez, R., Lopez, C., Fernandez, M.N., Garcia, J.J., Diez, M.J., Puente, R.D.L., Sierra, M., Sahagun, A.M. (2024). Tribulus terrestris and sport performance: a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of its advertisement and availability via online shopping in six different countries. Nutrients, 16, 1320. [CrossRef]

Gunarathne, R., Nadeeshani, H., Lu, A., Li, J., Zhang, B., Ying, T., Lu, J. (2022). Potential nutraceutical use of Tribulus terrestris L. in human health. Food Reviews International, 39(8), 5326–5355. [CrossRef]

Saeed, M., Munawar, M., Bi, J. B., Ahmed, S., Ahmad, M. Z., Kamboh, A. A., Arain, M. A., Naveed, M., Chen, H. (2024). Promising phytopharmacology, nutritional potential, health benefits, and traditional usage of Tribulus terrestris L. herb. In Heliyon, 10(4). [CrossRef]

Dias, N.C., Marinho, N.P., Barbalho, S.M., Araújo, A.C., Detregiachi, C.R.P., Audi, M., Chagas, E.F.B., Buchaim, R.L., Buchaim, D.V., Guiguer, E.L. (2021). Medicinal plants in physical exercise: A review. European Journal of Medicinal Plants, 32(1), 1-21. [CrossRef]

Ergun-Longmi̇re, B., Greydanus, D.E., Patel, A.D.R. (2023). Ergogenic aids and testing in pediatric athletes. Pedi̇atri̇c Annals, 52(6), 207-212. [CrossRef]

Downloads

Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Bayır, E., Kurt, M. S., & Elgin Cebe, G. (2025). The Science of Performance: Nutrition and Herbal Products in Sport. International Journal of Sports Engineering and Biotechnology, 3(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15752484