Nutrition for optimising immune function and recovery from injury in sports

Rotovnik-Kozjek, Nada (author), Tonin, Gašper (author), Gleeson, Michael (author)

The immune system, sports injuries, physical activity and clinical sports nutrition are closely linked. Inadequate nutrition and intense stress in athletes increase the risk of immune dysfunction, injury and disease, while injury reduces the positive effects of physical activity, creating a vicious cycle affecting health and performance. Nutritional support is key to reducing the risk of injury, speeding up recovery and shortening rehabilitation. The intake of energy, protein, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients should be adapted to the needs following injury. Quality nutrition is preferred over the use of dietary supplements, which are limited to cases of identified deficiencies (e.g. vitamin D or iron deficiencies). Health professionals with knowledge of clinical nutrition have a key role to play in injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and nutritional interventions are an indispensable part of a holistic approach to athletes’ health.

• Language: English
• Keywords: clinical sports nutrition, sports injuries, immune system, physical activity, immunonutrition, immunometabolism
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.03 - Other scientific articles
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 101–114
• Numbering: Vol. 66
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-166862
• UDC: 613.2
• ISSN on article: 2405-4577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.01.031
• COBISS.SI-ID: 223005699
• Publication date in RUL: 28.01.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Clinical nutrition ESPEN
• Publisher: Elsevier, European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism
• ISSN: 2405-4577
• COBISS.SI-ID: 525570073

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: klinična športna prehrana, poškodbe pri športu, imunski sistem