Dietary Supplementation for Para-Athletes: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Nutritional Science
• Para-athletics

Background:

• Dietary supplement use is prevalent across athletic and non-athletic populations, including individuals with impairments.
• There is a significant gap in the scientific literature regarding the efficacy of sport supplements for para-athletes.
• Understanding supplement effects is crucial for optimizing performance in athletes with disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on the effects of various sport supplements on performance in para-athletes.
• To identify the current state of evidence for commonly used supplements in this population.
• To highlight research gaps and guide future investigations.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed across major scientific databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, MedLine, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Source).
• Studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria were selected for review.
• A qualitative synthesis of findings from included studies was conducted.

Main Results:

• Fifteen studies were included, investigating supplements such as caffeine, creatine, buffering agents, fish oil, leucine, and vitamin D.
• The evidence for the performance-enhancing effects of these supplements in para-athletes is largely inconclusive, with inconsistent findings.
• Research limitations include significant heterogeneity in participant functionality and impairment types, with a lack of studies on populations beyond spinal cord injury.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence does not conclusively support or refute the use of specific dietary supplements for enhancing sport performance in para-athletes.
• Further high-quality research is essential to establish evidence-based recommendations for supplement use in this population.
• Future studies should focus on para-athletes with diverse, classifiable impairments beyond spinal cord injury to address current research limitations.