From Food Supplements to Functional Foods: Emerging Perspectives on Post-Exercise Recovery Nutrition

Effective post-exercise recovery is vital for optimizing athletic performance, focusing on muscle repair, glycogen replenishment, rehydration, and inflammation management. This review explores the evolving trend from traditional supplements, such as protein, carbohydrates, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), toward functional foods rich in bioactive compounds. Evidence highlights the benefits of functional foods like tart cherry juice (anthocyanins), turmeric-seasoned foods, and sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts, for mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation. Additionally, probiotics and prebiotics support gut health and immune function, which are integral to effective recovery. Personalized nutrition, informed by genetic and metabolic profiling, is examined as a promising approach to tailor recovery strategies. A systematic search across PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2000-2024) identified studies with high empirical rigor and relevance to recovery outcomes. Findings underscore the need for further research into nutrient interactions, dosage optimization, and long-term effects on athletic performance. Integrating functional foods with personalized nutrition presents a comprehensive framework for enhanced recovery, greater resilience to physical stress, and sustained performance in athletes.