Antioxidants and Exercise Performance: Focus on Mediterranean Diet.

Area of Science:

• Sports Nutrition
• Exercise Physiology
• Dietary Science

Background:

• Intense exercise increases oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to fatigue and muscle damage.
• While harmful in excess, ROS also act as signaling molecules for cellular adaptation to physical stress.
• The Mediterranean diet (MD) offers antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds beneficial for athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the effects of antioxidants and MD components on oxidative stress in athletes.
• To explore how MD influences exercise performance, recovery, and injury prevention.
• To suggest modifications to the MD for optimizing athletic health and performance.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing literature.
• Analysis of the role of antioxidants and MD in sports nutrition.
• Discussion of individual MD foods and compounds' impact on athletes.

Main Results:

• Antioxidants and MD can mitigate exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.
• MD positively impacts athletic resilience, recovery, and reduces illness/injury risk.
• Specific MD components and potential dietary modifications can enhance performance.

Conclusions:

• The MD provides a valuable dietary framework for competitive athletes.
• Optimizing MD intake can support athletic health, recovery, and performance.
• Further research into MD modifications can maximize benefits for athletes.