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Nutritional Strategies to Support Performance Maintenance and Recovery in Football Under Hot Environmental
Xincheng Dai1, Shuning Liu2, Dixin Zou3
1School of Art, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China.
Nutrients
|June 12, 2026
Summary
Nutritional strategies can help football players manage heat stress, with hydration, electrolytes, and carbohydrate-protein intake being key. Menthol aids cooling, creatine supports sprints, but evidence for other supplements in heat is mixed.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Heat stress significantly impacts football performance, increasing physiological strain and impairing high-intensity actions.
- Players face challenges from rising temperatures and frequent competition in hot climates.
- There's growing interest in nutritional strategies to support athletes alongside heat acclimation and cooling practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and synthesize current evidence on nutritional interventions for football played in hot conditions.
- To evaluate the efficacy of various supplements and dietary strategies for mitigating heat stress in football.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of existing scientific literature.
- Critical synthesis of evidence on hydration, electrolytes, carbohydrate-protein, taurine, BCAAs, creatine, menthol, antioxidants, nitrates, and multi-ingredient products.
- Analysis of study quality, design, exercise mode, and sport specificity.
Main Results:
- Hydration/electrolyte replacement and carbohydrate-protein feeding are foundational.
- Menthol shows consistent benefits for perceived cooling.
- Creatine appears safe and potentially beneficial for repeated-sprint ability; taurine shows promise but requires more research.
- Evidence for BCAAs, antioxidants, nitrates, and caffeine as standalone heat strategies is inconsistent or indirect for football.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence for many nutritional supplements in football heat stress is heterogeneous and often derived from non-football specific models.
- Practical recommendations should be cautious and integrated into comprehensive heat management plans.
- Future research needs football-specific, ecologically valid trials with clear performance outcome measures.
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