Sustainable nutrition and athlete well-being: associations with psychological and physical performance indicators

Sustainable dietary practices are increasingly recognized for their potential relevance to both environmental sustainability and athlete health. However, limited research has examined the relationship between sustainable nutrition behaviors and psychological and physical performance indicators among athletes.

This study aimed to examine the associations between sustainable food and diet choices, sports psychology outcomes, and perceived physical performance indicators among physically active individuals.

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 physically active participants recruited from sports clubs, university teams, fitness centers, and training groups. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing sustainable dietary practices, psychological outcomes (motivation, mental focus, mood stability, and psychological readiness), and perceived physical outcomes (energy level, recovery quality, fatigue control, and perceived performance). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed to evaluate associations among study variables.

Participants reported moderate-to-high levels of sustainable dietary practices (mean = 3.76 ± 0.61). Sustainable diet choices were positively associated with sports psychology outcomes (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and physical outcomes (r = 0.48, p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicated that sustainable dietary practices were significant predictors of sports psychology outcomes (β = 0.38, p < 0.001) and perceived physical outcomes (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), after adjusting for training frequency, competition level, age, and gender.

The findings suggest that sustainable dietary practices are associated with more favorable psychological well-being and perceived physical performance indicators among athletes. Although causal relationships cannot be established due to the cross-sectional design, the results highlight the potential relevance of sustainable nutrition within athlete health and performance contexts. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to confirm these relationships and examine underlying mechanisms.