Effects of nutritional interventions on competitive performance and dose‒response relationships among esports players of different skill levels: a systematic review and three-level meta-analysis

Nutritional interventions demonstrate significant potential for optimizing multidimensional cognitive performance in esports players, particularly in enhancing fundamental reaction speed and high-level decision-making processes. While the findings exhibit a degree of robustness, their practical application should be cautiously evaluated within specific competitive contexts due to current limitations in evidence certainty and significant interstudy heterogeneity. Future research characterized by gender balance and mechanistic orientation with long-term intervention protocols is warranted to elevate the level of clinical evidence.