Effects of nutrition on exercise induced muscle damage in male and female contact sports: A systematic review

To date, how nutrition ameliorates exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) has focused chiefly on male, contact sport athletes. The primary aim of this systematic review is to therefore determine the nutritional-related risk factors relating to EIMD in contact sports, with a secondary aim focusing on exploring potential differences by sex. The review was conducted according to the Cochrane handbook and PRISMA principles and is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022318890). Online database searches were performed (Medline, SportDiscus, Embase, and CINHAL, as well as the search engines Web of Science and PubMed), with peer-reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCTs), longitudinal studies and cross-sectional studies within professional and recreational contact sport athletes aged between 18 and 44 years were included. Quality of evidence was assessed via the Cochrane risk of bias and critical appraisal for RCTs and cross-sectional studies, tools, respectively. Nine studies were eligible for review. Six dietary interventions positively affected EIMD through accelerated recovery with the remaining studies reporting no effect. Only one out of the nine eligible studies focused on female athletes (n = 28). Athletes complying with dietary recommendations for selected nutrients had significantly lower concentrations of creatine kinase pre-match. A range of nutritional interventions (Montecherry Tart Cherry Juice, Chocolate Milk, Raw Milk Honey, Habitual Diet, Multi Ingredient Supplement, Carbohydrate and Protein), were employed to mitigate risk of EIMD with equivocal results. Future research is recommended into how nutritional intake may affect EIMD in contact sports athletes, along with any differences by sex.