Harmony in Motion: Unraveling the Nexus of Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, and Antioxidants for Peak Performance

Asma Ayaz; Wajid Zaman; Zsolt Radák; Yaodong Gu

doi:10.3390/antiox13040437

Harmony in Motion: Unraveling the Nexus of Sports, Plant-Based Nutrition, and Antioxidants for Peak Performance

Antioxidants (Basel). 2024 Apr 4;13(4):437. doi: 10.3390/antiox13040437.

Authors

Asma Ayaz¹, Wajid Zaman², Zsolt Radák^{3

4}, Yaodong Gu¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
² Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea.
³ Research Institute of Sport Science, University of Physical Education, 1123 Budapest, Hungary.
⁴ Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa 359-1192, Japan.

Abstract

The intricate interplay between plant-based nutrition, antioxidants, and their impact on athletic performance forms the cornerstone of this comprehensive review. Emphasizing the pivotal importance of dietary choices in the realm of sports, this paper sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of how stress and physical performance are interconnected through the lens of nutrition. The increasing interest among athletes in plant-based diets presents an opportunity with benefits for health, performance, and recovery. It is essential to investigate the connection between sports, plants, and antioxidants. Highlighting the impact of nutrition on recovery and well-being, this review emphasizes how antioxidants can help mitigate oxidative stress. Furthermore, it discusses the growing popularity of plant-based diets among athletes. It elaborates on the importance of antioxidants in combating radicals addressing stress levels while promoting cellular health. By identifying rich foods, it emphasizes the role of a balanced diet in ensuring sufficient intake of these beneficial compounds. Examining stress within the context of sports activities, this review provides insights into its mechanisms and its impact on athletic performance as well as recovery processes. This study explores the impact of plant-based diets on athletes including their types, potential advantages and challenges. It also addresses the drawbacks of relying on plant-based diets, concerns related to antioxidant supplementation and identifies areas where further research is needed. Furthermore, the review suggests directions for research and potential innovations in sports nutrition. Ultimately it brings together the aspects of sports, plant-based nutrition, and antioxidants to provide a perspective for athletes, researchers and practitioners. By consolidating existing knowledge, it offers insights that can pave the way for advancements in the ever-evolving field of sports nutrition.

Keywords: antioxidants; athletic performance; oxidative stress; plant-based nutrition; sports.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This study was sponsored by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China for Distinguished Young Scholars (LR22A020002), Zhejiang Provincial Key Research and Development Program of China (2021C03130), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (LTGY23H040003), Ningbo key R&D Program (2022Z196), Research Academy of Medicine Combining Sports, Ningbo (No. 2023001), the Project of NINGBO Leading Medical &Health Discipline (No. 2022-F15, No. 2022-F22), Ningbo Natural Science Foundation (20221JCGY010532, 20221JCGY010607), Public Welfare Science & Technology Project of Ningbo, China (2021S134), and K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, Zhejiang Rehabilitation Medical Association Scientific Research Special Fund (ZKKY2023001).