Concussion and nutrition protocols in collision sports 💥🧠
Current practice in pro sport.
Concussion and Nutrition in Professional-Level Collision Sports: Perspectives from Australian Sports Dietitians
Study Details
This new study explored how 14 accredited sports dietitians working in professional Australian collision sports approach nutrition for concussion management 🔍
Including assessing their perspectives on strategies, barriers and application 📝
Here are the key findings ⬇️
Key Findings
⏱️ Nutrition roles were mostly reactive rather than proactive
🍽️ The main “food first” priorities were maintaining energy intake, hydration, food quality and nutrient intake when symptoms affected appetite or normal eating
🤕 Common symptom-related nutrition issues included nausea, low appetite, headaches, dizziness, low mood, fatigue and poor sleep
💧 Hydration monitoring was commonly used because dehydration could worsen symptoms such as headache and dizziness
🥦 Dietitians often encouraged anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods such as oily fish, berries, leafy greens, avocado and whole foods
🚫 Athletes were often advised to limit alcohol, highly processed foods, excess sugar and, in some cases, caffeine after concussion
💊 Fish oil and creatine monohydrate were the most commonly recommended supplements after concussion, used by 93% of the dietitians interviewed
🐟 Fish oil was typically recommended at around 3000 mg/day, with DHA intakes often around 720 mg/day
💪 Creatine was typically recommended at 3–5 g/day, although some used higher short-term loading strategies of around 20 g/day for 5–7 days
🟡 Other supplements were used less often, including vitamin B2, tart cherry extract, curcumin and vitamin D
🗣️ Dietitians felt most confident recommending strategies already used for other purposes, such as creatine for performance or fish oil for general health
📚 A major issue was the lack of clear clinical guidelines for nutrition in concussion management
🧩 Despite limited evidence, dietitians often felt these strategies were justified because they were low risk, potentially beneficial and aligned with wider athlete health
🚧 Barriers included concussion symptoms, low appetite, brain fog, poor sleep, athlete forgetfulness, low buy-in, limited time, cultural factors and lack of financial support
✅ Enablers included supportive club culture, buy-in from senior players, access to supplements, strong communication with medical staff and simple post-concussion protocols
Conclusion
Nutrition is already being used in elite collision sport concussion care, but practice is currently ahead of the evidence, so clearer guidelines and better clinical research are needed ‼️
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42471233/
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