Nutritional challenges in para-athletes 🧑‍🦽

Key challenges and focus areas.

Nutritional challenges in para-athletes: A scoping review of current knowledge

Study Details

Para-athletes face unique nutritional challenges arising from…

Impairment-specific physiological and metabolic characteristics alongside environmental and economic barriers influencing food access and meal prep 🍽️

This new review highlighted key nutritional challenges 🔍

Here are the key findings ⬇️

Key Findings

Macronutrients & fibre 🍞

🍚 Carbohydrate intake often below recommendations

🥑 Fat intake often above recommendations (especially SCI & mixed cohorts)

🥩 Protein generally adequate, but occasional low intake in female athletes

🌾 Fibre intake consistently low across impairments

⚠️ Imbalances may increase risk of insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and early fatigue

Micronutrients 💊

Common deficiencies:

• ☀️ Vitamin D

• 🦴 Calcium

• ⚡ Magnesium

• 🩸 Iron (especially females)

• 🛡️ Vitamin E

⬆️ High intakes reported for sodium + B vitamins → potential imbalance

🦴 Key concern → Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium (bone health & recovery)

🩸 Iron & folate inadequacy ↑ anaemia risk + ↓ performance

Supplement use 🚀

📊 Highly variable use (0–90%+) across studies

💊 Most common: vitamins & minerals, then creatine + omega-3

🥤 Sports foods (gels, drinks, bars) used moderately (15–50%)

🦴 Vitamin D → highly relevant due to widespread deficiency

💪 Creatine → benefits for strength, lean mass, function (SCI evidence emerging)

🧠 Omega-3 → potential anti-inflammatory & neuroprotective effects

Hydration 💧

⚖️ Mixed findings → both good hydration & dehydration observed

🚱 Fluid intake often below recommendations

SCI athletes at higher risk due to:

• 🌡️ Impaired thermoregulation

• 💦 Reduced sweating

• 🧬 Altered renal/hormonal control

🔥 Even mild dehydration → ↓ performance + ↑ risk (heat illness, urinary issues, kidney stones)

Alcohol 🍺

📊 Highly variable intake across cohorts

⬇️ Often low in SCI / wheelchair athletes

⬆️ Some groups show regular/weekly intake

Excess intake:

• 🔁 Impairs recovery

• ⚙️ Disrupts metabolism

• ❤️ Increases cardiometabolic risk

Low energy availability ⚡

📉 Limited evidence, but higher risk in:

• 👩 Female athletes

• 🏃 Endurance athletes

Potential outcomes:

• 🦴 Poor bone health

• 🧬 Endocrine disruption

• 📉 RED-S

Dietary habits 🍽️

📊 Evidence limited & inconsistent

⏱️ Meal patterns variable (skipping meals / replacing with snacks)

Food group intake inconsistent:

• 🍎 Fruit & dairy variable

• 🥬 Vegetables often low

• 🌾 Whole grains, pulses, nuts/seeds limited

Conclusion

With adequate professional support para-athletes can overcome these challenges and thrive in their sport as top level performers 🥇💪

Reference

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41916821/

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