Sustainable Nutrition and Health in Sports

Sustainable nutrition takes a holistic approach that aims not only to lessen environmental impacts but also to support the health and performance needs of athletes. In sports nutrition, food choices significantly influence performance outcomes, leading athletes to mainly depend on animal-based sources to meet their protein needs. However, current evidence on the effects of plant-based protein sources on post-exercise muscle recovery and performance still lacks clarity in terms of scope, comparability, and long-term results. Especially, the limited number of studies involving athletes from various sports disciplines and performance levels highlights a notable gap in the literature regarding how sustainable nutrition principles can be integrated into sports nutrition practice. In the short term, practical strategies to support sustainability in sports nutrition include reducing food waste, minimizing packaged food use, and prioritizing local and seasonal products. Enhancing athletes’ awareness of sustainable nutrition through guidance from sports dietitians is essential for maintaining performance goals while minimizing environmental impact. Moreover, increasing the number of comprehensive, long-term studies examining the balanced use of plant- and animal-based protein sources will help strengthen the scientific foundation of sustainability in sports nutrition. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate sustainable nutrition approaches in the context of athlete nutrition, to examine the roles of plant- and animal-based protein sources in terms of performance, recovery, and environmental impact, and to assess the applicability of sustainable nutrition principles among athletes based on the current literature.