Mediterranean diet adherence in adolescent track and field athletes: evidence gaps, applicability, and implications for athlete monitoring

Introduction The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern of interest in sports nutrition; however, evidence specifically applicable to adolescent competitive track and field athletes remains limited. Objective To critically examine the current evidence on Mediterranean diet adherence in adolescent competitive track and field athletes, assess the applicability and limitations of KIDMED as a potential dietary-screening component within multidimensional athlete monitoring, and identify priorities for future research. Methods A narrative review with a structured literature search was conducted in Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and PubMed. A total of 1,909 records were identified; after removing 281 duplicates, 1,628 records were screened and 29 publications or reports were assessed in detail. Four publications, representing three independent samples, constituted the empirical core; however, none provided fully direct evidence for the predefined target population. Within the empirical core, evidence relating Mediterranean diet adherence to physical fitness was derived exclusively from one track and field cohort. Results No study simultaneously met all criteria regarding age, athletics discipline, and competitive level. In the samples most closely aligned with the target population, moderate or high adherence predominated. The available evidence was insufficient to establish a consistent association between KIDMED scores and anthropometric variables, jumping performance, or sprint performance. Evidence related to health was also limited. Conclusion KIDMED may be useful for characterizing dietary habits and identifying areas for improvement, but it does not replace a comprehensive nutritional assessment. The available evidence was insufficient to establish consistent relationships with physical fitness or health. Longitudinal studies are needed, with discipline-specific designs and more comprehensive nutritional and functional assessments.