An athletic patient comes to you on a diet of five daily protein shakes and a strict ketogenic regimen. He complains of fatigue during endurance training and wonders whether his nutritional strategy is working. Far from unusual, this scenario captures the challenges you face with the nutrition myths circulating in the world of sport.
Sports nutrition is now a major issue in preventive medicine. Between contradictory recommendations and marketing influence, your sporting patients navigate an ocean of often mistaken information, and need your expertise to reach informed choices.
Building your expertise in sports nutrition: a point of difference
Mastering the fundamentals of sports nutrition positions you as a go-to practitioner, able to support patients effectively in their physical activity. That expertise becomes especially valuable as diets and supplements proliferate on the market.
The personalised approach you develop in sports nutrition greatly enriches your preventive practice. Echoing the Simplycure mission, these strategies aim to simplify the delivery of prevention built on excellence, matched to the specific needs of every sporting patient.
Taking apart the myths around protein
Protein intake: moving past received wisdom
One of the most persistent myths is that protein absorption is capped at 30g per serving. This belief skews the nutritional strategies of many athletes, pushing them to split their protein intake needlessly.
Current recommendations range from 0.83g to 2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on the goals and the type of effort involved. Beyond 1.8g/kg, the additional benefits remain limited for most athletes.
Hypothetical clinical case: a 70kg distance runner will have optimal needs around 1.2 to 1.6g/kg, that is roughly 85 to 110g of protein a day, spread naturally across meals.
Ketogenic diet and performance: a complex relationship
The ketogenic diet is growing in popularity in sport, helped in part by high-profile examples from elite athletes. Its effectiveness, however, depends closely on the type of effort involved.
For prolonged endurance efforts, where carbohydrate use remains crucial, this diet may compromise optimal performance. Research suggests particular limitations in elite athletes competing in sports that demand high power output.
Key points:
- Effectiveness varies with the type of sporting effort
- Potential limitations for endurance sports
- A thorough individual assessment is essential
Particular vigilance: the female athlete triad
The female athlete triad is a complex syndrome combining disordered eating, amenorrhoea and low bone density. It calls for close monitoring on your part, particularly in athletes competing in weight-category sports.
Restrictive diets, often adopted to optimise body composition, can trigger this triad, with potentially serious consequences for long-term health.
Key points:
- A combination of disordered eating, amenorrhoea and osteoporosis
- Closer monitoring in female athletes
- Prevention through a balanced nutritional approach
Smart supplementation: BCAAs and creatine
BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) are mainly useful during prolonged efforts, helping to improve muscle recovery. They do not replace a balanced diet, however, and must fit into an overall nutritional strategy.
Creatine remains one of the best scientifically documented supplements, particularly effective for short-duration, high-intensity efforts.
A protocol for sports nutrition assessment
Type of effortProtein intake (g/kg)Ketogenic dietPriority supplementationEndurance1.2 to 1.4Not recommendedBCAAs during long effortsStrength/Power1.6 to 2.2Possible depending on toleranceCreatineAesthetic sports1.4 to 1.8Vigilance for the female triadAssociated psychological follow-upWeight-category sports1.6 to 2.0Strict monitoringNutritional support
Managing “cheat meals”: rethinking the approach
The idea of the cheat meal carries a conflicted relationship with food and can encourage disordered eating. This guilt-laden framing gets in the way of building a healthy relationship with nutrition.
Favour instead the concept of dietary flexibility, which naturally includes moments of pleasure with no notion of “cheating” or guilt.
5 habits to build in from tomorrow
- Routinely compare actual protein intake against calculated needs
- Question whether a ketogenic diet suits the type of effort involved
- Screen for the female athlete triad in your sporting patients
- Take apart nutrition myths during your consultations
- Promote a balanced relationship with food, free of guilt
Essential points for your practice
Evidence-based sports nutrition lets you offer personalised recommendations that go beyond the received wisdom of social media and celebrity athlete testimonials. Your medical expertise becomes a valuable asset for separating fact from fiction.
This approach reflects the Simplycure mission: supporting every practitioner in building concrete, workable clinical expertise, particularly in preventive medicine applied to sport.
Bringing this knowledge into your daily practice positions you as a go-to practitioner, able to support your sporting patients effectively towards their performance and health goals.
Common questions
How do you assess the protein needs of a sporting patient?
Work with 1.2 to 2.2g per kg of body weight depending on the type of effort. An endurance runner will need less than someone doing resistance training, with the optimum generally reached around 1.8g/kg.
Is the ketogenic diet suitable for every athlete?
No, its effectiveness depends on the type of effort. It may compromise performance in endurance sports that require optimal carbohydrate use.
When should you suspect the female athlete triad?
Watch for the combination of menstrual cycle disturbance, restrictive eating behaviour and a history of fractures in your sporting patients, particularly in aesthetic sports.
Are BCAAs essential?
They may improve recovery during prolonged efforts but do not replace a balanced diet. Their usefulness remains limited in athletes whose protein intake is already adequate.
