The field of adolescent sport performance is rapidly evolving as research uncovers the complex interactions among nutrition, supplementation, physical training, injury risk, and mental health in youth. While adolescence is a critical period for establishing lifelong healthy habits and achieving optimal athletic potential, many questions remain regarding how dietary strategies and supplementation can best support physical activity, performance, recovery, and overall well-being. Recent studies illuminate the influence of specific dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, and highlight rapid advancements in digital monitoring through wearables, mobile applications, and real-world data collection, all of which provide new opportunities to understand and optimize adolescent athlete outcomes. Despite these advances, inconsistencies in methodology, varied sample populations, and the need for context-specific insights continue to limit the ability to deliver clear, evidence-based recommendations, leaving significant gaps in translating scientific findings into practice for this population.
This Research Topic aims to consolidate and expand current knowledge on how nutrition and supplementation affect sport performance, training adaptation, injury prevention, and mental health among adolescents. We welcome studies that address critical questions such as: Which dietary patterns or nutrient interventions most effectively enhance sport-specific performance or reduce injury risk? How do supplementation habits impact recovery, health, or psychological well-being? How can real-world data from wearables, apps, or school-based programs support evidence-based strategies in youth sport environments? By inviting a range of high-quality original research, systematic reviews, and innovative approaches, we hope to advance the translation of findings from the laboratory to the field, ultimately supporting healthier, more resilient adolescent athletes.
The scope of this Research Topic includes adolescent populations engaged in sport, physical education, or structured physical activity programs, with a focus on nutrition and supplementation as modifiable factors for optimizing performance and health. We particularly encourage submissions utilizing real-world evidence and multidisciplinary approaches. Key themes include, but are not limited to:
o Impact of nutrition and dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean diet) on sport performance and fitness
o Effects of supplementation on adolescent training adaptations, recovery, and injury prevention
o Real-world data from wearables, apps, and digital monitoring in adolescent sport settings
o Nutritional and psychological factors influencing injury risk and prevention strategies
o Methodological advances in RCTs, longitudinal studies, and mixed methods related to adolescent sport health
o Practical recommendations for coaches, physical education professionals, and youth athletes
We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, study protocols, and perspectives relevant to this Research Topic.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Brief Research Report
- Case Report
- Clinical Trial
- Data Report
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
- General Commentary
- Hypothesis and Theory
- … View all formats
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Adolescent athletes, Sport nutrition, Dietary patterns, Supplementation, Real-world evidence
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
