Youth and Adolescent Athlete Musculoskeletal Health: Dietary and Nutritional Strategies to Optimise Injury Prevention and Support Recovery

Overview

Journal J Funct Morphol Kinesiol

Date 2024 Nov 25

PMID 39584874

Authors

Rebekah Alcock

Matthew Hislop

Helen Anna Vidgen

Ben Desbrow

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite the well-documented benefits of exercise and sports participation, young athletes are particularly vulnerable to musculoskeletal injuries. This is especially true during periods of rapid growth, sports specialisation, and high training loads. While injuries are an inevitable aspect of sports participation, the risk can be minimised by promoting the development of strong, resilient tissues through proper nutrition and injury prevention strategies. Moreover, targeted nutrition strategies can accelerate recovery and rehabilitation, allowing for a quicker return to sports participation. This narrative review synthesises scientific evidence with practical insights to offer comprehensive dietary recommendations aimed at strengthening tissues and supporting the healing process during recovery and rehabilitation. The selection of all sources cited and synthesised in this narrative review were agreed upon by contributing author consensus, experts in sports nutrition (R.A., H.V., B.D.) and exercise and sports medicine (M.H.). Key topics include factors that contribute to injury susceptibility, general dietary recommendations for growth and development, sports nutrition guidelines, and nutrition considerations during injury and rehabilitation. This review also addresses external factors that may lead to suboptimal nutrition, such as food literacy and eating disorders. By highlighting these factors, this article aims to equip coaches, nutritionists, dietitians, athletic trainers, physical therapists, parents/guardians, sporting organisations, and schools with essential knowledge to implement effective nutritional strategies for injury prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation, ultimately enhancing long-term health and athletic performance.

Citing Articles

The Sleep, Recovery, and Nutrition Characteristics of Elite Adolescent Athletes.

Mason L, Connolly J, Devenney L, Lacey K, ODonovan J, Faulkner M Sports (Basel). 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 39997981 PMC: 11860358. DOI: 10.3390/sports13020050.

References

Maughan R, Burke L, Dvorak J, Larson-Meyer D, Peeling P, Phillips S . IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018; 52(7):439-455. PMC: 5867441. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027. View

Dosedel M, Jirkovsky E, Macakova K, Krcmova L, Javorska L, Pourova J . Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination. Nutrients. 2021; 13(2). PMC: 7918462. DOI: 10.3390/nu13020615. View

. IOC consensus statement on sports nutrition 2010. J Sports Sci. 2011; 29 Suppl 1:S3-4. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2011.619349. View

Caine D, DiFiori J, Maffulli N . Physeal injuries in children's and youth sports: reasons for concern?. Br J Sports Med. 2006; 40(9):749-60. PMC: 2564388. DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2005.017822. View

Desbrow B . Youth Athlete Development and Nutrition. Sports Med. 2021; 51(Suppl 1):3-12. PMC: 8566439. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01534-6. View

Gould R, Ridout A, Newton J . Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) in Adolescents - A Practical Review. Int J Sports Med. 2022; 44(4):236-246. DOI: 10.1055/a-1947-3174. View

Bergeron M, Mountjoy M, Armstrong N, Chia M, Cote J, Emery C . International Olympic Committee consensus statement on youth athletic development. Br J Sports Med. 2015; 49(13):843-51. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-094962. View

Giridhar V . Role of nutrition in oral and maxillofacial surgery patients. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2017; 7(1):3-9. PMC: 5242071. DOI: 10.4103/0975-5950.196146. View

Vidgen H, Gallegos D . Defining food literacy and its components. Appetite. 2014; 76:50-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.010. View

10.

Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross M, Wang B, Baar K . Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016; 105(1):136-143. PMC: 5183725. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.138594. View

11.

Zaremski J, Krabak B . Shoulder injuries in the skeletally immature baseball pitcher and recommendations for the prevention of injury. PM R. 2012; 4(7):509-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2012.04.005. View

12.

Fridman L, Fraser-Thomas J, McFaull S, Macpherson A . Epidemiology of sports-related injuries in children and youth presenting to Canadian emergency departments from 2007-2010. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2013; 5(1):30. PMC: 3878023. DOI: 10.1186/2052-1847-5-30. View

13.

Shoemaker M, Gillen Z, McKay B, Koehler K, Cramer J . High Prevalence of Poor Iron Status Among 8- to 16-Year-Old Youth Athletes: Interactions Among Biomarkers of Iron, Dietary Intakes, and Biological Maturity. J Am Coll Nutr. 2019; 39(2):155-162. DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2019.1621229. View

14.

Bisogni C, Jastran M, Shen L, Devine C . A biographical study of food choice capacity: standards, circumstances, and food management skills. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2005; 37(6):284-91. DOI: 10.1016/s1499-4046(06)60158-9. View

15.

DePhillipo N, Aman Z, Kennedy M, Begley J, Moatshe G, LaPrade R . Efficacy of Vitamin C Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress After Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2018; 6(10):2325967118804544. PMC: 6204628. DOI: 10.1177/2325967118804544. View

16.

Martinez-Puig D, Costa-Larrion E, Rubio-Rodriguez N, Galvez-Martin P . Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge. Nutrients. 2023; 15(6). PMC: 10058045. DOI: 10.3390/nu15061332. View

17.

Wollam J, Antebi A . Sterol regulation of metabolism, homeostasis, and development. Annu Rev Biochem. 2011; 80:885-916. PMC: 3918218. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-081308-165917. View

18.

Itoh G, Ishii H, Kato H, Nagano Y, Hayashi H, Funasaki H . Risk assessment of the onset of Osgood-Schlatter disease using kinetic analysis of various motions in sports. PLoS One. 2018; 13(1):e0190503. PMC: 5757930. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190503. View

19.

Vinoy S, Laville M, Feskens E . Slow-release carbohydrates: growing evidence on metabolic responses and public health interest. Summary of the symposium held at the 12th European Nutrition Conference (FENS 2015). Food Nutr Res. 2016; 60:31662. PMC: 4933791. DOI: 10.3402/fnr.v60.31662. View

20.

Logan K, Cuff S . Organized Sports for Children, Preadolescents, and Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2019; . DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-0997. View