Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41150477›Full record

ReviewSports (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Nutrition Strategies to Promote Sleep in Elite Athletes: A Scoping Review.

Gavin Rackard, Sharon M Madigan, James Connolly, Laura Keaver, Lisa Ryan, Rónán Doherty

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Gavin RackardDepartment of Tourism & Sport, Atlantic Technological University, Letterkenny Campus, Port Road, Letterkenny, F92 FC93 Co. Donegal, Ireland.ORCID 0009-0003-9531-9814
Sharon M MadiganSport Ireland Institute, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown, D15 Y52H Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-8709-9941
James ConnollySchool of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Northland Rd., Londonderry BT48 7JL, UK.
Laura KeaverDepartment of Health and Nutritional Science, Atlantic Technological University, Ash Lane, F91 YW50 Co. Sligo, Ireland.
Lisa RyanDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, Atlantic Technological University, Galway City, Old Dublin Road, H91 T8NW Co. Galway, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-5505-7130
Rónán DohertyDepartment of Tourism & Sport, Atlantic Technological University, Letterkenny Campus, Port Road, Letterkenny, F92 FC93 Co. Donegal, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-7808-1715

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesSleep is pivotal for recovery, immunity, and energy restoration; however, sleep problems exist in elite athletes. Nutrition and supplementation strategies can play both a positive and negative role in sleep quality and quantity. Elite athletes experience unique psychological and physiological demands above non-elite athletes and may require different nutrition strategies to promote sleep. Nutrient interventions and their effect on sleep in elite athletes is an emerging area, with further research warranted.

methodsPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews and Joanna Brigg's Institute Reviewer's Manual for Scoping Reviews were utilised to assess the available evidence on nutrition strategies used to promote sleep in elite athlete cohorts, and we tried to identify the interventions that could be best researched in the future. NUtrition QUality Evaluation Strengthening Tools (NUQUEST) was used to enhance rigour and assess risk of bias in studies. The Paper to Podium (P2P) Matrix was used to offer practitioners practical recommendations.

results12 studies met the inclusion criteria for nutrition interventions or exposures to promote sleep in elite athletes. The median participant group size was 19 and study designs were considered together to ascertain potential sleep promoting strategies. Kiwifruit, Tart Cherry Juice and high dairy intake, limited to females, have demonstrated the highest potential to promote sleep in elite athletes, despite limited sample sizes. A-lactalbumin, carbohydrate pre-bed, casein, tryptophan, probiotic and meeting energy demands showed varying results on sleep quality in elite athletes.

conclusionsKiwifruit, Tart Cherry Juice and dairy consumption offer potential nutritional interventions to promote sleep in elite athletic populations, while protein-based interventions may have a ceiling effect on sleep quality when elite athletes are already consuming >2.5 g·kg

Indexed as

carbohydrateelite athleteskiwifruitNUQUESTnutritionP2P Matrixproteinsleeptart cherry juice

Identifiers

PMID41150477
PMCPMC12567717

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.