Research
Adherence
Athletes and active individuals prefer whole food nutritional products over supplements, powders, or bars for both performance and recovery.
When choosing sports nutrition products, look for whole food options rather than isolated supplements or powders. This format is preferred by athletes for both performance and recovery. Ensure the product is scientifically proven, as this is a key factor for 87% of users.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Whole food nutritional products received the most first preference selections and most top 3 selections when presented with a number of popular performance and recovery products on the market.
Why this rating
Based on self-reported preference in a survey.
Source
Nutritional priorities, practices and preferences of athletes and active individuals in the context of new product development in the sports nutrition sector
Conor C. Carey et al. · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · 2023
DOI 10.3389/fspor.2023.1088979
cross_sectional · n=405Cited 15×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Athletes and active individuals prioritize 'enhanced muscular recovery' as the primary claim for sports nutrition products, with 25% ranking it first and 73% in their top three priorities.Moderate
- Nutritional profile is the most important attribute for purchasing sports nutrition products, followed by taste and accessibility.Moderate
Related findings · Adherence
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- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →