Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Vitamin and mineral supplements are not needed if an athlete consumes adequate energy from a variety of foods to maintain body weight, but may be appropriate for those with specific deficiencies or dietary restrictions.
You likely do not need vitamin or mineral supplements if you eat a balanced diet with enough calories to maintain your weight. However, if you are dieting, restricting food groups, or have a known deficiency, a supplement may be appropriate. Consult a sports dietitian for personalized advice.
WeakQualifiesHIGH confidence
In general, no vitamin and mineral supplements are required if an athlete is consuming adequate energy from a variety of foods to maintain body weight. A multivitamin/mineral supplement may be appropriate if an athlete is dieting, habitually eliminating foods or food groups, is ill or recovering from injury, or has a specific micronutrient deficiency.
Why this rating
Based on systematic evidence analysis by major sports organizations.
Source
Nutrition and Athletic Performance
Nancy R. Rodriguez et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2009
DOI 10.1249/mss.0b013e31890eb86
clinical_guidelineCited 1,062×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Athletes should consume 6–10 g/kg/day of carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose and replenish muscle glycogen, with the specific amount depending on total daily energy expenditure and exercise type.Weak
- Protein intake for endurance and strength-trained athletes should range from 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg/day, which can generally be met through diet alone without supplements.Weak
- Fat intake should range from 20% to 35% of total energy intake, and consuming less than 20% of energy from fat does not benefit performance.Weak
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