Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Biathletes should monitor iron and vitamin D levels, as deficiencies are common in endurance sports and can impair performance and health, even if general micronutrient deficiencies are less common in biathletes due to high caloric intake.
Get your iron and vitamin D levels checked regularly. If you are deficient, supplement as directed by your healthcare provider. Focus on iron-rich foods (meat, fish, legumes) and vitamin D sources (sunlight, fortified foods, or supplements if needed).
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The primary concerns regarding micronutrient status are generally limited to iron and vitamin D. These findings are typically associated with restrained eating practices and inadequate food variety.
Why this rating
The recommendation is based on general endurance sports data and the specific risks of cold, high-altitude environments.
Source
Nutritional Strategies for Olympic Biathletes: A Practical Review
Mateusz Gawełczyk et al. · Nutrients · 2025
DOI 10.3390/nu17213385
narrative_reviewCited 1×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Biathletes should consume 6–12 g/kg/day of carbohydrates, adjusted by training intensity, to maintain high carbohydrate availability and support glycogen resynthesis between sessions.Moderate
- Caffeine supplementation, while beneficial for endurance performance, may impair shooting accuracy in biathletes and should be used with caution.Moderate
- Biathletes should consume a recovery meal containing approximately 0.3 g/kg of protein and 1.2 g/kg of carbohydrates immediately after key training sessions or races to optimize glycogen resynthesis and muscle repair.Moderate
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