Nutrition strategies for concussion management are being implemented by dietitians to support Australia’s elite collision sport athletes, new Griffith University research has found.
Lead author Dr Nathan Delang interviewed 14 Accredited Sports Dietitians who work across professional AFL, Rugby League, and Rugby Union teams to explore their practices and perspectives relating to concussion management.
“Concussion is so common in contemporary professional collision sports, typically once every three games, so it’s important to ensure optimal support is provided for athletes,” Dr Delang said.
“Most sports dietitians provided nutrition support either before and/or after concussion, with fish oil and creatine monohydrate the most commonly recommended supplements.
“Fish oil and creatine might support concussion recovery through several mechanisms from mitigating excessive neuroinflammation through to enhancing the availability of energy for supporting brain recovery and returning to exercise.
“All dietitians reported a food-first approach as central to recovery with a focus on energy intake, hydration, and healthy eating patterns to help athletes maintain their pre-injury nutrition status.”
Alongside fish oil and creatine, other supplements in use by professional teams included vitamin B2, tart cherry extract, curcumin, and vitamin D.
Professor Ben Desbrow from Griffith’s School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work said while Australians sports dietitians were already using nutrition as part of concussion care, the practice was advancing faster than the evidence base.
“Practitioners are confident with familiar products, such as creatine, which are often already in use as a physical performance aid,” he said.
“However, they want stronger evidence so they can confidently tailor nutrition advice for complex concussion cases.
“We need stronger clinical research and formal guidelines to support safe, consistent and equitable care for athletes.”
The paper ‘Concussion and nutrition in professional-level collision sports: Perspectives from Australian Sports Dietitians’ has been published in The Journal of Nutrition.
