Are there any concerns or considerations?

Unnecessary expense

Sports foods such as mixed macronutrient supplements are not needed at every training session or in the everyday diet and may be an unnecessary expense. In general, the use of whole foods to meet fuelling and recovery goals will be more cost-effective and provide a wider range of important nutrients.

Unnecessary energy intake or poor handling of weight management goals Athletes need to consider their physique and broarder nutritional goals when deciding whether to consume energy-dense mixed macronutrient supplements. In the case of athletes who have short- or long-term restrictions on dietary energy intake, overuse of energy dense, low satiety products such as shakes and sports bars may create problems with energy balance and overall nutrient density of the diet.2 In such cases, the athlete should focus on using whole foods with higher satiety scores for their sports nutrition goals or should arrange their training/eating timetables so that an existing meal or snack fulfils their recovery goals.

Athletes should always seek the advice of a Sports Dietitian before undertaking any low residue eating strategies to promote acute weight loss. Weight management for athletes in weight category sports requires a wholistic approach to weight management, both acutely and chronically, with due consideration also given to recovery strategies post weigh-in.

Gut discomfort

• Although most athletes tolerate mixed macronutrient supplements well, small number of athletes will suffer from significant gastrointestinal issues and may need an individualised protocol. High protein, low carbohydrate bars may be a particular concern, given their reliance on sugar alcohols to promote flavour and retention of moisture while also moderating refined carbohydrate intake.
• Individuals with fructose malabsorption or FODMAP intolerance should also be aware of the fructose content of mixed macronutrient supplements containing multiple transportable carbohydrates.

Allergy risk

Mixed macronutrient supplements may contain tree nuts, milk and gluten (from wheat flour, oats and barley) and may need to be avoided by individual athletes who have allergies to any of these items.