Not just fuel: the biopsychosocial importance of food.

Sport is never just sport, it’s your drive, passion, outlet, identity, social structure.

And food isn’t just fuel.

The lens quickly focuses on the nitty-gritty of macro-splits, timing and gut-training, but food is so much more.

Athletes perform best when their well-fuelled and psychologically at ease. There’s increasing evidence that it’s not just what you eat that’s important, but how, why and with whom.

🌍 Cultural values outweigh sports-specific advice in athletes diet decisions (Heikura et al., 2022). Nutrition plans must be culturally responsive to be effective.

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 Food is about connection, identity, and community. Team meals build cohesion and performance commitment amongst athletes (Zhang et al., 2023). Incorporating family and social eating into nutrition plans is imperative for longevity and psychological wellbeing.

🧠 Disordered eating patterns, pressure to “eat clean,” and anxiety around body composition can all undermine an athlete’s wellbeing and performance (McMahon et al., 2021).

Family, budget, time, work, travel…

Nutrition must incorporate the science, embrace flexibility and address psychosocial needs to be sustainable - and effective