Professionals In Nutrition for Exercise & Sport (PINES) is an international organization whose mission is to educate athletes around the globe about how to fuel for optimal performance. Each year, PINES members present cutting-edge information at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. (ACSM). This summary highlights hot topics discussed at this year’s meeting (May 2025), comparing natural vs. commercial sports foods.
Can athletes get enough creatine from a diet targeting creatine-containing foods without needing creatine supplements?
Likely yes IF they are eating a meat-centric diet; otherwise, no. The recommended creatine intake for athletes is 5 grams a day. Humans produce daily about one gram of creatine and we eat about one gram a day of creatine from meats. A pound of raw meat contains about 2 to 2.5 grams of creatine; cooked meat has less.
Athletes—especially vegans—who listen to health advice to eat less meat can easily consume less than the recommended amount of creatine. Should you care? Yes, according to Eric Rawson of Messiah University. Creatine is linked with both improved athletic performance as well as better brain function in people older than 60.
Is stevia an effective sugar replacement to reduce calorie intake?
Depends. Stevia, a calorie-free sugar substitute, can effectively offer a sweet taste to a cup of coffee, tea, or soda. Eimear Dolan of the University of Sao Paulo says it unlikely reduces calories enough to contribute to significant weight loss. A teaspoon of sugar has only 16 calories, so replacing sugar with Stevia in your morning brew could save you about 15 to 30 calories. Not much. However, if you are a soda drinker who guzzles two cans of cola a day, you could save 300 calories. That is significant!
A beef jerky stick or chocolate milk provides enough leucine, making Branch Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) supplementation unnecessary?
Plausible. Of the three BCAAs (leucine, iso-leucine, valine), leucine is the primary trigger for optimal muscle growth and repair. Consuming 2 to 3 grams of leucine a day maximizes muscle protein synthesis. Athletes who limit their intake of calories and/or protein can miss the 2-gram per day leucine target.
If you are among the 37% of gym-goers who buy BCAA supplements, you could more enjoyably refuel with beef jerky (2.3 g leucine in 3.5 oz jerky) or chug 24 ounces of chocolate milk (2.3 g leucine) for your recovery food. Leucine is readily available in food, so think twice before paying $4.50 for a supplement with 5 grams of BCAA.
Is a homemade sports drink made from juice and a bit of salt as effective as a commercially available sports drink?
Plausible. Athletes can easily create a homemade sports drink that matches the nutrient profile of, let’s say, Gatorade: 55 calories, 105 mg. sodium in 8 ounces (240 ml). You can even add ingredients of choice, such as caffeine (brewed coffee or tea?), honey, a splash of juice or other flavoring of your choice. Stavros Kavouras of Arizona State Uni. warns: Just don’t put a sports drink of any kind into a fluid carrier, such as CamelBac. Doing so creates a breeding ground for bacteria!
Can honey, applesauce, or other foods effectively replace carbohydrate gels for fueling exercise?
Yes. Research has compared different foods with commercial sports products, such as honey vs. gels; raisins vs. gummies; banana vs. sport drink; mashed potato vs. gels. In all cases, the commercial product offered no performance advantage over the natural food; both helped improve performance equally.
Catalina Fernandes of Costa Rica adds “real food” might offer more fiber, be harder to carry and bulkier (when matched for calories). Hence, each athlete should experiment with both natural and commercial foods, paying attention to intolerances and gastro-intestinal distress. For traveling athletes, knowledge that real food “works” can be helpful if their favorite commercial products are not available (or get lost with their luggage).
Is coconut water a sufficient replacement for electrolyte drinks?
Plausible. Coconut water is as good as rehydrating with plain water, but it is not better than a sport drink. Kinta Schott of Arizona State University adds coconut water is certainly a more natural beverage than a commercial sports drink! It is higher in potassium and lower in sodium than most commercial sport beverages. Here’s how 8 ounces of coconut water compares with 8 ounces of Gatorade:
Coconut water: 12 g Carb 480 mg Potassium 50 mg Sodium
Gatorade 14 g Carb 5 mg Potassium 105 mg Sodium
Coconut water can “do the job” for exercise less than 3 hours that does not involve high sweat sodium losses. If salt is a concern, sprinkle extra on your pre-exercise meal.
Do B-vitamins and beet juice influence urine color enough to hinder accurate assessment of how well an athlete is hydrated?
Plausible. Urine color charts are useful tools that help athletes determine their level of hydration. Darker urine indicates more dehydration. Yasuki Sekiguchi of Texas Tech University reminds us that athletes who consume B-vitamin supplements or beets/beet juice have slightly darker urine that could lead to assuming the athlete is under-dehydrated. Hence, beet-consumers shouldn’t use urine color when needing to precisely assess hydration status.
Can athletes get enough calcium from dairy if they want to curb bone loss related to exercise?
Yes, but doing so may not be practical. Calcium in your blood drops at the onset of exercise, triggering calcium release from the bones. Athletes in non-weight-bearing sports (such as cycling and rowing) have increased risk for poor bone health due to low bone density. Research that boosts pre-exercise calcium intake (to potentially curb bone loss) has used calcium supplements. A study with rowers and cyclists has shown those athletes can consume 1,000 mg. of pre-exercise calcium from milk, yogurt, and cheese— but Louise Burke of Australia Catholic University says it’s not always practical. Weight-conscious and dairy-avoiding athletes might balk at the plan—and we don’t yet even know if doing so will translate into better bone health. No harm in trying!
Boston-area sports nutritionist Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes (617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource to answer your fueling and weight-management issues. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for more information.