Metabolomic Signatures and Dietary Pathways Guiding Next-Generation Functional Foods for Esports Athletes
摘要
This narrative review examines how common diet and lifestyle habits in esports athletes affect their metabolic health and performance. It focuses on understanding how frequent use of stimulants, irregular meals, low fruit and vegetable intake, ultra-processed foods, disrupted sleep cycles, and long sitting periods affect major biochemical processes.
Recent FindingsRecent metabolomics studies show noticeable changes in pathways related to lipid use, neurotransmitter activity, tryptophan metabolism, oxidative balance, and vitamin and choline status. Studies on the gut microbiome also report reduced short-chain fatty acids and higher levels of uremic and neuroactive compounds in people who consume low-fiber, UPF-heavy diets.
SummaryThese metabolic changes relate to core performance skills such as attention, reaction time, visual processing, and stress control. The review shows that metabolomics can guide targeted nutrition strategies for esports athletes. It also highlights the need for dedicated esports environment studies and better integration of multi-omics and digital monitoring tools in future research.