Sports nutrition for the recreational athlete.

BACKGROUND: Recreational sports participation provides many potential health benefits. However, some athletes experience medical problems associated with, or exacerbated by, a mismanagement of the relationship between their diet and sporting endeavours. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to highlight recent developments in clinical sports nutrition, with a focus on providing evidence-based advice and resources for the management of common medical presentations. DISCUSSION: A low dietary energy intake relative to exercise energy demands (ie low energy availability) may result in an array of medical issues. An evidence-based framework for advice on sports supplements is available.