A group of 29 sports scientists, coaches, and elite athletes met to figure out the best ways to help top performers train smarter and stay healthy. They looked at everything from how to structure workouts and eat properly to preventing injuries and using new technology to track performance. The experts agreed that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach—what works best depends on the individual athlete and their specific sport. They also highlighted that female athletes need special attention when it comes to tracking hormones and menstrual cycles, and that preventing injuries like Achilles tendon tears should be a major focus. While they found strong agreement on many topics, they also identified areas where more research is needed, especially for female athletes.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: What training methods, nutrition strategies, injury prevention techniques, and new technologies work best to help elite athletes perform at their highest level while staying healthy
- Who participated: 29 experts including sports scientists, some coaches, and athletes who gathered at an international conference to share their knowledge and reach agreement on best practices
- Key finding: There is no single best way to train or eat for all athletes—successful performance comes from customized plans based on each athlete’s sport, body, and individual needs. The experts also stressed that female athletes need special monitoring of their menstrual cycles and hormones, and that preventing overuse injuries should be a top priority.
- What it means for you: If you’re an athlete or coach, this suggests you should work with professionals to create a personalized training and nutrition plan rather than copying what works for someone else. For female athletes especially, tracking menstrual cycles and hormonal health appears important for both performance and injury prevention. However, this is expert guidance based on current knowledge, and individual results may vary.
The Research Details
This wasn’t a traditional experiment where researchers test one thing against another. Instead, 29 leading experts in sports science, coaching, and athletic performance met together in November 2024 to review all the best scientific evidence available and agree on what actually works for elite athletes. They discussed five major topics: how to structure training, what and when to eat, special considerations for female athletes, how to prevent and treat injuries, and how new technology can help track performance. The group worked together to find common ground on these topics and create practical guidelines that coaches and athletes can actually use.
This type of meeting is valuable because it brings together the smartest people in the field to say ‘based on everything we know, here’s what the evidence shows works best.’ It’s like having a panel of the world’s top sports doctors and scientists give you their best advice all in one place. The experts looked at what science has proven, what still needs more research, and what practical steps athletes can take right now.
When you have 29 world-class experts agreeing on something, it carries real weight. This approach is important because elite athletes need guidance based on the strongest evidence available, not just trends or what one coach believes. By bringing together scientists, coaches, and actual athletes, the group could make sure their recommendations are both scientifically sound and actually practical to use in real training situations. This helps prevent athletes from wasting time on methods that don’t work or, worse, doing things that might hurt their health.
This is a consensus statement from recognized experts in a respected scientific journal, which is a good sign. However, it’s important to know that this is based on expert opinion and existing research rather than new experimental data. The experts themselves admitted there are still big gaps in what we know, especially about female athletes and how training effects build up over time. The recommendations are strong where evidence is clear, but some areas still need more research to be completely certain.
What the Results Show
The experts agreed that the best approach to training is personalized and specific to each sport. Rather than all athletes doing the same workouts, successful training should be tailored to what that particular athlete needs. They emphasized combining different types of training—like mixing endurance work with strength training—to build well-rounded athletes who are strong, can go the distance, and recover well.
For nutrition, the consensus is that athletes need customized eating plans based on their sport and training schedule. The experts stressed that athletes need enough energy overall, and the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. They warned against the risk of athletes not eating enough (called ’low energy availability’), which can harm both performance and health. They also said to be careful with supplements—most athletes don’t need them, and some can be risky or ineffective.
A major focus was on female athletes, where the experts said current monitoring of menstrual cycles and hormone levels is not good enough. They believe tracking these factors could help with both performance and injury prevention, but admitted we still don’t fully understand how hormones affect female athletes’ performance and injury risk. This is an area needing more research.
For injury prevention, the experts identified tendon injuries (especially Achilles tendon ruptures) as a major problem that ends many athletic careers. They recommended that rehabilitation after injury should be based on specific criteria showing the athlete is ready to return to sport, with input from multiple specialists rather than just one person deciding when an athlete can come back.
The experts also discussed new technology like wearable sensors (devices athletes wear that track their movements and body data) and advanced testing that looks at many biological markers at once. These tools show promise for helping customize training and nutrition plans, but they need more testing in real elite athletic settings before we can be sure they work as well as hoped. The group also noted that while we have good evidence for some training and nutrition strategies, we still need more long-term studies to understand how these approaches affect athletes over months and years.
This consensus builds on previous research and expert guidance but updates it with the latest evidence. The emphasis on personalized, sport-specific approaches reflects a shift away from one-size-fits-all training methods. The special focus on female athletes represents growing recognition that they may have different needs than male athletes, though the experts noted this area has been understudied. The caution about supplements and emphasis on adequate overall energy intake align with recent research showing these are common problems in elite sports.
The experts themselves identified several important gaps in current knowledge. There’s not enough research specifically on female athletes, so some recommendations are based on limited evidence. We also need more long-term studies following athletes over years to see which training methods produce the best results over time. The effectiveness of new technologies hasn’t been fully proven in elite athletic settings yet. Additionally, this consensus reflects current knowledge, which will change as new research emerges. Finally, while the group included coaches and athletes, it was primarily scientists, so the practical perspective could have been even stronger.
The Bottom Line
Work with qualified coaches and sports nutritionists to create a training and eating plan customized for your sport and body (High confidence). Include different types of training rather than just one approach (High confidence). Eat enough total calories and get the right balance of nutrients—don’t restrict energy intake (High confidence). If you’re a female athlete, track your menstrual cycle and consider working with someone who understands how hormones affect performance (Moderate confidence—this is recommended but needs more research). Be skeptical of supplements unless recommended by a sports doctor, as most aren’t necessary and some may be unsafe (Moderate to High confidence). If you get injured, follow a structured rehabilitation plan based on specific tests showing you’re ready to return, not just time passed (High confidence). Be cautious about new tracking technologies—they may be helpful but aren’t proven yet in elite sports (Low to Moderate confidence).
This guidance is specifically designed for elite athletes and their coaches who are trying to reach the highest levels of performance. It’s also relevant for sports medicine doctors, physical therapists, and nutritionists who work with competitive athletes. If you’re a casual exerciser or recreational athlete, some of these principles apply, but you may not need the same level of customization. Female athletes should especially pay attention to the recommendations about hormonal monitoring. Young athletes and their parents should know that these are guidelines for elite performance, not requirements for healthy exercise.
Changes from personalized training and nutrition plans typically take weeks to months to show clear benefits. Injury prevention strategies may take several months to show their value by reducing injuries. Hormonal tracking for female athletes should be done over several menstrual cycles (months) to see patterns. New technology benefits depend on the specific tool and may take longer to validate. Overall, think in terms of months and seasons rather than days or weeks for seeing meaningful changes.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track daily energy intake (total calories) and macronutrient breakdown (protein, carbs, fats) against your sport-specific targets. For female athletes, log menstrual cycle dates, cycle length, and any performance changes during different cycle phases to identify patterns.
- Use the app to create a personalized training schedule that combines different workout types (endurance, strength, recovery) rather than doing the same workout daily. Set reminders to eat adequate calories at regular intervals throughout the day, especially around training sessions. For female athletes, use the app to monitor cycle patterns and adjust training intensity based on cycle phase if patterns emerge.
- Review weekly summaries of training variety and energy intake to ensure you’re meeting personalized targets. Track injury prevention metrics like recovery time between hard workouts and adherence to strength/mobility work. For female athletes, review monthly cycle patterns and performance data together to identify correlations. Share this data with your coach or sports nutritionist quarterly to adjust your plan based on what’s working.
This summary is based on expert consensus statements and should not replace personalized medical or coaching advice. Elite athletes should work with qualified sports medicine doctors, coaches, and nutritionists to develop individual plans. Female athletes should consult healthcare providers about hormonal monitoring. If you have an injury, work with a physical therapist or sports medicine specialist before returning to training. New technologies mentioned should be discussed with your medical team before use. This information reflects current expert opinion as of 2024 and may change as new research emerges.