Contrasting Realities in Injury Management: Strategies Employed by Performance Nutritionists and Dietitians in Ireland (Part A)

Abstract

Background

Nutrition underpins athletic performance, enhancing training, reducing injury risk, and accelerating recovery. In the event of an injury, performance dietitians (PDs) and nutritionists’ (PNs) play a vital role by tailoring nutritional strategies to support tissue repair, optimize athlete’s recoveries, and return to play.

Objectives

This study explored nutritional strategies recommended and employed by Irish PDs and PNs to assess, manage, and support athletes during the initial stages of sports-related injuries.

Methods

Seventeen PDs and PNs across Ireland participated in semistructured interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was applied to identify initial codes and extract relevant insights from data.

Results

PDs and PNs in Ireland work across various sports and competitive levels. Their capacity to support injured athletes is influenced by contextual factors, particularly the quality of communication and interdisciplinary collaboration within their sporting environments. Participants reported variability in their initial injury assessment and nutrition management practices across sports, organizations, and genders. These inconsistencies influence the implementation of nutrition strategies and impact athletes’ subsequent recovery outcomes. In particular, limited or nonspecific nutritional support was linked slower or less effective recovery.

Conclusions

The diversity in nutritional strategies employed by Irish PDs and PNs during the initial stages of injury management highlights the need for standardized, sport- and context-specific protocols to optimize recovery outcomes. Implementing evidence-based guidelines, consistency using structured assessment tools, and enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration may reduce inconsistencies and improve support for injured athletes, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Practitioner-informed strategies such as injury-specific checklists, routine assessments, coordinated care with medical teams, and targeted nutrition education, may enhance athlete buy-in and promote more effective, recovery focused interventions.