Nutrients · 3 authors, 1 centre
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This narrative review synthesizes existing literature on nutritional strategies—including energy intake, macronutrient distribution, hydration, and supplementation—for elite golfers. The central finding is that evidence-based nutrition, including proper hydration, timed protein intake, and select supplementation, may improve both physiological and cognitive aspects of golf performance, though published data on elite golfers remain limited.
This narrative review by Berlin, Cooke, and Belski consolidates research on nutrition strategies for elite golf performance across hydration, macronutrient intake, energy availability, and supplementation. The authors describe energy demands of up to 20 km walked over 4–8 hours per competition day and emphasize the need for periodised nutrition aligned with training and travel schedules. Regarding hydration, the review reports that dehydration of greater than 2% body weight impairs endurance and cognitive performance, with one study finding dehydrated collegiate golfers averaged 79.5 strokes versus 75.7 for euhydrated players, and another showing significant reductions in 9-iron distance and accuracy. The review identifies low energy availability and its health consequences as a concern. Limitations include the small body of golf-specific nutrition studies, reliance on non-elite populations for some recommendations, and a lack of data from elite professional golfers.
