title: Commercial Hype Versus Reality: Our Current Scientific Understanding of Gluten and Athletic Performance.
abstract: Recent explosion in the prevalence of gluten-free athletes, exacerbated by unsubstantiated commercial health claims, has led to some professional athletes touting gluten-free diet as the secret to their success. Forty-one percent of athletes report adhering to a gluten-free diet (GFD), which is four-fold higher than the population-based clinical requirements. Many nonceliac athletes believe that gluten avoidance improves gastrointestinal well-being, reduces inflammation, and provides an ergogenic edge, despite the fact that limited data yet exist to support any of these benefits. There are several plausible associations between endurance-based exercise and gastrointestinal permeability whereby a GFD may be beneficial. However, the implications of confounding factors, including the risks of unnecessary dietary restriction, financial burden, food availability, psychosocial implications, alterations in short-chain carbohydrates (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), and other wheat constituents emphasize the need for further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: 1Sport Performance Optimisation Research Team, School of Health Sciences University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA; 2Canadian Sports Institute - Pacific, Victoria, British Columbia, CANADA.
authors.forename: Dana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lis
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Fell
authors.forename: Kiran D K
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Ahuja
authors.forename: Cecilia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kitic
authors.forename: Trent
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stellingwerff
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free / Q000379:methods*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005983:Glutens / Q000378:metabolism*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005983:Glutens