Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of various nutritional supplements in enhancing endurance performance and subjective thermal perception in athletes exposed to high-temperature environments through a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EBSCOhost from inception to January 2025. Studies were included if they evaluated the effects of nutritional supplements on either endurance performance or subjective thermal perception in athletes under heat stress. Two independent reviewers screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. A network meta-analysis was performed using R software (version 4.3.1). The search was limited to English-language publications and employed both MeSH and free-text terms related to “athletes,” “nutritional supplements,” and “exercise performance,” using Boolean operators (AND/OR) to construct the strategy. Results: Twenty-five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 552 participants were included, yielding 22 comparisons: 18 assessed endurance performance, and 11 assessed subjective perception. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and posterior probabilities (P-scores based on Bayesian ranking) were calculated using random-effects and Bayesian models. Menthol (SMD = −1.83, 95% CI [−3.15, −0.51]; P-score = 71.04%) and taurine (SMD = 0.91, 95% CI [0.08, 1.73]; P-score = 12.75%) demonstrated significant positive effects on endurance. Menthol energy gel showed the greatest improvement in thermal comfort (SMD = 2.14, 95% CI [1.01, 3.26]; P-score = 99.54%). Conclusions: Menthol and taurine appear effective in enhancing endurance in hot environments, while menthol energy gel substantially improves perceived thermal comfort. Future research should apply stricter controls regarding environmental conditions, supplement dosage, and participant characteristics. While individual supplements may offer limited benefits, synergistic combinations may yield greater improvements in performance and comfort.

Background: Explosive lower limb power, a critical determinant of success in volleyball, is a prime candidate for focused research. Consequently, nutritional supplements are commonly employed to gain an ergogenic edge. Despite this widespread practice, a comprehensive and evidence-based ranking of supplements for improving this key attribute is lacking, leaving athletes and practitioners without targeted evidence to guide decisions. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and Embase were searched from inception to 1 August 2025. We included RCTs in volleyball athletes (≥14 years) with ≥1-week interventions and relevant explosive lower limb performance outcomes. A Bayesian NMA estimated effects with 95% credible intervals (CrIs) and SUCRA; certainty was appraised with CINeMA. Results: A total of 35 RCTs (n = 838 volleyball athletes) examining 13 different supplements were included. The results indicated that β-alanine was associated with the greatest improvement in vertical jump (MD 4.6; 95% CrI 1.2–7.8), followed by creatine (MD 3.7; 0.57–6.9) and caffeine (MD 2.1; 0.06–4.1). It also appeared to be the most promising method for substantially increasing lower limb peak power (SMD 1.1; 0.21–2.0). No statistically significant improvement was found in lower limb mean power, and no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Among volleyball athletes, β-alanine appeared most promising effective supplement for enhancing key components of explosive lower limb performance, specifically vertical jump height and peak power. Creatine and caffeine are also effective for improving vertical jump height. However, these findings are based on low-to-moderate certainty of evidence; they should be interpreted with caution and regarded as preliminary. Supplement strategies should be individualized by age and competitive level; further, high-quality, standardized randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these initial observations.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effects of short-term Rhodiola rosea supplementation on simulated game performance, perceived fatigue, and aerobic capacity in basketball players. Methods: A total of 48 professional male basketball players participated in this study. The participants were randomly divided into a Rhodiola rosea group (RHO group, n = 24) and a Control group (CTR group, n = 24). During the experiment, the RHO group received continuous 28-day Rhodiola rosea supplementation, while the CTR group received empty capsules without being informed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software. A two-way mixed ANOVA (2 × 2) group (CTR/RHO) × time (Pre-test/Post-test) was conducted to compare differences. Results: In comparison to the CTR group, the RHO group showed significant differences in total completion time in the simulated game (p = 0.046), heart rate 60 s after the simulated game (p = 0.026), 5 km run (p = 0.027), YO-YO test (p = 0.036), VO2max (p = 0.034) and total antioxidant capacity (p = 0.044) compared to the CTR group. Within the RHO group, pre- and post-test comparisons revealed significant improvements in total completion time (p = 0.000), heart rate 30 s (p = 0.021) and 60 s (p = 0.016) after the simulated game, RPE score (p = 0.030), Countermovement jump test (p = 0.036), 5 km run (p = 0.000), YO-YO test (p = 0.000), VO2max (p = 0.000) and Superoxide Dismutase (p = 0.011). Conclusions: Short-term Rhodiola rosea supplementation can improve sprint performance and reduce perceived fatigue in basketball players during simulated games, enhance aerobic work capacity, and delay fatigue.

Background: Astaxanthin is a lipid-soluble carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its effects on exercise performance and post-exercise recovery remain uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of astaxanthin supplementation on exercise performance and recovery-related biomarkers in healthy participants and athletes. Methods: This review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI were searched from inception to January 2026. Randomized controlled trials comparing oral astaxanthin supplementation with placebo or control were included. Performance outcomes included VO₂max, time-trial or endurance-related performance, and maximal workload or power output. Recovery-related outcomes included creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, malondialdehyde, interleukin-6, and related biomarkers. Standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were pooled. Results: Twenty-four RCTs were included. Astaxanthin significantly reduced creatine kinase levels (SMD = −0.45, 95% CI: −0.83 to −0.07). Lactate dehydrogenase also favored astaxanthin (SMD = −0.93, 95% CI: −1.39 to −0.48), although heterogeneity was substantial. No significant effects were observed for malondialdehyde or interleukin-6. Astaxanthin did not significantly improve VO₂max, time-trial performance, or maximal workload/power output. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that astaxanthin may be more beneficial for post-exercise recovery than for direct performance enhancement. The most consistent effect was observed for creatine kinase, whereas the LDH finding should be interpreted cautiously. Further well-powered trials with standardized dosing, duration, exercise protocols, and outcome assessments are needed.

Background: Soccer aerial duels require rapid take-off, repeated-performance maintenance, and effective head–neck control under physically demanding conditions. This study examined the effects of caffeine (CAF), Rhodiola rosea (RHO), and their combination on repeated aerial duel performance and neck neuromuscular function in male collegiate soccer players. Methods: Ninety-six players were randomly assigned, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design, to placebo control (CTR), RHO, CAF, or RHO + CAF groups (n = 24 each) for 4 weeks. CAF was acutely administered at 3 mg·kg⁻¹ before testing, whereas RHO was chronically supplemented at 2.4 g·day⁻¹. Outcome measures included countermovement jump height, early take-off impulse, repeated heading contact height, ball exit velocity, heading duel success rate, neck maximal voluntary isometric contraction, and session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE). Results: Significant group × time or group × repetition effects were observed for CMJ height (p = 0.0034), early take-off impulse (p = 0.0007), and post-intervention repeated heading contact height (p < 0.0001), with additional significant effects across heading-specific, neck strength, duel-success, and perceived-load outcomes. CAF was mainly associated with improved take-off-related explosive performance and duel success, whereas RHO was mainly associated with lower perceived exertion and better maintenance of heading contact height during the later repeated trials. Combined RHO + CAF supplementation produced the broadest pattern of benefits across explosive output, ball-contact performance, duel success, and multidirectional neck strength. Conclusions: These findings suggest that, in male collegiate soccer players, CAF and RHO may contribute differently to repeated aerial duel-related performance, and their combination may offer broader sport-specific benefits under repeated high-intensity demands.

Background: Childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity are major global public health concerns. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been increasingly investigated as a time-efficient intervention; however, evidence regarding its effects on multiple health-related outcomes and the influence of intervention characteristics remains inconsistent. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of HIIT on body composition, metabolic health, and cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. Methods: Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP databases. Randomized controlled trials were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models, and standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses, publication bias, and certainty of evidence (GRADE) were also evaluated. Results: A total of 21 randomized controlled trials involving 652 participants (325 in the intervention groups and 327 in the control groups) were included. Compared with control conditions, HIIT significantly improved multiple outcomes related to body composition, metabolic health, and cardiorespiratory fitness, including BMI (SMD = −1.05), body fat percentage (SMD = −0.69), total cholesterol (SMD = −0.42), HOMA-IR (SMD = −1.00), and VO₂peak (SMD = 0.91), while no significant effect was observed on lean body mass. Subgroup analyses suggested that HIIT protocols with a load duration of less than 1 min were associated with greater improvements in several outcomes, particularly body fat percentage, total cholesterol, HOMA-IR, and VO₂peak. Conclusions: HIIT may improve body composition, metabolic health, and cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. However, the certainty of evidence varied across outcomes and was limited for some findings by heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and potential risk of bias. Further high-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials with standardized HIIT protocols are needed to confirm these findings and clarify the influence of different training characteristics (e.g., exercise mode and interval structure).