Effect of personalized nutritional supplements on physiological and biochemical monitoring and training adaptability in female field hockey players during winter training

LI QIAN, XUEFENG LIU

Physical Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan Sports College, Chengdu, China.

Summary. Background. Winter training is pivotal for enhancing fitness and skills in female field hockey players but also brings physical and mental demands. Research on tailored nutritional support for these athletes remains limited. Methods. Twenty-five female field hockey players (average age 22.6 years) from Sichuan were randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 13) receiving personalized supplements including zinc and magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder, endurance sugar pump, testosterone synthesis pump, and melatonin tablets daily during the 8-week winter training, and a control group (n = 12) on their regular diet. Results. Creatine kinase levels rose initially in the intervention group but declined significantly from week four to eight compared to baseline, contrasting with the control group’s steady increase (p < 0.001). The intervention group also showed lower blood urea in weeks seven and eight, higher testosterone in weeks five, seven, and eight, and lower cortisol from weeks five to eight compared to the control group. Hemoglobin was higher in the intervention group in weeks four, seven, and eight, fatigue indices were lower in weeks five and eight, and sleep quality was better in week eight (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Personalized nutritional supplements effectively improved key physiological and biochemical indicators, reduced fatigue, and enhanced sleep quality in female field hockey players during their winter training, thereby enhancing training adaptability and competitive performance.

Key words. Female field hockey athletes, winter training adaptation, biochemical monitoring, nutritional supplementation, fatigue management, sleep quality improvement.

Effetto degli integratori alimentari personalizzati sul monitoraggio fisiologico e biochimico e sull’adattabilità dell’allenamento nelle giocatrici di hockey su prato durante l’allenamento invernale

Riassunto. Background. L’allenamento invernale è fondamentale per migliorare la forma fisica e le abilità tecniche nelle giocatrici di hockey su prato, ma comporta anche notevoli richieste fisiche e mentali. Le ricerche sul supporto nutrizionale personalizzato per queste atlete sono ancora limitate. Metodi. Venticinque giocatrici di hockey su prato (età media 22,6 anni) della provincia di Sichuan sono state suddivise casualmente in un gruppo di intervento (n = 13), che ha ricevuto quotidianamente per 8 settimane integratori personalizzati (composti da polvere multivitaminica sportiva con zinco e magnesio, integratore energetico “endurance sugar pump”, stimolatore della sintesi di testosterone e compresse di melatonina), e in un gruppo di controllo (n = 12), che ha seguito la dieta abituale. Risultati. I livelli di creatinchinasi sono aumentati inizialmente nel gruppo di intervento, ma sono diminuiti in modo significativo tra la quarta e l’ottava settimana rispetto ai valori basali, in contrasto con l’aumento progressivo osservato nel gruppo di controllo (p < 0,001). Il gruppo di intervento ha inoltre mostrato valori inferiori di azotemia nelle settimane sette e otto, livelli più alti di testosterone nelle settimane cinque, sette e otto, e livelli inferiori di cortisolo dalla settimana cinque all’ottava rispetto al gruppo di controllo. L’emoglobina è risultata più elevata nel gruppo di intervento nelle settimane quattro, sette e otto, gli indici di affaticamento erano inferiori nelle settimane cinque e otto, e la qualità del sonno è migliorata nella settimana otto (p < 0,05). Conclusioni. L’integrazione nutrizionale personalizzata ha migliorato in modo significativo gli indicatori fisiologici e biochimici chiave, ridotto l’affaticamento e migliorato la qualità del sonno nelle giocatrici di hockey su prato durante l’allenamento invernale, favorendo così un migliore adattamento all’allenamento e un aumento della performance competitiva.

Parole chiave. Atlete di hockey su prato, adattamento all’allenamento invernale, monitoraggio biochimico, integrazione nutrizionale, gestione della fatica, miglioramento della qualità del sonno.

Introduction

With the rapid development of modern competitive sports, scientific and systematic training methods have become the core for enhancing athletes’ performance and preventing sports injuries1,2. Particularly in field hockey, a sport with extremely high physical demands, the scientific nature of training monitoring has a decisive impact on athletes’ performance and health3,4. The Sichuan Women’s Field Hockey Team, as a leading team in Chinese competitive sports (winners of the national championship for eight consecutive years), attracts much attention for their performance in domestic and international competitions; hence, the quality and effectiveness of daily training are crucial for athletes’ performance in key events.

Winter training is a valuable period for enhancing athletes’ physical fitness and skills, and it is also a severe challenge to their physical and psychological endurance5. During this period, athletes need to adapt to high-intensity training loads while maintaining their physical condition and recovery capabilities6,7. Although physiological and biochemical monitoring is considered an effective means of training monitoring, providing objective data on athletes’ physical conditions to the coaching team8, existing research still falls short in practical applications, especially in the area of personalized nutritional supplementation. Personalized nutritional supplementation has become one of the key factors in enhancing athletes’ competitive performance and preventing sports injuries9,10. Current research on the relationship between nutritional supplementation and training load in field hockey players is limited to single nutritional supplements and lacks personalized nutritional supplementation. Blood tests have revealed that iron supplements can improve iron levels in female field hockey players, reduce exercise-induced anemia, and enhance athletic performance11. Cross-sectional studies have found a positive correlation between vitamin D status and maximum intensity exercise performance in adolescent and collegiate field hockey players, suggesting that vitamin D may have a small positive impact on athletes’ performance12. Moreover, there is still a lack of in-depth discussion on how to combine biochemical indicators with the adjustment of training plans13, and how to more accurately assess athletes’ adaptability and recovery. Monitoring biochemical indicators are crucial for assessing athletes’ training load, fatigue recovery, and sleep quality, providing objective data to optimize training programs. Supplements like magnesium and B vitamins have positive effects on athletes’ physiological functions and sports performance. Magnesium, an essential electrolyte, is involved in energy metabolism and muscle contraction, alleviating exercise-induced fatigue and muscle cramps14. B vitamins play a key role in energy production and protein metabolism, helping to relieve training stress and improve sleep quality15.

This study aims to monitor physiological and biochemical indicators of Sichuan Women’s Field Hockey Team athletes during their winter training, combined with personalized nutritional supplementation strategies, to deeply evaluate athletes’ physical training load, fatigue recovery, and sleep status. By monitoring key biochemical indicators such as hemoglobin, blood urea, serum creatine kinase, cortisol, and testosterone, we can more accurately understand athletes’ adaptability to training loads, levels of fatigue, and sleep conditions. The goal is to optimize training effects, prevent overtraining and sports injuries. Through this comprehensive approach, it is expected to provide athletes with more personalized training and nutritional support, thereby improving their competitive performance and health levels. Research hypothesis: personalized nutritional supplementation can effectively improve athletes’ physiological and biochemical indicators, enhancing their adaptability to training loads and recovery capabilities.

Materials and methods

Participants

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Human Experiments at Sichuan Sports College (No: 202411) and strictly adhered to the ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. The subjects of the study were female field hockey players from Sichuan Province. Inclusion criteria included: age between 18 and 30 years; reaching the national competitive level (having won at least the national championship as a key player); at least 5 years of professional training experience; no chronic diseases; and receiving a detailed introduction to the study before its commencement and signing an informed consent form. Exclusion criteria included: a history of severe injuries within the past 3 months; and the use of any medications or supplements that could potentially affect physiological and biochemical indicators (except those provided by the researchers of this study). A total of 25 female field hockey players from Sichuan Province met the criteria and participated in this study. The study was conducted from November to December 2024, over a period of 8 weeks.

Study Design

This study followed the principles of a randomized controlled trial, with a rigorous randomization process for participant grouping. Initially, all eligible participants were numbered using a computer-generated random number sequence, ensuring the randomness of the grouping. Subsequently, a simple random sampling method was employed to equally allocate participants to the intervention group (n = 13) and the control group (n = 12). This process was carried out by an independent researcher who did not participate in subsequent research operations to ensure the fairness and double-blind nature of the grouping. The baseline data between groups (table 1) showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05).




Serum testing

Blood samples of approximately 2 ml were collected from all participants through fasting venipuncture of the antecubital vein every week (a total of 9 times). The collection was performed between 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning. Blood urea and creatine kinase were measured using the Beckman Coulter Automated Biochemistry Analyzer (California, USA). Blood testosterone and cortisol were measured using the Beckman Coulter Chemiluminescent Immunoassay Analyzer (California, USA). Hemoglobin levels were measured using the HemoCue Hb 301 Hemoglobinometer (Sweden).

Questionnaire testing

Fatigue scores were tested every week (a total of 9 times). Participants were asked to mark their fatigue score on a 10 cm line, with the left end representing no fatigue and the right end representing extreme fatigue, a method that has been validated in previous studies16,17. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality of the participants over the past month (tested 3 times: at baseline, week 5, and week 9). The questionnaire consists of 18 self-rated items forming 7 components, with a total score ranging from 0 to 21, where a higher score indicates poorer sleep quality. The reliability of this scale for Chinese subjects ranges from 0.65 to 0.84, and the validity is greater than 0.8518,19.

Nutritional supplement intervention

All participants followed their normal training plan set by the coaching staff, without changing their personal routines or lifestyle habits. On this basis, the intervention group participants received a personalized nutritional monitoring and supplementation program for 12 weeks. The training program included 5 weekly high-intensity interval training sessions (each session consisting of 4-6 sets of 30-second all-out sprints with 4-minute rests between sets) and 2 strength training sessions (including squats, bench presses, etc., 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise). The supplementation protocol was adjusted based on training days. For example, protein supplementation was increased on strength training days, and carbohydrate supplementation was increased on sprint training days, ensuring appropriate nutritional support before and after different types of training.

Referring to the research plan by Yu et al.20, the plan was tailored by sports nutrition experts for each athlete based on their biochemical indicators, body weight, training load, and personal dietary habits, as follows:

• nutritional assessment: a detailed nutritional assessment was conducted for each athlete before starting the study, including dietary history and biochemical indicator analysis;

• dietary log: athletes were asked to record their daily food intake for real-time monitoring and adjustment by the nutrition team;

• nutritional counseling: weekly face-to-face consultations with nutrition experts were held to discuss dietary plans and address any questions or issues;

• nutritional supplements: see table 2 for specific dosage.




Compliance and safety assessment of nutritional supplementation

All nutritional supplements used in the study complied with international anti-doping standards, ensuring the safety and legality of the research. Compliance with the nutritional supplementation plan was assessed through regular checks and interviews, and no participants reported any serious adverse events or health issues.

Statistical analysis

All measured data were processed using SPSS 20.0 to calculate the mean ± standard deviation. This study employed a 2 (groups) × 9 (measurement times) experimental design. The normality of the measured data was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the homogeneity of variances was tested using Levene’s test. If the data did not conform to a normal distribution or if the variances were not homogeneous, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare differences at different time points. If the data conformed to a normal distribution and the variances were homogeneous, a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the main effects of group and time, as well as their interaction. For instance, the F values of ANOVA for creatine kinase were F(8, 208) = 12.34, p < 0.001, indicating significant differences between groups and over time. When there was an interaction, the main effects of time or group were further analyzed; when no interaction was present, the main effects of group or time were analyzed21. Post hoc comparisons within groups at different time points were conducted using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test, ensuring that the overall Type I error rate for each ANOVA did not exceed 0.05. Additionally, a G*Power analysis was conducted to calculate the statistical power, which was 0.89 for this study, providing sufficient statistical power to detect the intervention effects. The significance level was set at α = 0.05.

Results

The statistical analysis results indicate that the data from the two groups of participants across 9 measurements conform to a normal distribution and homogeneity of variances, as determined by the Shapiro-Wilk test and the test for homogeneity of variances. The two-way ANOVA revealed significant interactions between groups and time for creatine kinase (p < 0.001, η² = 0.191), with both group (p < 0.001, η² = 0.189) and time (p = 0.048, η² = 0.069) showing individual effects. For other indicators, there were no interactions between groups and time, but there were main effects of the group for blood urea (p = 0.002, η² = 0.046), testosterone (p < 0.001, η² = 0.074), cortisol (p < 0.001, η² = 0.091), hemoglobin (p = 0.005, η² = 0.038), fatigue scores (p = 0.013, η² = 0.029), and PSQI scores (p = 0.018, η² = 0.023), with time showing a main effect only for testosterone (p = 0.018, η² = 0.023), and no main effect for time for the other indicators (p > 0.05). Post hoc comparisons were conducted using the LSD test to ensure that the overall Type I error rate for each ANOVA did not exceed 0.05.

Within-group comparisons for the intervention group at different time points showed significant changes in creatine kinase compared to baseline at week 1 (p = 0.007) and week 8 (p = 0.025), and compared to week 1 at weeks 4 (p < 0.001), 5 (p = 0.003), 6 (p < 0.001), 7 (p < 0.001), and 8 (p < 0.001), among others. For other indicators, changes were observed, but the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Within-group comparisons for the control group at different time points showed significant increases in creatine kinase compared to baseline at weeks 2 (p = 0.013), 3 (p = 0.003), 4 (p = 0.001), 5 (p = 0.007), 6 (p = 0.024), 7 (p = 0.003), and 8 (p = 0.019), and compared to week 1 at weeks 2 (p = 0.016), 3 (p = 0.004), 4 (p = 0.002), 5 (p = 0.008), 6 (p = 0.030), 7 (p = 0.004), and 8 (p = 0.023). For testosterone, significant decreases were observed at weeks 7 (p = 0.023) and 8 (p = 0.005) compared to baseline, and at weeks 7 (p = 0.029) and 8 (p = 0.007) compared to week 1, and at week 8 (p = 0.029) compared to week 2. For other indicators, changes were observed, but these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Between-group comparisons at the same time points showed no statistically significant differences in any indicators at baseline and week 2 (p > 0.05). However, for creatine kinase, the intervention group had significantly lower levels than the control group at weeks 1 (p = 0.032, η² = 0.184), 3 (p = 0.020, η² = 0.214), 4 (p < 0.001, η² = 0.589), 5 (p = 0.001, η² = 0.405), 6 (p = 0.006, η² = 0.285), 7 (p = 0.001, η² = 0.393), and 8 (p < 0.001, η² = 0.461). For blood urea, the intervention group had significantly lower levels at weeks 7 (p = 0.041, η² = 0.221) and 8 (p = 0.035, η² = 0.178). For testosterone, the intervention group had significantly higher levels at weeks 5 (p = 0.020, η² = 0.214), 7 (p = 0.040, η² = 0.223), and 8 (p = 0.003, η² = 0.333). For cortisol, the intervention group had significantly lower levels at weeks 5 (p = 0.046, η² = 0.155), 6 (p = 0.024, η² = 0.204), 7 (p = 0.005, η² = 0.292), and 8 (p = 0.010, η² = 0.254). For hemoglobin, the intervention group had significantly higher levels at weeks 4 (p = 0.046, η² = 0.136), 7 (p = 0.020, η² = 0.215), and 8 (p = 0.034, η² = 0.181). For fatigue scores, the intervention group had significantly lower levels at weeks 5 (p = 0.038, η² = 0.161) and 8 (p = 0.049, η² = 0.149). For PSQI scores, the intervention group had significantly lower levels at week 8 (p = 0.021, η² = 0.211) compared to the control group (figure 1).




Discussion

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of personalized nutritional supplements on the physiological and biochemical indicators and training adaptability of female field hockey players during their winter training period, with the aim of optimizing athletes’ training effects and competitive performance through scientific nutritional intervention. The study confirmed part of the hypothesis that personalized nutritional supplementation can effectively improve athletes’ physiological and biochemical indicators and enhance their adaptability and recovery capacity to training loads.

Serum indicators

This study found that personalized nutritional supplements had a significant impact on serum indicators. The intervention group showed a significant decrease in CK levels later in the training period, indicating a faster recovery capacity compared to the control group. This may be related to the fructose diphosphate in the endurance sugar pump, which can promote energy recovery in muscles and reduce exercise-induced muscle damage22. The significant reduction in blood urea and cortisol levels in the intervention group suggests that vitamin C and other B vitamins in the zinc-magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder help improve protein metabolism and alleviate training stress23,24. Additionally, the intervention group’s testosterone levels and hemoglobin levels were significantly higher later in the training period, which may be related to the super testosterone complex in the testosterone synthesis pump and vitamin B6 in the melatonin tablets promoting muscle synthesis and oxygen-carrying capacity25.

The results of this study are consistent with existing research in terms of changes in CK and testosterone levels20, indicating that appropriate nutritional supplementation can promote recovery and improve performance. The effects of reduced blood urea and cortisol are not commonly seen in previous studies, which may be related to the specific ingredients and dosages of personalized nutritional supplements in this study, such as magnesium and vitamin C in the zinc-magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder, which play a role in reducing inflammation and stress responses.

The improvement in athletes’ serum indicators with personalized nutritional supplements may be related to several mechanisms. Firstly, promoting energy metabolism and muscle repair22. The soluble barley starch and fructose diphosphate in the endurance sugar pump help to quickly replenish muscle energy, reduce CK release, and speed up recovery after training. Secondly, maintaining protein metabolism and stress reduction23. Magnesium and vitamin C in the zinc-magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder help improve protein metabolism, alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation caused by training, thereby reducing blood urea and cortisol levels. Additionally, regulating hormone levels24. The super testosterone complex in the testosterone synthesis pump and other ingredients may regulate hormone levels, increase testosterone, enhance muscle synthesis, and strength. Lastly, improving oxygen-carrying capacity25. Zinc and vitamin B6 in the zinc-magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder may contribute to hemoglobin synthesis, improve oxygen-carrying capacity, and thus enhance endurance and performance. In summary, the positive effects of personalized nutritional supplements in this study are consistent with the biological actions of specific ingredients, which work together through different mechanisms to effectively improve athletes’ serum indicators, supporting the effectiveness of personalized nutritional supplements in enhancing athletes’ training adaptability and competitive performance.

Fatigue index and sleep quality

This study found that the fatigue index of the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group at the fifth and eighth weeks, and the PSQI scores were also significantly reduced at the eighth week. This suggests that nutritional supplements have a positive effect on alleviating fatigue and improving sleep quality in athletes during training.

These results are consistent with previous research, especially regarding the role of specific nutrients such as vitamin B complex and melatonin in improving sleep quality and reducing feelings of fatigue26,27. Vitamin B6, included in the zinc-magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder, plays a key role in the synthesis of melatonin, an important hormone for regulating sleep cycles. Our study also found that supplementing with specific nutrients can significantly improve sleep quality and reduce fatigue. What is different is that the nutritional supplements in this study were specially designed for female field hockey players, taking into account their specific needs during high-intensity training periods.

The improvement in athletes’ fatigue index and sleep quality with personalized nutritional supplements may be related to several mechanisms. Firstly, promoting energy metabolism and muscle repair28. Ingredients such as rice bran fat alcohol, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B complex in the zinc-magnesium multi-vitamin sports nutrition powder help optimize energy metabolism and support muscle repair, thereby reducing fatigue after training. Soluble barley starch and electrolytes in the endurance sugar pump help maintain hydration and electrolyte balance, reducing muscle fatigue29. Additionally, the super testosterone complex and related ingredients in the testosterone synthesis pump may help regulate hormone levels30, including testosterone, which may play a role in recovery and sleep quality improvement31. The vitamin B6 and melatonin in the melatonin tablets taken directly participate in sleep regulation32, helping to improve sleep quality, especially in athletes with higher PSQI scores. In summary, the positive effects of personalized nutritional supplements in this study are consistent with the biological actions of specific ingredients, which work together through different mechanisms to effectively reduce athletes’ feelings of fatigue and improve sleep quality.

Limitations

While this study provides scientific training monitoring data for the Sichuan Women’s Field Hockey Team, it does have certain limitations. Firstly, although the study included all athletes from the Sichuan Women’s Field Hockey Team, the sample size is relatively small, which may affect the generalizability of the results. Secondly, the study’s timeframe is limited to the winter training period and does not cover the entire training and competition cycle, thus preventing a comprehensive assessment of long-term effects. Additionally, the study primarily focuses on physiological and biochemical indicators and does not fully integrate athletes’ performance data, such as match scores and skill tests, which limits the ability to fully assess the training effects. Individual differences, such as genotype, metabolic type, and personal nutritional needs, which could significantly impact the effectiveness of nutritional supplements, were not fully considered in this study. Therefore, future research should expand the sample size, extend the research period, combine multidimensional data, and consider individual differences and long-term effects to provide more comprehensive and personalized nutrition and training guidance, thereby more effectively optimizing athletes’ training effects and competitive performance.

Conclusion

This study confirms that personalized nutritional supplements can effectively improve the physiological and biochemical indicators of female field hockey players, reduce fatigue during training, and enhance sleep quality, thereby enhancing their training adaptability and competitive performance. These findings provide a scientific basis for the nutritional supplementation of female field hockey players.

Conflicts of interest. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding. This work was supported by the Central Guidance for Local Science and Technology Development Fund Projects (2024ZYD0001).

Authors’ contribution. LQ and XFL: designing this study, writing initial draft and revision, revising language and content, supervision, project administration, and funding acquisition. LQ: making figure and table. LQ: rechecking the manuscript and putting forward suggestions for amendment. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Group author members. Li Qian, Xuefeng Liu.

Acknowledgements. We thank the athletes who participated in the experiment.

Data availability statement. The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement. This study involving humans was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Sichuan Sports College (No: 202411). All the participants have signed an informed consent.

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