The aim of the investigation was to review experimental articles and patents referring to corn-based nutritional products for sportspeople published in the period 1970–2019. Publications were searched in the ISI Web of Science and Scopus databases, as well as the Google Scholar and Google Patents internet search engines. Factorial combinations of the keywords (“Zea mays” or “maize” or “corn”) and (“athlete” or “sport”) were applied. Most papers and patents were published in the period 2010–2019 by researchers affiliated to the USA and China – the two largest global producers of corn. Altogether, 65 patents and 16 articles were recorded. Inventors patented food supplements based on corn-derived saccharides and proteins. Empirical articles were devoted to the impact of corn-based food products on health of sportspeople, evaluation of the impact of length of consumption on the metabolism and performance of athletes, as well the frequency of use and acceptance of nutritional products based on corn by sportspeople. Despite growing interest in the application of corn constituents in nutritional products for sportspeople, further investigations are strongly desirable.
Vegan and vegetarian diets have become increasingly popular in developed countries. The aim of the research presented here is to review publications referring to the role of plants, algae, bacteria and fungi in the diet of vegan and vegetarian sportsmen published in the period 2000-2021. The review of the literature was based on peer-reviewed original full-text articles and patents using the ISI Web of Science database, as well as the Google Scholar and Google Patents search engines. Factorial combinations of the following keywords were applied: (‘plant’ or ‘alga’ or ‘fungus’ or ‘cyanobacteria’) and (‘athlete’ or ‘sport’) and (‘food’ or ‘nutrition’ or ‘diet’) and (‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’). The survey of the literature, carried out according to PRISMA statements, showed that many taxa canbe used in manufacturing products enhancing sport nutrition, athletic performance, mental alertness, physical health, preventing disorders and controlling body weight.Numerous authors found that the ingestion of plant constituents such as caffeine and proteins enhances muscle growth and recovery. Other investigations indicated the occurrence of beneficial effects, as well as imperfections, ofnon-animal diets. The performed investigations documented that acceptance of vegan and vegetarian diets flows from religious and ethical beliefs, as well as the advantages of sustainable eating practices.
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