Efeitos do uso de suplementos nutricionais no desempenho esportivo e na composição corporal em esportes de combate: uma revisão de literatura

Abstract

Introduction: Nutritional supplementation has been widely used as an ergogenic resource to optimize the physical performance and body composition of athletes in combat sports. Objective: To analyze the effects of the use of nutritional supplements on sports performance and body composition of combat sports athletes. Methods: This is an integrative literature review, outlined by the PICO strategy. The search was carried out in the PubMed and SciELO databases, with descriptors controlled by DeCS and MeSH, combined by the Boolean operators AND and OR. Clinical trials and observational studies with combat sports athletes, published between 2010 and 2025, in English, Portuguese or Spanish were included. Studies with animal models, reviews, meta-analyses, pediatric populations, pregnant women, elderly people or individuals with chronic diseases were excluded. Methodological quality was assessed using the Downs and Black scale. Results: 12 studies were included, involving judo, taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and wrestling athletes. Caffeine and sodium bicarbonate were the supplements with the most consistent results, promoting improvements in anaerobic power, modalities-specific performance and effort tolerance. Creatine has demonstrated efficacy mainly in combined protocols. HMB has shown promise to preserve fat-free mass during periods of calorie restriction. Amino acids such as BCAA, arginine, and citrulline reduced markers of central fatigue. Conclusion: Nutritional supplementation can promote sports performance in combat sports athletes, with a higher level of evidence for caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, and creatine.