Functional foods, which are medicinal, provide health benefits beyond its energy and essential nutrients. The proposed literature review highlights nutraceutical advancements in sports physiology and performance. The review focuses on recent innovations and applications of nutraceutical formulation in the sports industry. The scientific-based evidence and reports presented were elucidated from Advance Search, Elsevier, NCBI, and peer-reviewed journals. Literature documents have revealed the emerging effect of polyphenols and flavonoids in muscle performance, especially Quercetin, Resveratrol, and green tea catechins, which also protect muscle cardiovascular fibers against oxidative stress induced by ischemia. It is widely clear that athletes do extensive exercises and good nutrition to provide maximum results. Nutraceuticals and dietary supplements are now commonly used to enhance and improve the health and performance of athletes. This has triggered the sale of nutraceuticals in the market and stores and gyms are selling hundreds of supplements. These nutritional supplements are usually claimed to improve strength, performance, and stamina, help build lean muscle, and burn excess fat. The current understanding of muscle damage and pain couples muscle damage and associated pain with generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, and inflammation. Mounting bodies of evidence have substantiated the utility of several plants, plant extracts, and phytochemicals as Nutripharmacotherapeutic interventions to scavenge ROS and ameliorate inflammation. The medicinal herbs have shown promising therapeutic effects in supporting sports performance and helping manage sports injuries.
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