Series review and commentary on sports nutrition (part 1): current status, issues, and strategies of sports nutrition food standards in China

With the steady implementation of the Healthy China Strategy and upgraded health-conscious consumption， China’s sports nutrition food industry is undergoing rapid expansion. However， the technical requirements in the current national food safety standards for sports nutrition food still need further refinement， while the scientific regulatory system and evidence base for ingredient efficacy need strengthening. By analyzing global experiences in sports nutrition food development， this study systematically maps China’s standardization progress and regulatory landscape in this field， identifies key challenges， integrates international evidence-based research frameworks， and proposes strategies to establish a scientific evidence-based system through the “Series Review and Commentary on Sports Nutrition”. The series focuses on the ingredients in domestic and international sports nutrition food， employing a three-tiered analytical framework for food safety risk assessment： metabolic characteristics and physiological functions， regulatory approval status across countries and regions， and clinical evidence from systematic reviews， meta-analyses， and randomized controlled trials， thereby providing scientific basis for revising and developing national food safety standards， and references for sports nutrition practices.