Physiological and Nutritional Considerations for Elite Squash: A Systematic Review

Purpose

To systematically review all the physiological and nutritional research conducted in squash to guide practitioners and researchers on how best to interpret the data, while identifying gaps in the literature to determine future directions of research within squash.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, studies investigating an aspect of physiology or nutrition within squash were identified using scientific databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and SPORTDiscus, from March 2022 to October 2023.

Results

Of the 1208 studies identified, 35 met the inclusion criteria across a variety of physiological and nutritional topics, such as the physiological demands of squash, anthropometric and physiological characteristics of squash players, squash-specific performance tests, training demands of squash, nutritional requirements of squash, hydration demands of squash, nutrition knowledge of squash players, and nutritional supplements for squash players. Ten studies had poor methodological quality, 19 as fair, four as good, and two as excellent. Seventeen out of 35 studies included were undertaken post the 2009 rule change, and 14 studies were conducted on either elite or world class players. Twenty-nine of the studies involved male players, with 15 involving female players.

Conclusion

Much of the physiological and nutritional literature is of low quality and outdated. We present future research focuses throughout the review, such as quantifying the game characteristics of male and female players, the energy expenditures during a training and competition microcycle, and the efficacy of certain nutritional supplements. These efforts aim to create sport specific guidelines and advance evidence-based practice within squash.