Effects of Diet and Nutrition on Musculoskeletal Health

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that diet, nutrition and musculoskeletal (MSK) health are deeply intertwined across the lifespans of humans, ranging from the impacts of habitual malnutrition on early development and later frailty to overfeeding leading to significant and worsening MSK disorders. This is coupled with the growing quality and quantity of evidence showing that nutritional interventions can ameliorate some of these dietary-imposed negative health impacts. Evidence from dietary pattern changes, partial diet alterations, manipulations of the macro- and micronutrient environment, and complementary actions to physical activity/exercise interventions show the impacts that nutritional adaptations can have on the composition and health of our locomotive apparatus.

In recent years, there has been increased scholarly focus on nutraceutical alternatives for pharmaceutical interventions, particular for MSK pain and immune function. Although the field is in its scientific infancy and there is much work to be carried out, some promising results from ‘functional foods’ are becoming more present in the literature. These advances are supported by the growing use of molecular techniques to elucidate the mechanistic rationale for proposed actions and providing further support for more rudimentary or earlier findings. The use of these more advanced insights and technological developments in the fields of nutrigenomics and molecular nutrition could open up an exciting future for the development of our nutritional understanding of MSK health and functional performance.

While these developments are promising, there are many gaps in our understanding and much room for new knowledge and discoveries. Therefore, this Special Issue invites submissions of original works exploring topics aligned with the effects of diet and nutrition on musculoskeletal health.

Dr. Shane Heffernan
Dr. Georgina Stebbings
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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