Editorial: Integrating Evidence and Expertise to Advance Elite Athlete Performance

It is our great privilege to introduce this special issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, which highlights the recently published Consensus Statements—Optimizing Performance of the Elite Athlete. The special issue brings together a collection of consensus statements and recommendations developed by a global panel of experts, alongside nine comprehensive reviews that deepen our understanding of the critical factors influencing elite athletic performance and health. The consensus statements [1] emerged from the International Elite Sport Consensus Conference held in November 2024 at the University of Copenhagen, co-hosted with Team Denmark and supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Team Denmark. The conference united 29 experts from diverse backgrounds, including scientists, clinicians, a few coaches, and athletes. The resulting 19 consensus statements emphasize the necessity of individualized, sport-specific approaches to training, nutrition, injury management, and the application of emerging technologies, while highlighting education as a cornerstone for optimizing both performance and athlete well-being. We are very pleased that the consensus statements and reviews have received so much attention with presently more than 50 000 reads. This special issue offers rich, detailed insights through reviews spanning key domains essential to elite sport. Joyner [2] reflects on five decades of practice and research in endurance training, providing valuable perspectives on the evolution of training paradigms. Complementing this, Bangsbo and colleagues [3] present the latest advances in speed endurance training, while Hostrup and Deshmukh [4] explore fiber type–specific muscular adaptations unveiled through proteome analyses. The concept of physiological resilience and its trainability, a burgeoning area of interest, is thoughtfully examined by Jones and Kirby [5]. All topics are providing frameworks for future research and practice. Nutrition, a critical pillar of athletic performance, is examined through the lens of personalized nutrition by Sutehall and Pitsiladis [6], while Egan [7] provides a thought-provoking analysis of exogenous ketone supplementation and its impact on substrate utilization during exercise. Recognizing the unique challenges female athletes face, Hackney et al. [8] review the effects of the menstrual cycle on performance and training adaptations, underscoring a historically underexplored area. In addition, Jeppesen and co-authors [9] investigate the molecular and endocrine consequences of short-term severe low energy availability, a condition with significant implications for athlete health and performance. Injury prevention and management remain central to sustaining elite performance, addressed comprehensively by Kjær et al. [10] who discuss the complex dilemmas surrounding tendon overuse, muscle strain, and rupture. The consensus statements, reinforced by the expertly authored reviews, provide an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, coaches, and athletes committed to evidence-based practice. They also highlight significant gaps in knowledge, particularly regarding female athletes, reinforcing the imperative for continued, multidisciplinary collaboration to advance the science and practice of elite sport. We commend all contributors for their dedication to expanding the frontier of human performance science. We encourage readers to engage deeply with this special issue “Optimizing Performance of the Elite Athlete”, fostering critical reflection, inspiring innovative research, and ultimately enhancing the health and performance of athletes at the highest levels. The conference was supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Team Danmark. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Research data are not shared.