Table 1.

The Paper-2-Podium (P-2-P) Matrix: an operational framework to evaluate the translational potential of performance nutrition research

Score	− 2	− 1	0	+ 1	+ 2
Research context	Non-human cells and no exercise condition (mechanistic study)	Non-human cells but exercise condition (mechanistic study)	Human cell type in vitro study (mechanistic study)	Human participants and exercise performance measures (applied study)	Human participants, exercise performance measures and evaluation of mechanisms (applied and mechanistic study)
Research participants	Levels of participants not reported	Inappropriate age group or training status for the context required	Inappropriate training status of the participants for the context required (with defined criteria) although in required age group	Close to appropriate training status for the context required. e.g. trained level participants when wanting to translate to elite athletes (with defined criteria), and in the required age group	The same training status for the context required, e.g. elite level participants when wanting to translate to elite athletes (with defined criteria) and in required age group
Research design	No control group and no blinding of intervention. No consideration of sample size	Randomisation of participant allocation to treatment in matched pairs design, inclusion of control group but no blinding of intervention. No consideration of sample size	Randomised cross-over trial with repeated measures or matched groups design, inclusion of control group but no blinding of intervention. Sample size commensurate with previous research in the area but no sample size calculations provided	Randomised cross over trial with repeated measures or matched groups design with single blind placebo- controlled conditions. Sample size commensurate with previous research in the area but no sample size calculations provided	Randomised cross over trial with repeated measures or matched groups and double- blind placebo- controlled conditions. A priori sample size calculation provided and justified
Dietary and exercise controls	No reference to dietary or exercise controls	Methods of dietary and exercise control cited (but limited to subject self-reporting) and no objective data provided	Methods of dietary and exercise control cited (but limited to subject self-reporting) supported by relevant objective data	Dietary provision provided by researchers, exercise control cited, supported by relevant objective data but limited replication to real-world context	Dietary provision provided by researchers, exercise control cited, supported by relevant objective data and representative of real-world context
Validity and reliability	No inclusion of familiarisation trial or citation of reliability data and measurement tool error. Exercise protocol not representative of the relevant exercise modality nor valid to real-world context	Inclusion of familiarisation trial but no citation of reliability data or measurement tool error. Exercise protocol not representative of the relevant exercise modality nor valid to real-world context	Inclusion of familiarisation trial and citation of reliability data and measurement tool error. Exercise protocol not representative of the relevant exercise modality nor valid to real-world context	Inclusion of familiarisation trial and citation of reliability data and measurement tool error. Exercise protocol is representative of the relevant exercise modality but limited to a laboratory- based protocol that is not valid to real-world context	Inclusion of familiarisation trial and citation of reliability data and measurement tool error. Exercise protocol is representative of the relevant exercise modality and includes both laboratory- and field- based protocols that are applicable to real-world context
Data analytics	Analytics not reported or performed	Analytics reported but limited to descriptive statistics	Analytics reported and appropriate significance or MBI tests provided	Analytics reported, appropriate significance or MBI tests provided and effect sizes included	Analytics reported, appropriate significance or MBI tests provided, effect sizes included and presentation of individual responses to treatment intervention if appropriate
Having assessed the relevant paper from a research design perspective, the below criteria evaluate the feasibility of application in relation to the practitioner’s chosen sporting context
Feasibility of application	Outside the budget constraints of the organisation. Complex to implement, e.g. daily long term supplementation and low chance of compliance	Could be within budget constraints but complex to implement and low chance of compliance	Within budget constraints, reasonable to implement and some chance of compliance	Cheap to implement, simple to implement and good chance of compliance	Cheap to implement, extremely simple to implement and minimal risk of non-compliance
Risk/reward	High risk in terms of anti-doping violation or safety of the intervention. No safety data available. Potential to impair performance through high risk of adverse side effects. Optimum dose not stated or unknown	Minimal risk in terms of anti-doping violation but no safety data available. Potential to impair performance through high risk of adverse side effects. Optimum dose not stated or unknown	Minimal risk in terms of anti-doping violation and safety data available. Some potential side effects, e.g. GI discomfort that may reduce performance. Optimal dose suggested but unclear	Minimal risk in terms of anti-doping violation and safety data available. Low risk of side effects that may reduce performance. Optimal dose suggested but unclear	Minimal risk in terms of anti-doping violation and safety data available. Solid evidence of no side effects and optimal dose clear
Timing of intervention	Not age-appropriate. Time available for dosing is not suitable and/or is too close to the major competition to warrant testing the new strategy	Age-appropriate for the athlete. Time available for dosing is not suitable and/or is too close to the major competition to warrant testing the new strategy	Age-appropriate for the athlete. Time available for dosing is not considered optimal but could be effective. Time from the major competition is not sufficient to warrant testing the new strategy	Age-appropriate for the athlete. Time available for dosing is not considered optimal but could be effective. Time from the major competition is sufficient to warrant testing the new strategy.	Age-appropriate for the athlete. Time available for dosing is considered optimal to be effective. Time from the major competition is also sufficient to warrant testing the new strategy
Scores	Negative score Exercise caution when applying the data in practice		0 score—low positive May be an appropriate study to guide implementation although some caution is needed	Moderate to high positive score An appropriate study to guide practice

Where relevant, the P-2-P Matrix should be used alongside the supporting text in the paper to accommodate the nuances inherent to performance nutrition related research

GI gastrointestinal, MBI magnitude-based inference