The Information Paradox: Distinguishing Nutrition Science from Digital Noise

In its tenth year of advancing the standards of performance nutrition in Ireland, HPX 2026 explores the complex Information Paradox facing practitioners and researchers, where global connectivity has accelerated the spread of sensationalised research findings and pseudoscience.

Chaired by Dr. SarahJane Cullen (DCU), the opening session is led by Dr. Sharon Madigan and Prof. Kate Pumpa. Together, they will examine how high-quality sports nutrition research should be conducted, identify poor publishing practices and predatory science, and outline strategies to translate robust, trustworthy data into elite practice.

Through a lens of critical scrutiny, attendees will uncover true science in action, from research in carbohydrate oxidation with Dr. Gareth Wallis to the real-world integration of physiological data with performance nutrition by Dr. Conor Raleigh and Lorenz Kissling. This leads into a dedicated feature block, ‘Shiny New Toys’, which brings together three distinct perspectives on emerging tech and trends in nutrition. Dr. Nicola Guess opens with a crucial reality check on the implementation, interpretation, and dietary recommendations surrounding Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for athletes. Gut biology specialist Dr. Orla O'Sullivan follows with an exploration of the realities and hype around the athlete gut microbiome, before digital health researcher Dr. Claire Timon examines the practical applications and emerging role of AI in modern dietetics.

This year's conference challenges those working in the sports nutrition industry, including practitioners and coaches, to move beyond the hype, questioning the science with the professional understanding that not all science is made equal.

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