Since 2022, the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health has been collaborating with the Olympic Training Center (Olympiastützpunkt, OSP) Bavaria. The partnership will now be extended and expanded for the next Olympic cycle (2025–2028).
Professor Dr. Karsten Köhler, head of the professorship, welcomes the continuation of the collaboration and explains: “We contribute our scienific expertise in sports nutrition, which benefits athletes, coaches, training scientists, and other actors who work with the Olympic Training Center. This includes, for example, nutritional coaching for individual athletes or groups.” He also emphasizes: "Our collaboration with the OSP is not an industry partnership involving commissioned research in the traditional sense – it is not a one-way street, but a genuine exchange on equal footing. The questions we address are evidence-based and highly relevant in practice."
The cooperation is financially supported by the Olympic Training Center. These funds support two scientific staff members, Maja Morell and Elizabete Laivina, who are active in both research projects and the support of elite athletes.
According to Prof. Köhler, all approximately 857 athletes affiliated with the OSP have access to support from the professorship: "Naturally, we prioritize in coordination with the DOSB based on potential – for example, sports in which nutrition has a major impact on performance development, or particularly promising athletes." However, he stresses the importance of grassroots support as well: "We start early with scientific guidance in the area of nutrition education, working with institutions such as athlete residences to create optimal conditions for young athletes."
Of course, it’s not only the athletes who profit. The collaboration provides the professorship with access to high-performance athletes for scientific studies. It also opens up opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation with training scientists, biomechanists, and sports physicians. "We also benefit from the expertise contributed by the national sports federations on site. This gives us the opportunity to use our measurement technology directly in training camps or facilities and conduct state-of-the-art assessments – under real conditions of elite sport, which we would otherwise only be able to simulate," says Prof. Köhler. This access to practical application, not typically available in conventional academic research, is a clear advantage for the Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health.
The collaboration is not limited to a single sport but spans numerous disciplines. According to Prof. Köhler, this leads to a broad application and continuous development of scientific methods. Moreover, the close practical interaction with athletes consistently raises new, scientifically relevant questions. Insights can thus not only be directly translated into practice but also inspire new research approaches based on real-world experience.
This is also a highlight for team member Maja Morell: "The close collaboration between TUM and the OSP allows me to work 'dynamically.' Through seminars and exchange at TUM, I stay up to date with current research. At the same time, questions that arise from practical experience can be explored through systematic data collection and critical discussion."
Prof. Köhler is also focused on the long-term advantages: "The goal of the collaboration is to ensure athlete support at the highest scientific level – and to accompany it with research whenever possible. This can lead to new projects, for which we ideally secure additional third-party funding, for instance from the Federal Institute of Sport Science (BISP) or other funding bodies."
Team member Elizabete Laivina also draws a positive conclusion: “The collaboration between the OSP and TUM provides an outstanding opportunity to translate cutting-edge scientific knowledge into practical strategies for enhancing athletic performance. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler, the dedicated research team ensures that evidence-based methods can be directly applied with athletes. At the same time, the close interaction with athletes and coaches at the OSP helps identify new research questions and uncover potential gaps in existing science that can guide future investigations.”
Link to the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health website
Linke to the website Bavarian Olympic Training Centre
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler
Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health
TUM Campus im Olympiapark
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 München
Tel.: 089 289 24488
E-Mail: karsten.koehler(at)tum.de
Text: Jasmin Schol
Photos: OSP Bavaria/Privat