Sports Nutrition and Diet

The Dietitian provides individual and group/team nutrition counseling and education to enhance the performance of competitive and recreational athletes, on-site and during travel. Primary responsibilities include counseling individuals and groups on daily nutrition for performance and health; translating the latest scientific evidence into practical sports nutrition recommendations; tracking and documenting outcomes of nutrition services, serving as a food and nutrition resource for coaches, trainers, and parents; providing sports nutrition education for health/wellness programs, athletic teams, and community groups; and maintaining professional competency and skills required for professional practice.

Individual Nutrition Counseling

• Assesses and analyzes dietary practices, body composition, and energy balance (intake and expenditure) of athletes in the context of athletic performance and health.
• Counsels athletes on optimal nutrition for exercise training (match nutrition to training phases and goals), competition, recovery from exercise, weight management, hydration, immunity, disordered eating, travel, and supplementation.
• Counsels athletes on achieving and maintaining a level of body mass, body fat, and muscle mass that is consistent with good health and good performance.
• Provides personalized meal and snack plans to promote achieving short- and long-term goals for athletic performance and good health.
• Develops and counsels in hydration protocols.
• Addresses nutritional challenges to performance, such as food allergies, bone mineral disturbances, gastrointestinal disturbances, iron depletion, and iron-deficiency anemia.
•  Provides medical nutrition therapy, as needed, to help manage or treat medical conditions.
• Counsels athletes on optimal nutrition for recovery from illness or injury.
• Coordinates nutritional care as a member of multidisciplinary sports medical/sports science teams.
• Provides liaison with in and out-patient programs for conditions such as disordered eating.
• Evaluates nutritional supplements, including herbal supplements, for legality, safety, quality, and efficacy; monitors use of appropriate supplementation.
• Collaborates with the individual’s family, physician, coach, and other health professionals, as appropriate.
• Develops resources to support educational efforts.
• Educates in food selection (grocery store tours, food storage) and food preparation (cooking classes).
• Documents nutrition services provided and evaluates the effectiveness of nutrition strategies towards meeting desired outcomes using the Nutrition Care Process.

Nutrition Education for Teams, Groups, or Wellness Programs

• Develops and delivers nutrition education presentations, demonstrations, or events on various topics related to nutrition for performance.
• Plans menus for training table and team travel.
• Recommends appropriate pre-, during, and post-exercise fluids and snacks for individual training, team practice, and competition.
• Provides individual nutrition counseling as needed.
• Serves as a nutrition resource for coaches, teachers, trainers, food service personnel, and parents.