Sports Dietetics

by Megan Cooper

There are many different areas within the dietetics profession. The area that is most interesting to me is sports dietetics. I was involved in dance, tumbling, and cheerleading from the beginning of elementary until the end of high school. It really wasn’t until I was nearing the end of high school that I began to realize just how important nutrition is in regards to physical performance. I think back now to all the times I didn’t eat before practice or before competitions and I wonder how much better I would have felt and how much better I would have performed if I would have been more knowledgeable about nutrition and how it affected my performance. After graduating high school, I knew I had to find some different ways to stay physically active, so I began weight lifting, jogging, and trying various fitness classes. At this point, I was studying nutrition and dietetics and I was becoming even more aware of the benefits of both nutrition and exercise. Some of the health benefits associated with consuming a healthy, balanced diet include weight control and reduced risk for many diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Some of the benefits of exercise include weight control, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and certain types of cancer, stronger bones and muscles, and improved mental health and mood (Physical Activity and Health, 2018). I believe there are so many benefits that can be gained from exercise and from eating a healthful, balanced diet that I cannot understand why anyone would not want to live a healthy, active lifestyle! Since I believe nutrition and physical activity go hand in hand, it ultimately led me to my goal of wanting to become a sports dietitian.

http://www.pointssports.com/sports-nutrition-news-from-the-academy-of-nutrition-dietetics/

What exactly is a sports dietitian?

“A sports dietitian provides individual and group/team nutrition counseling and education to enhance the performance of competitive and recreational athletes, on-site and during travel” (Clark & Steinmuller, 2012). Sports dietitians may work in individual nutrition counseling to assess and analyze dietary practices, body composition, and energy balance of athletes, counsel athletes on optimal nutrition for exercise training, competition, recovery from exercise, weight management, hydration, and supplementation, and provide meal and snack plans to help athletes achieve athletic performance goals. Sports dietitians may also work in food service and menu development and coordinate pre and post competition meals and snacks, purchase nutritional supplements, and deliver nutrition education to food service personnel. Sports dietitians may also provide nutrition education for teams, groups, or wellness programs (Clark & Steinmuller, 2012). Some of the skills needed to become a sports dietitian include communication, presentation, and counseling skills, ability to accurately assess height, weight, body composition, and energy balance, knowledge of nutritional supplements, knowledge of rules and regulations of athletic governing bodies regarding banned drugs and restricted substances, and knowledge of measurements of resting metabolic rate, energy expenditure, VO2max, and lactate threshold (Clark & Steinmuller, 2012). 

http://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/food-for-thought/#sthash.rCK19FFa.dpbs

How do you become a sports dietitian?

The first step is completing a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. After that, a dietetic internship must be completed and the Commission on Dietetic Registration exam to become credentialed as a Registered Dietitian must be taken and passed. Once you are officially an RD, a minimum of two years of experience, preferably in a sports nutrition setting, is required in order to become a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). The NCAA Sport Science Institute (SSI), Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), and the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) are all organizations that you can become a member of now if you want to get more involved in sports dietetics.

https://www.cdrnet.org/certifications/board-certification-as-a-specialist-in-sports-dietetics

References

Board Certification as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics. (2018). Retrieved from                 https://www.cdrnet.org/certifications/board-certification-as-a-specialist-in-sports-dietetics.

Clark, N. (2012, Nov.) Sports Nutrition News from The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. Retrieved from                 http://www.pointssports.com/sports-nutrition-news-from-the-academy-of-nutrition-dietetics/.

Clark, N., & Steinmuller, P. (2012, Oct. 1). RD Career Path: Sports Nutrition. Retrieved from Ph                https://www.scandpg.org/careers-and-students/sports-dietetics/.

Physical Activity and Health. (2018, Feb. 13). Retrieved from       https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm.

Stark, R. (2015). Food for Thought. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/food-for-                thought/#sthash.rCK19FFa.dpbs.