Top 5 Reasons to Work with a Sports Dietitian

1. Allowing non-credential and unqualified individuals to consult with athletes past anything regarding basic nutrition creates a liability for your organization. Advice that can seem common sense and benign, like supplement recommendations or macronutrient & micronutrient recommendations can cause complications, especially if a pre-existing medical condition or medications were not considered.

Sports dietitians understand the intricacies of human metabolism, nutrient-drug interactions, specific dietary needs for athletes and warning signs of disordered eating and eating disorders. As stated above, non-credentialed and unqualified people can provide recommendations that may actually do more harm than benefit because they lack the knowledge to ask appropriate questions and provide holistic recommendations that take lifestyle, medical history, hormonal status, etc., into account.

2. Sports dietitians are uniquely qualified to assess supplements and fortified foods for safety, efficacy and quality - all aspects that protect athletes’ health and eligibility.

Sports dietitians are well-versed in banned substances, 3rd party testing and the metabolic implications of taking supplements. Dietitians remain up-to-date on current research investigating the safety and efficacy of supplements, and apply this research to real-life athletic populations and situations.

3. Sports dietitians act as an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team to offer complete care to athletes. (Athletic Trainers, Strength Coaches, Psychologists, Physicians, and Chefs).

Nutrition interventions are an important part of an athlete’s overall health, both physical and mental. Sports dietitians work with athletic trainers and physicians to make sure athletes do not have nutritional deficiencies, assess immune function and to prevent injuries. Sports dietitians collaborate with strength and conditioning coaches to compliment the goals of their training programs, reduce the likelihood of overtraining and increase recovery. Sports dietitians are also imperative in working with psychologists in treating eating disorders and making sure there are no nutritional interactions with any medications athletes may be taking for their mental health.

4. Sports dietitians positively impact performance and reduce training/competition time lost due to injury/illness.

Nutrition interventions and strategies should be implemented as soon as an injury occurs. They have the expertise to work 1:1 with injured athletes to provide individualized recommendations for recovery and provide education and solutions in order to prevent the likelihood of recurring injuries.

5. Sports dietitians teach athletes real-life skills through experiences like cooking demos, meal planning and grocery store tours.

Every athlete is different when it comes to food availability, kitchen/appliance availability, cooking skills, independent meal planning or the ability to construct a menu on their own, navigating grocery stores, food preferences and more. Dietitians are able to take these factors into account and meet athletes/families where they are at, and still provide individualized services to optimize an athlete’s performance.

- Claire Igoe MS, RD, LD

ACES Nation Sport Nutrition Specialist