In this modern era of sport, athletic success is not only a result of talent and dedicated training but also the importance that modern athletes place on their training, recovery and nutrition strategy. Of all the above elements the importance of nutrition within modern sport has now become a vital factor for athletes attempting to be successful, and herein lies the significant role that sports nutritionists play.

The role of sports nutritionist is to provide the modern athlete with food plans which are effective when carried out with training, are beneficial for their performance in sport and are helpful for recovery and health in the wider sense. Through detailed planning, advice and support from the nutritionist, athletes are educated on the ideal way in which to fuel their body in order to compete at a high level and in the modern age of advancement within sports science, nutritionists have become an important member of professional sports teams and training centres around the globe.

Understanding the role of a sports nutritionist

The definition of a sports nutritionist is a health care professional trained to give advice on food and nutrition in relation to health and sporting performance. The core task role of a sports nutritionist is to form nutritional plans based on individual factors related to the needs of a given athlete.

Because of the variations within sports and therefore varying demands placed upon the body through sport, nutritionists consider the individual factors of a particular athlete; their age, body composition, activity being performed and duration of training, competition being conducted etc to create suitable food plans that will cater to the nutritional needs of that athlete. The nutritionist uses scientific facts to give advice to athletes so they consume a nutritionally balanced diet.

Fueling Athletic Performance

Food is the fuel of the body and therefore nutritionist plans are devised to provide the body with adequate carbohydrates, protein and fats needed during intense sporting activity and during intensive training. Carbohydrates are required for a significant amount of energy during sustained activity, protein for repair of muscle tissue and to encourage growth, and fats for long term energy requirements and body function. The nutritionist will calculate what level of each nutritional component an athlete requires on an individual basis and this allows the athlete to obtain maximum sporting performance and efficiency as it has been provided from an efficient nutrient profile allowing maximum speed, strength and endurance to be maintained.

Supporting Recovery and Muscle Repair

Similarly to the training session the recovery phase should be regarded as important as the training session. The body is under a lot of stress during an intensive training session and needs time and nutrients in order to recover. Failing to encourage recovery during the body will cause fatigue and reduced performance, injuries will increase and fatigue will develop faster than otherwise thought. It is the nutritionist’s role to provide a nutrition diet that allows muscles to repair themselves and restore what was lost during the training session, and that this happens efficiently with a minimal chance of injury or exhaustion and also that they maintain an appropriate intake of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ensure rapid repair.

Maintaining Hydration

Fluid loss is inevitable during sport and this causes detrimental effect to the body’s performance. Therefore it is extremely important that athletes retain enough fluid levels to maintain optimum levels, in order to prevent dehydration occurring. This is also more prominent when the activity being undertaken is more than one hour in duration or is highly intense, where nutritionists will advise upon and suggest the correct intake of water and sport drinks to ensure an athletes fluid levels are constantly maintained. Lack of fluids causes a loss of speed, accuracy, stamina and concentration.

Weight Management and Body Composition

It may be desirable for an athlete to either lose, gain or maintain their body weight and this is another area where nutritionists contribute. Athletes may require this so that their performance level may be increased or so that their physique is suitable for a specific sport. With the variety of weight loss techniques available today that can be potentially damaging and counter-productive, the nutritionist ensures a weight management plan that is both healthy and effective. This is normally through careful eating plans, involving appropriate intake of necessary food, rather than starving the body, ensuring the health of the athlete during the change in body composition.

Competition-Day Nutrition Strategies

Nutritionists will pre-empt what a meal will consist of in accordance with the last eaten and the nutritional requirements of the sport, ensuring the athlete is fueled effectively and the food itself does not prove a problem for performance due to digestion. During the sport itself it is the nutritionist’s job to ensure an appropriate rate of energy is available for sustained performance and then post sport provide a nutrition diet to aid recovery.

Educating Athletes about Healthy Eating

One major role of the nutritionist is also to inform and educate their athlete about correct eating and health habits, helping them to adopt these throughout their lives. They inform athletes on eating whilst away or whilst competing abroad, and the need for a healthy diet to ensure all round health and sporting benefit.

The Use of Technology in Sports Nutrition

Modern day nutritionists are well informed by advances in technology and have the luxury of utilizing modern equipment for the preparation of nutrition strategies and also the evaluation of body composition and fluid loss etc. Wearable technology and the modern advancement of modern technology can help nutritionist track athlete’s fluid and energy intake during and after training and matches to fine-tune nutrition plans to maximize athletic performance.

Challenges Faced by Sports Nutritionists

It is very difficult for the nutritionist to plan nutrition strategies because of the variables an athlete has to endure throughout the demands of modern day sport. Travel can cause inconsistent nutrition plans due to unavailable and varying food qualities/availability. It is often the case that nutritionists can be frustrated with athletes and their intake of diet advice given by peers, that sometimes contradicts the knowledge and findings of the nutritionist and also with the consumption of unhealthy food products which can lead to an unhealthy diet plan. The nutritionist must ensure they give the athlete up to date, relevant information to fuel their sporting and health potential.

Conclusion

The role of the nutritionist in modern day sport is crucial, and it is these strategies which allow the modern athlete to achieve such high sporting success. This is through ensuring that an athlete’s body is adequately fueled, maintaining appropriate fluid levels and allowing them to have adequate and healthy body composition. This role allows the athlete to gain maximal competitive advantage through their performance and also benefits them over the long-term through excellent health status. As sport becomes increasingly more competitive with every year, it is obvious that the demands on sports nutritionists will only continue to increase.