Fitness

Sports Nutrition Courses: Become a Sports Nutritionist Or Dietician

Considering a Sports Nutrition Course? 

If you want to learn more about sports nutrition, you should consider doing a sport nutrition course. A sports nutrition course will teach you all you need to know about the impact of food on training and performance. This could be your first steps into a career in nutrition for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The good news is there are plenty of sports nutrition courses currently available. Sports nutrition courses offer good flexibility too for those leading busy lives. The courses are available in full-time, part-time and evening class options, in person and online.  

What is Sports Nutrition? 

Sports nutrition is the practice and study of diet and nutrition with regards to improving anyone’s athletic performance. Nutrition is an essential part of many sports training regimens, being popular in endurance sports and strength sports. It is a well-designed nutrition plan that enables active adults and athletes to perform at their best. It supplies the right food types, energy, nutrients and fluids to keep the body functioning at peak levels and well hydrated. A sports nutrition diet may vary day to day, depending on the specific energy demands.  

The Importance of Sports Nutrition 

At the most basic level, nutrition is essential for athletes because it offers a source of energy that is required to perform the activity. The food we eat impacts our training, performance, strength and recovery. It is essentially the foundation of athletic success.  

What Does a Sports Nutritionist or Dietician Do? 

Active adults and athletes are looking for guidance from sports professionals to improve their performance. Sports dieticians and nutritionists are increasingly hired to develop nutrition and fluid programs catered to the individual athlete or teams.  

Some of their duties include: 

  • Providing clinical nutrition 
  • Counselling for health and athletic performance 
  • Designing and managing effective nutrition strategies 
  • Effective nutrition programming for fitness, health and optimal physical performance 
  • Evidence-based research to create the perfect plan for each individual 
  • Provide exercise physiology 
  • Provide medical nutrition therapy 
  • Do safe and effective nutrition assessments 

What Will I Learn? 

You can expect to learn about what fuels the energy system and why sports nutrition is so important. The course will teach you about macronutrients, the fuel sources we use during exercise and you will be provided with an overview of energy metabolism. You will also learn about carbohydrates as fuel for exercise. The course will teach you about the importance of carbohydrates and look at the recommendations for different groups of athletes and discuss their carbohydrate intake and how it can improve performance. You will learn about protein and fats for exercise with a comprehensive analysis of the effect of essential amino acids for performance and optimal health. Also, you will explore hydration status and how it impacts performance. You will learn about micronutrients and supplements, nutrient timing, how to apply your knowledge and strategies for muscle gain and weight loss.  

If you’re serious about doing a sports nutrition course, check out courses near you in the Nightcourses.co.uk national course finder.