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Courses
in Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition
(Over 4 Weeks)
Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition
( ~ 9 Months)
in Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition
(Over 4 Weeks)
(5 weeks)
(4 weeks)
(4 weeks)
(4 weeks)
(4 weeks)
(4 weeks)
Articles
The Centre for
Integrative Sports Nutrition
Welcomes Students for 2025
The world’s first course to bring integrative thinking into sport and exercise nutrition
In the context of health and human performance, the word ‘integrative’ takes on pivotal meanings. Rather than simply viewing food as ‘fuel’, we must honour the incredible sophistication of nature, and recognise that our day-to-day dietary choices have the power to nourish all of our mind-body systems. Gastrointestinal, immune, detoxification, musculoskeletal, neuroendocrine, bioenergetic, and mental-emotional health all integrate with one another to such a degree that their function is completely inter-dependant.
Another use of the word ‘integrative’ pertains to the interaction of ‘professional perspectives’, meaning that different practitioners can add value to an athletic client’s experience by supporting them in different ways. With this in mind, the Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition (CISN) teachings draw from a diverse set of clinically experienced lecturers; this team approach is designed to help you to build your own clinical experience and unique perspectives.
The main paradigm that has existed within the academic enquiry of sports nutrition for the past half century has centred around the conviction that macronutrients are required as ‘fuel’ for exercise endeavours. This notion provides an important basis of quantitative nutritional support, but what happens, for example, when your active client lacks adequate digestive health to assimilate these foods, and in the process creates an inflammatory tone in his or her body?
The central thesis of integrative sports nutrition (within all CISN courses and modules) is ‘health feeds performance’.
By consuming highly nourishing foods in a personalised way, your athletic client should experience increased health resilience. By also helping them to manage their life loads, reduce toxic exposure, balance training demands, and carefully choose bespoke supplementation, they can better tolerate demanding performance-focused strategies, and optimise training adaptations.
Integrative and functional thinking in health is not a new notion. It has been visibly incorporated in medicine since the 1980s, and long before this time within traditional practices. How this evolving discipline of integrative sports nutrition came about was that CISN founder, Ian Craig, was asked to deliver a postgraduate sports nutrition module by a nutritional therapy institute in 2007. At the time, he could not find a suitable textbook for the course, so he set about bridging the principles from integrative and functional medicine into conventional sports nutrition teachings. Since that time Ian has developed and delivered an array of integrative courses and conferences, edited the Functional Sports Nutrition magazine, and built up extensive clinical practice. These experiences eventually culminated in the launching of the CISN Certificate of Integrative Sports Nutrition course in 2018, which has since diversified towards our current portfolio of courses and modules.
CISN is the first (and currently only) organisation to apply integrative thinking into the context of sport and exercise nutrition.
Our key objective is to train and mentor sport, exercise and nutrition professionals, plus students of these subjects, to embrace the complexity and individuality of an exercising person: to nourish an athlete’s health and performance through an expansive way of integrative thinking.
Within the context of heavy training loads, often alongside significant life stresses, practitioners trained in this way can support the robust health and performance of active individuals in a personalised way. Not only should this approach maximise an athletes’ potential sporting success, but it can extend the length of their athletic careers, plus provide them with tools to maintain active health throughout their lives.
Read more about integrative sport and exercise nutrition, read the article by Ian Craig
The Short Course and all specialty modules, are approved by the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT®) to provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for Nutritional Therapy Practitioners.
The Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition is accredited by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists℠ (BCNS℠) to provide Nutrition Professional Continuing Education (NPCE) credits for Certified Nutrition Specialists® (CNS®).
The Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition hosts an array of sports nutrition educational opportunities, all taught from a base of integrative thinking and applied practice in mind. You can choose a short immersion, such as our 4-week short course and specialty modules that are intended for professional development (CPD/CEU). Or you can attend our well respected practitioner-focussed certificate course or our flagship Level 7 (postgraduate equivalent) 1 to 2 year diploma course.
Our short course provides a great introduction to integrative sports nutrition, and is taught over four weeks. It is ideal for students and practitioners of nutrition and exercise, who follow the ethos that health feeds performance, and who wish to progress their knowledge of integrative sports nutrition.
Our certification course is a deeper immersion into the world of integrative sports nutrition, run part time over approximately 9 months. It is made up of the Integrative Body Systems and Applied Performance Nutrition modules, along with two specialty units of your choosing.
Our Level 7 diploma course is an industry accredited postgraduate level training, run over a 1 to 2 year period. It consists of the Integrative Body Systems and Applied Performance Nutrition modules, along with four specialty units of your choosing, a practitioner mentoring programme and a research project.
We have a growing array of specialty modules for purposes of professional development (CPD/CEU):
CISN (the Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition) trains and mentors exercise and nutrition professionals to manage an athlete’s health and performance through an expansive way of integrative thinking.
We bridge the gap between what has historically been two very separate disciplines: conventional sports and performance nutrition, and the integrative/functional medicine and nutritional therapy approach.
At CISN we believe that if an athlete is to achieve their performance goals, they must firstly build a solid foundation of optimal health. This doesn’t just enable them to perform well in one race, one competition, or one season – but to perform well for life.
Adam Lloyd2025-03-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I can't recommend the Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition highly enough. I have completed their Certificate course and their Natural Sports Cookery course. Both of which have significantly informed my practice. Following completion of my MSc I have since completed 4 of their specialty modules, each time my current thinking is challenged and developed. I consider CISN to be my go to place for ongoing learning and development. I currently work as the nutritionist at an EFL football club in England where I oversee both 1st team and academy with over 200 football players in my care whilst also running a private consultancy, Future Athletes, specialising in youth athletes. Thank you to Ian, Simone and Rachel for all their support in informing my practice through their unique and practical approach to nutrition for sports. Paola2025-02-11Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have recently completed the short course in Integrative Sports Nutrition and I've truly enjoyed it! I am a registered Health Coach with a background in professional sport and for many years I was struggling to find a nutrition course specifically tailored for the sport industry. This has exceed my expecations because there is also so much attention on the person as whole, with a true holistic approach to the athlete's needs. The short course just gave me a glimpse of what looks like a very complete and unique nutritional course. Ian is probably one of the most knowledgable and passionate person I have met so far. If you are in the sport industry and want to learn how to best nourish your athlete in a natural way this is the right place to start! Caroline MacGregor2025-02-01Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I recently completed the long course and I cannot rate it highly enough. Ian Craig is such a wonderful teacher and mentor, his passion and knowledge make this an invaluable course and an absolute must for anyone wanting to know more about sports nutrition from a holistic perspective. I will no doubt continue to study the short modules as I enjoy the learning so much! Vicky Smith2025-01-31Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. CISN is the place for nutritional CPD at a pace that works for you. Leaving you with so much more than just an advancement in nutritional theory and application, but an appreciation for how it underpins all areas of health & performance. Kathryn Watson2024-02-29Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have just completed the short course in Integrative Sports Nutrition with Ian. I would highly recommend, and it has really inspired me to study into this area more. I hope to do the longer course at some point. I enjoyed the structure of the short course with a combination of live Zoom sessions, including a presentation along with discussions and case study each week, plus ‘homework’ in between of both reading and short video presentations. A very manageable hour of extra study a week. Generally I thought it was pitched well, with a good balance of science and practical applications, and the pace worked well for me. Thank you Jennifer Clarke2024-02-07Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I recently completed the short course in integrative sports nutrition with Ian and would highly recommend it for anyone who wants an insight into the world of sports nutrition, from a holistic perspective. As a naturopathic nutritional therapist & pharmacist, I enjoyed Ian's approach and found the weekly modules both interesting and informative. Ian has a vast knowledge and experience in this area and was always open and quick to respond to questions. Overall a great taster into the world of integrative sports nutrition. Tracey Alexandrou2024-02-04Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great course well taught and would highly recommend if you are serious about sports nutrition Helen Brooker-Collins2023-12-07Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I've just completed the Applied Sports Nutrition module - I loved it! It was great to hear sports nutrition contextualised from a functional perspective too - and delivered by Ian, someone who is so knowledgeable, clearly passionate about the subject and really wants the very best for us students and the profession at large. Participants come from a wide range of backgrounds too, so it was great to hear other people's perspectives on how they currently practice. Can't recommend it highly enough - now I just need to decide which module to complete next... Christine Kjeldbjerg2023-11-06Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Diploma in Sport Nutrition provides an excellent base for anyone wishing to work and support active individuals at all levels. Great lecturers with up to date knowledge and always willing to explore student questions.Load more
Is the founder of the Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition. With his joint academic backgrounds in exercise physiology and nutritional therapy, and an extensive sports grounding as a middle-distance athlete and coach, he has been developing the concept of integrative sport and exercise nutrition for the past twenty years. This is a fast-evolving discipline that considers both the health and performance of an athlete from an integrative health perspective.
Subscribe to our newsletter for expert insights, exclusive offers, and the latest updates tailored just for you. Don’t miss out—be the first to know about exciting opportunities, insider tips, and more!
The Short Course and all specialty modules, are approved by the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT®) to provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for Nutritional Therapy Practitioners.
“The Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition is accredited by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists℠ (BCNS℠) to provide Nutrition Professional Continuing Education (NPCE) credits for Certified Nutrition Specialists® (CNS®).
The Short Course and all specialty modules, are approved by the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT®) to provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for Nutritional Therapy Practitioners.
“The Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition is accredited by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists℠ (BCNS℠) to provide Nutrition Professional Continuing Education (NPCE) credits for Certified Nutrition Specialists® (CNS®). Centre for Integrative Sports Nutrition designates this activity/material for a maximum of [xx] NPCE Credits.”
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