Short course in Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition for Exercise Professionals

Macros, micros and phytos

We begin the course with an introduction to macronutrients, micronutrients and phytonutrients from an integrative perspective.

We then focus on two integral body systems:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) health for active individuals, including an understanding of the digestive cascade, the gut-axes throughout the body, the microbiome, GI challenges for athletes, and useful nutrition GI strategies.
• Musculoskeletal (MS) health for active individuals, including an understanding of structure and function of MS tissues, inflammatory and recovery dynamics after training, and useful nutrition MS strategies.

Case study reading

Case study of a runner with digestive complaints, and then reflect on what you have learned from it.

Note that this article is to showcase specialised input from a qualified practitioner, so it’s not an example of how you should practice but rather for you to appreciate the integrative approach to sport and exercise nutrition and the benefits of referring to a qualified practitioner.

Reflection exercise

• Your personal reflection exercise for session 1 involves completing a 1-day food diary.
• Identify the macronutrients in meals and snacks.
• Reflect on how you could potentially improve the quality of these meals and snacks by paying attention to their micronutrient and phytonutrient densities, fat composition, protein amounts, and their glycaemic effect. 
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Applied performance nutrition

Physical performance is the focus of session 2, which encompasses a presentation of performance-oriented nutrition practices, still through a ‘personalised health’ lens.

Ian introduces calories within sport and exercise nutrition, in particular emphasising the many limitations involved in this quantitive way of assessing a person’s nutritional needs. We then offer alternative, and more personalised, body-system health strategies for supporting their body composition.

In addition to the caloric requirements for exercise, the body composition lecture focuses specifically on:

• The macronutrient debate; including the heated carb-fat disagreements within sport and exercise nutrition, along with protein needs for hypertrophy.
• Nutrient timing can make the difference between performing at our best or dropping out of an event. This topic is discussed from a perspective of the original research and how this might be alternatively done with healthy ingredients.
• DIY sports and recovery drinks are discussed, with practical suggestions so you can make healthy versions of store-bought products, and teach your clients to do the same.
• Protein needs for anabolic support and recovery, considering factors such as protein quantity, quality, distribution and supplementation.

Case study reading

Case study of an elite judo competitor, and then reflect on what you have learned from it.

Note that this article is to showcase specialised input from a qualified practitioner, so it’s not an example of how you should practice but rather for you to appreciate the integrative approach to sport and exercise nutrition and the benefits of referring to a qualified practitioner.

Reflection exercise

• Your personal reflection exercise for session 2 involves, in a performance nutrition context, considering how you supported yourself (or a client) nutritionally when you undertook a recent high-intensity and/or high-volume training session.
• In this exercise, with learnings from the week’s lectures, you need to consider the nutrient needs of the particular training session; what you did well, what you could improve on, and what you learned about nutritionally supporting yourself during training.

Specialty sports nutrition

Specialty topics are the focus of session 3; in particular research contextualisation, the gut-muscle axis, and overtraining in sport and exercise.

Session 3 focuses firmly on applied practice, and begins with a lecture on the contextualisation of research in an active setting. Just because a research study concludes particular findings doesn’t mean that it is applicable to the individual sitting in front of us; to be good practitioners, we must combine research evidence with professional experience, and the client’s personal story.

In addition, the other presentations focus on these specialist topics:

• The gut-muscle and its relevance in hypertrophy, training and recovery.
• Overtraining and adrenal fatigue, including an explanation of the HPA-axis, hormone dysregulation, and monitoring strategies to decrease its occurrence.

Case study reading

Case study of a triathlete with detoxification requirements, and then reflect on what you have learned from it.

Note that this article is to showcase specialised input from a qualified practitioner, so it’s not an example of how you should practice but rather for you to appreciate the integrative approach to sport and exercise nutrition and the benefits of referring to a qualified practitioner.

Reflection exercise

• Your personal reflection exercise for session 3 involves, in a professional context, asking yourself: what more do you need to learn and practice to be the best exercise professional that you can be?
• This is an open-ended question, one that we hope all exercise professionals will continue to ask themselves over time, resulting in an ever-evolving health and fitness practice.

A one-on-one session with your tutor

The final session is a 30-minute one-on-one session with your allocated tutor, giving you the opportunity to discuss any topic that you’d like to explore further. For example:

• You may have a particular topic that you’d like to discuss, and obtain further resources on.
• You may wish to talk through your ongoing interests within the sport and exercise nutrition field, including options for continuing education.
• You may have a challenging case that you’d like some help with.
• Or, you may wish to obtain input on setting up a new business offering and increase your exposure to potential clients.

Whatever your interest at the time, this is a fantastic opportunity to receive personalised support for your professional needs – a feature that greatly boosts the value of this short course.