Sports Dietitian

Sports Dietitian is without doubt a demanding and stimulating nutrition career involving close collaboration with competitive athletes - most of whom’s performance and subsequent success is largely based on their diet.

It’s a field of specialization that to start with requires at minimum a bachelor’s degree program in dietetics or a major related to nutrition science that’s accredited/approved by ASCEND (the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics) as well as passing the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam to become credentialed as a Registered Dietitian (RD).

Once you become an RD, with further academic preparation and clinical training that emphasizes athlete nutrition, you’ll be in a position to obtain your sports dietetics certification. The “gold standard” accreditation to practice sports nutrition as a professional is offered by the SCAN (Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition) division of the ADA (American Dietetic Association). This credential qualifies you as a board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) through the CDR.

What Sports Dietitians Do

This area of dietetics mostly involves the components of nutrition responsible for optimizing sports performance, where your primary role is to consult with and counsel athletes on the volume and timing of macro/micronutrient intake. In earning your dietetics degree, coursework in the sciences such as biochemistry can be challenging, however excellent interpersonal communication abilities are arguably equally as critical in your day-to-day services. Taking body composition and circumfrence measurements in addition to dietary evaluation can be a large part of the job.

As a Sports Dietitian you will also be responsible for educating and instructing athletes, both individually and in small classes, on the most effective eating habits, optimal nutrient profiles, and scheduling the consumption of protein and carbohydrates throughout different phases of training. As a clinical healthcare professional, you will also pay close attention to any potential or existing health conditions like food allergies, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and eating disorders that may require dietary adjustment and/or referral to a physician.

One of the most rewarding aspects of a career in sports dietetics is having the opportunity to work with incredibly driven athletes and the feeling of achievement when your clients perform better in their respective sport. Given the continuously increasing level of competition today, the difference between winning or losing is often becoming less and less. Something as basic as consuming the proper types/amounts of nutrients during a certain time can really make a difference in athlete performance and provide a competitive advantage.

As a sports dietetics specialist, continuing education will be a big part of your career. This requires keeping up to date on the latest sports and exercise science research and related publications, and communicating with your professional peers to share ideas and stay current in the field.

Tips For Becoming a Sports Dietitian

Tip #1: Network within the Athletic Community

It’s important to network early on while you’re in school since the sports dietitian role is not a position that’s easily obtainable. Developing and maintaining “inside” contacts has the potential to help tremendously when you’ve completed the requirements for professional employment. An effective approach to take is to begin by working with sports teams in your area and eventually moving up within the organization. You may have to work without pay at first, such as assisting a registered dietician, but you can consider it an investment to get your foot in the door.

Tip #2: Volunteer/Observe To Gain References

For those of you pursuing a career as sports dietitian it’s important to find some on-site experience whether as a volunteer or observer in an athlete performance department. Hiring managers seek job candidates with good references. They also are favorable to prospects who show enthusiasm about sports science and applying their expertise to enable athletes to perform better. Similar to how society has become more conscious of nutrition, so have athletes and sports team personnel. The advantages of using professional nutritionists in helping athletes optimize their performance is becoming more and more well known. As a result, it’s leading to an increasing interest and necessity for certified sports dietitians. In addition to sports teams, athlete performance centers and the military are actively seeking qualified nutritionists.

Tip #3: Further Your Education

At 1-2 years working as a Registered Dietitian and some experience working with athletes in any capacity (doesn’t have to necessarily be as an RD) is usually required even for entry level Sports Dietitian jobs. Since this is a competitive position it can be very worthwhile to earn a Master’s degree in Nutrition Science or related subject in addition to becoming certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist or the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist. Some employers prefer or require a graduate education and additional certifications, especially for higher profile positions.

References:

http://www.scandpg.org/sports-nutrition/