Top 10 tips for aspiring sports nutritionists

1. Qualifications are important, no doubt about it. They will get your foot in the door and over the first hurdle.

A sound understanding of exercise science and physiology coupled with a firm understanding of nutrition is a great match for the aspiring sports nutritionist. This is typically achieved by completing both an undergraduate and graduate degree. I would encourage you to seek that diversity in your education to develop an understanding of both exercise science and nutrition instead of focusing solely on one discipline. Remember, sports nutrition is unique!

Beyond the traditional academic programs, there are other options targeted toward those looking to enhance their knowledge in the field of sports nutrition. The IOPN diploma in Performance Nutrition and the IOC diploma in Sports Nutrition are both postgraduate programs that provide individuals the ability to study sports nutrition within an online platform. These are great options for anyone with time constraints, who may not have the funds for a master’s program or are looking for additional knowledge beyond their academic studies.

For those with aspirations of working at the elite level, professional teams will typically expect a minimum of an MSc in sports nutrition alongside a BSc in either sports science or dietetics. However, qualifications and credentials are not the be-all and end-all, if someone wants to hire you and believes you are the right person for the role, they are going to hire you! There are many fantastic practitioners out there without graduate degrees, but they are typically coupled with a wealth of professional experience. Regardless, this is very likely your first step in your journey as a sports nutritionist.

2. Get a?good mentor.

Having an individual or support network you can lean on in your professional journey is hugely underrated. Having somebody who you can look to for guidance, who has been in your shoes and walked your path, can help you in several different scenarios. They may shape your philosophies as a practitioner, they may provide you with a fantastic opportunity in the field, or they may give you their advice on how to navigate a difficult scenario in the workplace.

I can personally say my mentors have helped me do all of the above. The field of sports nutrition can be lonely at times and not everyone is going to understand your work and the roadblocks you may face. Having at least one individual you can look to when you need help will do a lot of good for you. There is no shame in asking for help or a second opinion.

Shout out to Dayna McCutchin and Laurent Bannock if you’re reading this!

3. Do?not turn down the opportunity?to work in a real-world environment with people.

We touched on the importance of qualifications but this is where the magic happens. Your ability to develop your own skill set and work with real athletes, regardless of their level, will go a long way in enhancing your ability to communicate and collaborate with persons in a sporting environment. You can have all the knowledge and qualifications in the world but if you cannot translate sports nutrition information into actionable guidance you will have a hard time being effective and finding enjoyment in your role. Reach out to local clubs and universities, email practitioners, and ask if there is a way you can come in and get some hands-on experience. The earlier you can start building some experience, the better!

Additionally, these roles and opportunities may lead to more. Despite what you may think, somebody is always watching! Pay attention to your attitude and body language. Working hard, carrying yourself in a professional manner, and simply meeting athletes and coaches often leads to the next step. Again, from a personal reflection, an unpaid internship led to my employer creating a new position to hire me into a full-time role. Don’t underestimate where an opportunity may take you.

4. Be a resource, make yourself indispensable.?It is hard to build relationships with players, coaches, and staff if you are never there.

Being present and around is vital to building trust and rapport with athletes and key stakeholders within your working environment. Make yourself available in high-traffic areas and take the time to observe practices and team conditioning sessions. Believe it or not, these athletes recognize your presence at these events. By facilitating conversations and getting to know your athletes personally they will begin to trust you and proceed to open up a little more, showing them that you’re human also. Once you’ve achieved this, typically the nutrition questions roll in, and they start to value your advice and take your guidance on-board. This coveted “buy-in” is not going to happen if you’re locked away in an office. Do beware, there is a fine line between being a friend and a professional in the sporting environment. Getting too close to your athletes will negatively impact your ability as a professional and you’ll struggle to gain traction as an effective practitioner. If you don’t show a human side to your athletes and come across as the “nutrition person” all the time then those infographics and posters in the facility are likely not making an impact.

Dr. James Morton said it best, “you may have 1,000 conversations with an athlete until you have the one that matters”. I would highly recommend you go and listen to the podcast linked below!

Episode 286 of the Sigma Nutrition podcast with Dr. James Morton and Danny Lennon.

5. Take initiative and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.

I’ll be 100% honest, this is not a part of my role that I adore doing. However, it can serve as a great segway to have the opportunity to communicate about the reasoning why we may be providing additional smoothies, snacks, or feeding opportunities. Being able to communicate with athletes through food is important. Athletes don’t care for your grams per kilogram recommendation, they want to know what foods are suitable or what they need to be eating to achieve that desired outcome you’re touting. By providing some of this for them, you can also deliver that educational piece in an actionable manner. You can educate all day long but at some point, it helps you out to give the athlete some of those tools to achieve what you’re asking of them.

6. Be patient, it isn’t going to happen overnight. We all have these fantastic ideas and a laundry list of things we want to implement when we step into a new environment. However,?change takes time. Prioritize the important things, identify the biggest gaps and how can you address these. Don’t get discouraged.

For me, this is one I still have to remind myself of from time to time. You need to be able to direct your efforts and time to have the greatest impact on your athletes. The low-hanging fruit isn’t sexy, but it is impactful. You may want access to a DEXA in-house to conduct body composition assessments but if the majority of your athletes are abusing refined, processed foods and can’t name you five different carbohydrate sources should that DEXA be your number one priority? When stepping foot into a new environment, ask your colleagues where you can make that biggest impact. They know this group of athletes better than you do and then go to work. However, this does not mean you have to be passive in your approach. Identify the biggest gaps and let that inform your priorities in practice. Keep note of these and plot them on a five-year time scale. You’ll be amazed at how far you have come when you take a moment to look back and reflect a few years down the line.

7. Attend conferences and workshops, these serve as great opportunities to meet professionals in the field and speak with like-minded individuals. Building your network is invaluable.

The opportunity to converse with like-minded individuals can help you cultivate new ideas and allow you to take new perspectives from others who do the same work as you. Moreover, most good sports nutrition conferences will permit you to hear from world-leading experts, giving you plenty of new practicable information to act upon once you get back to work. Continuing your learning and education is vital in evolving your knowledge and understanding. Much like having a good mentor, meeting individuals in the field at these events may lead you to new opportunities. Although a unique field and relatively small in comparison to other performance disciplines, you will be surprised at the willingness of other practitioners to help one another out!

However, attending conferences is not the only way to develop your knowledge. Staying on top of the latest sports nutrition literature is important to help you stay up to date with the newest information given a recent four-fold increase in sports nutrition research over the past six years (Close, Kasper, & Morton, 2019). Go beyond the abstract and read the research that may be applicable to your work. Not only will this keep you up to date but it will help you be able to critically assess research and decide if it is relevant to your professional practice. This leads me nicely to point eight...

I have linked the referenced text below which serves as an excellent framework for the performance/sports nutritionist to critically evaluate the literature and its relevancy to their professional practice. From Paper to Podium: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30671902.

8. Real-world application. Remember,?evidence-based information?should always inform your practice, but it is not going to be perfect all of the time. We may know that 1-1.2g/kg of carbohydrate per hour is most optimal to achieve glycogen resynthesis but have you ever attempted to facilitate this with 70 emotional athletes in a locker room where you have just lost a close game?

Yes, evidence should inform our practice, but it won’t always dictate it and just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you necessarily should. As prepared and informed as you may be, it is rarely going to be perfect. As a practitioner, you may devise several interventions but if your athletes are not going to participate you may be wasting your time and resources. The research may support the use of beetroot juice supplementation to squeeze out some small performance benefits but if your athlete despises the taste and refuses to comply with your protocol it’s okay, don’t take this to heart, get the big rocks in place and try not to sweat the small stuff.

I like to use the following example as a good real-world scenario. Some athletes I work with take pre-workout supplements. Whilst I may not be the biggest advocate of this given the inconsistencies in these products, regardless of my stance, they are going to do it despite what I say. Instead of constantly saying no or trying to dissuade them from this practice, I can guide them towards making a more informed decision by seeking a product that does not list or manufacture banned substances, has a good ingredient profile that is not a proprietary blend, and is third-party tested for banned substances, quality, and purity. Would I rather they have a couple of cups of coffee instead? Sure, but this way I don’t hamper their beliefs whilst delivering an educational bite. Batch numbers are checked, paperwork is filed, the relationship stays intact, or it may even be strengthened (and I don’t lose any sleep at night).

9. Reflective practice. It is important to?take a step back and reflect. How can I do it better next time??

Often an overlooked practice and one that can be put on the backburner during times of intensified work and life schedules, but one which is incredibly important to help refine and enhance your professional practice. Looking back over your day, week, or season can quickly help you identify what went right, what went wrong, and how you could do better next time. By doing this you can identify areas of improvement to inform you moving forward and continue to make progress. This is important to help avoid the complacency that can creep in if you’re not careful in the day-to-day grind of working in sport. Like any job, you will be judged on your performance and ability to make an impact. If you are not getting the results you desire and consistently keep doing the same things in practice, maybe it is time to revisit the drawing board.

Simply setting aside some time to participate in self-assessment and think critically about your experiences will go a long way in evolving your ability as a nutrition practitioner. Much like this blog post, a lot of these insights have come from reflecting on my work over the past five years.

10. You?do not have to be the nutrition expert 100% of the time. Good work in sports generally starts with being a good person.

It is okay to not always have all the answers. The discipline of nutrition is incredibly complex and like most in this field, the further you progress in your career, the more you will realize you don't know. It is perfectly acceptable to tell an athlete that you may not have the answer to their question, but you will get that answer for them. I think athletes will respect you far more for being honest than giving them half-hearted answers or false information which may negatively impact that working relationship down the line. Again, this is where having a good support network or mentor to lean on can be valuable. Furthermore, having the diligence to know when to refer out shows your ability to understand the scope of your own knowledge and it also displays a unique ability to put the needs of your athlete’s needs first.

This snippet below from sports dietitian Katie Mark sums point ten up perfectly.

“In nutrition, it’s impossible to know everything. When you don’t know something, that’s fine. Be humble and own it, but be proactive and figure it out”. Taken from: https://simplifaster.com/articles/sports-nutritionist-key-traits