Sports nutritionist

Sports nutritionists tend to have varied educational backgrounds. Many have formal training in the field of exercise physiology as well as nutrition. The majority of academic research performed in the sports nutrition and sports supplement area are conducted by Ph.D. level exercise physiologists. Traditionally, the primary health professional that dispenses ‘nutrition’ information is the registered dietitian or RD. However, the education of an RD does not prepare him or her for ‘Sports Nutrition’ due to the lack of academic training in exercise physiology vis a vis the adaptive response to acute and chronic exercise. Sports nutritionists tend to specialize in working with certain athletes (e.g. bodybuilders, endurance athletes, team sports [football, baseball, etc]). Also, sports nutritionists can be found working in academia, with professional/collegiate sports teams, assisting sports nutrition/supplement companies/brands, and working with individual athletes on a personal basis.