Nutrition for Sports

What Is the Nutrition For Sports Course?

Nutrition For Sports is a professional development course for educators that helps coaches and educators understand the critical role nutrition plays in athletic performance and overall health. Participants will learn how to guide athletes in maintaining proper sports nutrition. Through hands-on assignments, teachers will practice sports nutrition education by analyzing an athlete’s diet, identifying areas for improvement and creating nutrition plans that support optimal performance.

The course highlights how proper sports nutrition for athletes, combined with effective physical training, can unlock an athlete’s full potential.

What Will You Learn?

The Nutrition For Sports course covers a variety of topics related to sports nutrition education and nutrition for athletic performance. The course uses the book Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Teachers who complete the course will know how to:

• Identify and integrate standards into many aspects of their teaching and coaching.
• Describe their role in shaping their student athletes to become “physically educated students.”
• Understand the best foods and hydration before, during and after exercise and competition.
• Create a nutritionally balanced diet in spite of limited time, budget and cooking skills.
• Explain the rationale for the consumption of high carbohydrate foods to enhance performance during exercise and competition.
• Understand dietary methods for reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer.
• Distinguish between safe and effective dietary supplements and those that lack scientific evidence for their benefits.

What Are the Assignments and Projects?

Educators can enroll in the Nutrition For Sports course at any time and take up to one year from the registration date to complete all assignments. Modules within the course include:

• Analysis and Application Papers
• Nutrition Program
• Reflection on Recipes
• Lesson Plan
• Nutrition Assessment

Who Should Enroll in the Nutrition For Sports Course?

The Nutrition For Sports course is designed for 4th-14th grade teachers.

What Educators Who Took the Nutrition For Sports Course Say

“Nutrition For Sports was a great class. I look forward to incorporating what I learned into my classes at the high school level. I recommend this course to anybody that is interested in learning more about nutrition.”

- Educator, Pennsylvania

“I enjoyed this course. Such great information that I can take to the classroom, to my athletes and even my family!”

- Educator, Illinois

NOTE: Required book must be acquired separately.

This course is applicable towards the Strength and Conditioning Certificate.