Sport and Exercise Nutrition, also known as Performance Nutrition, can assist anybody who is looking to improve their sports performance. Optimal nutrition is dependent upon a number of factors, such as gender, age, sport, level, and goals; with this in mind, a Performance Nutritionist can work with you to find an individualised, appropriate plan.

Performance nutrition looks to allow an athlete to maximise their adaptations to training through appropriate dietary intake around exercise. This, combined with a suitable and achievable nutrition plan during competition, will allow the athlete to optimise their performance. It is important to note that, irrespective of your goals, sporting excellence should never come at the expense of good health. A healthy athlete will always perform better than an unhealthy athlete – a qualified and experienced Performance Nutritionist will be able to advise you on optimal nutritional intake, allowing you to compete at your best whilst also remaining happy and healthy.

There are a number of reasons why you might seek the advice of a Performance Nutritionist, with a handful of examples below:

• you struggle with fatigue in the latter stages of a race or game.
• you find it difficult to recover after exercise
• you would like to fine-tune your body composition
• you need help working out if you need to take any supplements, and if so, which ones.
• you want to know if you’re on the right track with your nutrition, to ensure it isn’t a barrier to you performing at your best.

How does a Performance Nutritionist differ from a Dietician?

Performance nutrition focuses on optimising nutritional intake to maximise sports performance. It looks at the physiological demands of the sport, training and competition, as well as the individual athlete. In contrast a Dietician is trained to help the public, particularly those with health problems and clinical conditions, to find the optimal dietary intake for health in everyday life.