Accredited Level 3 Sports Nutrition Diploma

Athletes, including those needing to “make weight” for sports like jockeys and boxers, focus on healthy weight management. While athletes aren’t typically seen as “overweight,” some aim to lose body fat without compromising muscle protein. Achieving this requires a healthy approach, including a weight-lossing eating plan and tips for successful weight loss, such as boosting and maintaining metabolic rate.

Module 5 – Managing Body Composition

Diet is connected to exercise, and any imbalance can lead to excess energy stored as fat. The module covers managing body composition after reaching the target weight, emphasising the link between body fat and performance. It introduces methods to measure body fat distribution. When weight gain is necessary, the focus is on muscle gain, not extra body fat that can hinder performance. The module provides guidance on successful weight gain, including a weight-gain eating plan and tips. Techniques for maintaining, repairing, and regenerating extra muscle through diet and exercise are also taught.

Module 6 – Women Athletes

Explore specific dietary and exercise needs in the following modules, with a focus on eating disorders and disordered eating distinctions. Understand terms like “Amenorrhea” and “Osteoporosis” and their impact on women’s sports. Recognise the risks women face, such as insufficient iron intake leading to anaemia and fatigue. Learn how to consume enough iron through diet. Delve into women-specific topics like pregnancy, premenstrual tension, and menopause, considering their general and athletic performance implications.

Module 7 – Young Athletes

This module is crucial for parents, sports teachers, and coaches of young athletes, addressing factors affecting their health and performance. Young athletes often lack maturity in managing their diet, making it important for adults to guide them. The module explains why young athletes are more prone to dehydration and emphasises the importance of encouraging sufficient fluid intake. It explores the unique fluid, energy, protein, and carbohydrate needs of young athletes compared to adults. Meal timing is highlighted as a significant concern, requiring responsible adults to ensure young athletes consume enough fluid and food, especially when constantly on the go.

Module 8 – Before, During and After Exercise

This module addresses the growing participation in various sporting activities, examining nutritional requirements before, during, and after exercise, emphasising optimal food and drink choices at specific times. Detailed guidance on what and when to eat and drink during competitions is provided. The concept of “carbohydrate loading” for certain athletic performances is explored, focusing on its potential benefits. Additionally, the module covers recovery strategies and injury prevention through dietary practices, ensuring athletes perform at their best while maintaining health.

Module 9 – Meal Planning

Create and implement a personalised nutrition program by considering the athlete’s individual details and the specific sport they are engaged in. The plan incorporates meal suggestions and ideas tailored to the athlete’s success, emphasising the importance of what they eat and drink at different times of the day. Special considerations are provided for vegetarian athletes, offering alternatives rich in essential nutrients. The nutrition plan also addresses ways to enhance immune function through the consumption of specific foods and drinks, incorporating vitamins and antioxidants to mitigate the risk of illnesses such as coughs and colds.

Module 10 – Sports Nutrition for Different Sports

The last module features case studies of four diverse sports, illustrating how nutritional needs may vary within and between them. It covers popular sports like running, examining the nutritional requirements for long-distance, middle-distance, and sprinting events. Other sports, including swimming, cycling, and team sports like football, rugby, and hockey, are explored, detailing the characteristics of each. Sample menus for different athletes are provided, along with case studies to identify individual problems athletes may face. The module also investigates how tournaments differ from individual events and addresses the nutritional requirements for these extended competitions.