Role of the Sports Dietitian as Part of an Interdisciplinary Team

Written by: Rocío Rivera-Ortega, MS, RD, LND & Tatiana Velez, MS, RD, CSSD, LND, CPT

Co-author: Megan Rivera & Laura Martínez, Dietetics Students

Tatiana Velez and Roció Rivera, two sports nutritians and dietists, smiling and looking over a book together.

In the world of sports, health professionals are key elements that support both the health and performance of athletes. Each professional within the interdisciplinary team complements the others, contributing their expertise and specialty to provide care and support the athlete’s well-being. The interdisciplinary team works synergistically, communicating and sharing information to prepare the athlete across the various components that influence sports performance.

Nutrition is one of the key components for an athlete when working toward both short- and long-term goals. It is an important factor that can even determine who wins a competition. Having proper nutrition, guided by a sports dietitian, is essential for improving performance in athletes and for any individual seeking to enhance their health and lifestyle.

In this article, we describe the main reasons to consult a nutritionist-dietitian within sports teams and organizations in Puerto Rico.

3 main ways a nutritionist supports and benefits a sports medicine team

First, what is a registered dietitian nutritionist? It is a licensed healthcare professional who specializes in human nutrition, whether for improving and/or maintaining health, or for achieving specific goals related to health, lifestyle, and sports performance. Nutrition is a broad field with multiple branches, including sports nutrition. A sports dietitian guides athletes and helps them improve their nutrition to enhance performance and maintain overall health. At Fuel Labs, we have two sports dietitians with elite experience in Puerto Rico.

Below are the main ways a dietitian supports the interdisciplinary team.

1. Helps improve athletic performance

Those who participate in sports, especially high-performance athletes, go through a process known as conditioning. During this phase, they must train frequently to increase their tolerance to stress and energy expenditure. Coaches provide exercises and guidance to reduce fatigue, improve technique, and adapt the body to the non-natural demands of competition.

Meanwhile, the dietitian provides nutritional support so the athlete can properly fuel and hydrate during high-intensity training, meet total nutrient needs, cover energy demands, and adjust nutrition according to training and competition periodization.

Nutrition is a key component in optimizing athletic performance. Some nutrition-related effects on performance include low energy availability, dehydration, cramps, fatigue, and reduced cognitive function, decision-making, and focus. Even dehydration greater than 2% can significantly impair performance.

On the other hand, carbohydrate intake—the main energy source during exercise—has been shown to improve performance, especially in endurance sports. “Carb-loading” aims to maximize muscle energy stores before exercise lasting more than 90 minutes. A study by Beck et al., 2015 showed that carbohydrate intake can delay fatigue by approximately 20% and improve performance by 2%–3%.

2. Helps reduce injury risk and manage medical conditions in sport

Athletes commonly experience pain or injuries throughout their sports careers. Within a multidisciplinary team, athletes receive prevention strategies through strengthening exercises, massage, and stretching to protect the body and prepare it for activity. During injury or medical conditions, the sports physician provides a diagnosis that guides rehabilitation within the sports medicine team.

During this phase, each professional plays a vital role. The physical therapist focuses on mobility and rehabilitation training, the sports psychologist supports emotional health, and the dietitian manages nutrition to optimize return to sport.

Nutrition is a critical factor during injury recovery. This includes meeting total nutrient needs, maintaining appropriate body weight, and including specific foods and nutrients that help reduce inflammation and speed up recovery. A sports dietitian plays an important role in educating and guiding athletes to manage injuries and conditions through nutrition.

3. Helps post-exercise recovery and restores energy between competitions

During peak season, athletes may face intense schedules with multiple competitions within short periods, such as weekends. Energy recovery and overall well-being are essential for successful performance. The sports dietitian supports recovery by ensuring nutrition optimizes energy stores, hydration, and muscle repair, while meeting the high energy demands after exercise.

After exercise, it is important to restore energy levels and replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. Rehydration is key to avoiding the negative effects of dehydration on performance and health.

The importance of the interdisciplinary team

The interdisciplinary team exists to promote athlete health and well-being. Physicians, psychologists, dietitians, therapists, and coaches work together to develop strategies that help athletes reach peak performance safely and effectively. With the help of a sports dietitian, athletes can improve performance, maintain good nutritional status, and support overall health.

Fuel Labs sports dietitians create short- and long-term individualized plans based on each athlete’s seasonal cycles and goals.

Fuel Labs offers individualized nutrition counseling, sports performance nutrition programs, and consulting for organizations and teams. Our high-performance athlete program includes monitoring by registered dietitians tailored to each sport, promoting a positive relationship with food and exercise, and reducing the risk of disordered eating.

If you are interested in these services, we invite you to explore our website and learn more about the benefits included in our nutrition programs with our team.

ReferencEs:

Beck K, Thomson JS, Swift RJ, von Hurst PR. Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery. Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015; 259. doi:10.2147/oajsm.s33605

Cozzarin, P. et al. Gestión de equipos interdisciplinarios en salud deportiva a través del trabajo en red. rep. Ensenada, Argentina: 11° Congreso Argentino de Educación Física y Ciencias. 2015. pp. 1–16.

Medios de recuperación y trabajo interdisciplinario en los técnicos asistentes a Los Juegos Suramericanos Medellín 2010 (Colombia), Revista Salud Uninorte. 2013.

Moreau WJ, Nabhan D. Organización y Trabajo Multidisciplinario en un Centro Olímpico de Alto Rendimiento en los Estados Unidos. Revista Médica Clínica Las Condes. 2012;23(3):343-348. doi:10.1016/s0716-8640(12)70320-6

Riviere, Aaron J., et al. “Nutrition Knowledge of Collegiate Athletes in the United States and the Impact of Sports Dietitians on Related Outcomes: A Narrative Review.” Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 6, 2021, p. 1772. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061772.