What is a sports nutritionist?
Written by: Rocío Rivera-Ortega, MS, RD, LND, Tatiana Vélez-Burgos, MS, RD, LND, CPT & Nancelys M. Rodriguez
A sports nutritionist is a scientist and expert in sports nutrition who focuses on providing individualized nutritional support to athletes and physically active individuals. Their goal is to support health in relation to training, performance, recovery, and to reduce the risk of injuries or accidents.
A sports nutritionist has the necessary tools to perform a full assessment of an individual’s body composition, calculate basic metabolic needs, and adjust the athlete’s or client’s diet to keep bodily functions balanced and ensure the body receives all required nutrients.
Keep reading to learn more about the role of a sports nutritionist.
What does a sports nutritionist do?
Sports nutritionists work with the specific goals of athletes, which are not static. Nutritional requirements vary depending on training phases, competition seasons, and energy needs to maintain basic bodily functions.
This helps ensure athletes, or any regularly active individuals, maintain essential nutrients needed for performance and a healthy lifestyle.
As healthcare professionals, sports nutritionists are experts in food science. This allows them to provide recommendations on specific nutrients, evaluate supplements available on the market, and determine whether vitamins, protein, or sports supplements are needed to meet nutritional requirements and/or performance goals. They also evaluate dosage, frequency, and specific brands.
In addition, the assessment and follow-up provided by sports nutritionists help athletes maintain a healthy relationship with food and reduce the risk of eating disorders or disordered eating.
External and internal factors sports nutritionists consider
Genetics
Medical conditions
Body composition
Type of sport
Skill level in their sport
What does a sports nutritionist NOT do?
A sports nutritionist does not have the authority to prescribe medications, order clinical laboratory tests, or change medical treatments prescribed by a healthcare team.
They also cannot diagnose medical conditions. Instead, they work alongside an interdisciplinary team to modify eating behaviors to help prevent or manage specific medical conditions.
They also cannot modify an established training plan unless they have the appropriate additional professional training.
What training does a sports nutritionist need in Puerto Rico?
A sports nutritionist must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, complete supervised dietetic internship hours at an institution accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), and obtain a license from the Puerto Rico Board of Examiners of Dietitians and Nutritionists or U.S. licensure/registration.
In Puerto Rico, obtaining these credentials legally protects the use of the term “nutritionist,” which refers to a licensed dietitian/nutrition professional. Therefore, they are referred to as a licensed nutritionist-dietitian.
In addition, they require a sports-related certification or a master’s degree in Sports Nutrition from an accredited university.
Tatiana Vélez, Fuel Labs’ lead nutritionist, earned a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Drexel University with a focus on Sports Nutrition, completing a 1.5-year internship at Drexel University’s Center for Nutrition and Performance. She also holds a Personal Trainer Certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Meanwhile, Rocío Rivera earned a Master of Science in Nutrition in Physical Activity and Sports from the Catholic University of San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM) in Spain and holds an Advanced Sports Nutrition Certification from Barça Innovation Hub Universitas.
If you want to improve your health, relationship with food, and performance, schedule an individualized consultation or athlete consultation with our nutritionists.
How can a sports nutritionist help you?
Evaluate food allergies, gastrointestinal conditions, biochemical panels, bone distribution, and mineral deficiencies
Provide meal, snack, and hydration plans that support athletic performance
Optimize training performance by analyzing body composition, energy balance, and dietary habits
Provide strategies for proper nutrition during competition season, off-season, and travel periods
Reduce the risk of eating disorders in athletes
Work with an interdisciplinary team to adjust needs during competition, injury, or off-season in alignment with goals
When should you seek a sports nutritionist?
When diagnosed with a medical condition requiring dietary and lifestyle changes
If you want to improve performance by meeting proper nutritional needs and optimizing body composition
If you need to improve long-term eating behaviors
If you are a high-performance athlete and need better nutrition for performance and recovery
What is the investment for hiring a sports nutritionist in Puerto Rico?
Sports nutritionists in Puerto Rico work with both long-term and short-term plans. The investment may vary depending on individual needs, season, goals, and duration of nutritional counseling.
Fuel Labs offers individualized nutrition counseling and sports performance nutrition services. These programs typically last a minimum of six months and include personalized services designed to create consistent, sustainable results.
The high-performance athlete program includes monitoring by a team of registered dietitians specializing in sports-specific needs and promoting a healthy relationship with food and exercise, reducing the risk of eating disorders.
If you are interested in these services, we invite you to explore our website and review the benefits included in our nutrition plans with our team.
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