Introduction to Sports Nutrition

Study Notes

Sports and performance nutrition falls under the broader field of sports science and focuses on the impact of nutrition on exercise and athletic performance.
The course aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge to pursue careers in sports nutrition or enhance their personal exercise capacity.

Sports nutrition is crucial in sports science, influencing health, performance, recovery, and injury prevention.
It involves collaboration with professionals in sports medicine, physiotherapy, psychology, and coaching.
Food choices have a significant impact on health and exercise capacity.
Sports nutrition integrates human nutrition, clinical nutrition, dietetics, nutritional biochemistry, exercise physiology, and food science.

The course covers pre-workout, inter-workout, and post-workout meals and fluid intake.
It emphasizes nutrition tailored to specific sports and individual athlete needs.
Learning outcomes include understanding the role of nutrition in enhancing athletic performance, recovery, and injury prevention.
This simplifies complex scientific knowledge and evidence-based practices in sports nutrition.
Students are encouraged to apply their knowledge in practical settings, working with athletes or improving their personal exercise routines.
The course emphasizes dietary strategies and food choices relevant to the Indian context.

The course opens doors in various fields: individual consultancy, the sports nutrition industry, academia, and research.
The knowledge gained is valuable for clinical dietitians, hospital nutritionists, gym instructors, fitness enthusiasts, coaches, and athletes.
Students develop expertise in assessing anthropometry, interpreting blood reports, understanding symptoms, and creating dietary guidelines.
It provides insights into working with elite athletes and participating in international conferences.
Completion of the course offers credible certification, enhancing professional credibility.

The course includes discussions on real athlete stories and case studies on specific themes.
This provides learning from professionals working with national and international level athletes.
Nutrition plans are customized for different sports, such as athletics, racquet sports, and team sports.
The course teaches how to create nutrition strategies based on the specific needs of athletes in different positions or events.

Energy is the fundamental source of life, measured in calories.
It powers every bodily action and function, from basic metabolic processes to high-intensity athletic performance.
Energy is derived from food with different macronutrients providing specific caloric values:
- Carbohydrates: 4 kcal/g
- Proteins: 4 kcal/g
- Fats: 9 kcal/g