Before sports nutritionists and coaches begin prescribing unconventional eating recommendations to athletes, it is important to consider the scientific evidence supporting a low-carbohydrate diet for boosting athletic performance.

Herbs, spices, and other whole foods contain bioactive substances that can purportedly improve health and performance in a variety of ways from increased metabolism, antioxidant activity, gastrointestinal health, greater neurotransmitter production, and more. In this session from the NSCA 2015 Personal Trainers Conference, Dr. Carwyn Sharp describes and defines nutraceuticals and functional foods, issues of potency and standardization, their potential uses for health and performance, future directions, and current trending products.

Congratulations to the 2020 NSCA Award Winners!

Get to know Army Lieutenant Colonel Nick Barringer, Program Director for the United States Army-Baylor University Master’s in Nutrition. Barringer shares how he originally planned to become a strength and conditioning coach before a nutrition course inspired him to pursue dietetics. However, it was his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) credential that ultimately landed him his role as the first 75th Ranger Regiment (Army Rangers) Dietitian. He recounts drawing inspiration from the Navy SEALS to start the Ranger Athlete Warrior (RAW) program and seeing the Special Operations THOR3 program follow suit — laying the groundwork for the US Army Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system. Barringer and McMahon discuss the synergy between strength and conditioning coaches and dietitians, as well as cultural challenges and diverse training ages in tactical settings. The pair also stress the importance of sales and building relationships before discussing basic nutrition advice and pathways into tactical and dietetics careers. Connect with Nick on Instagram at: @nickbarringer.phd.rdn or by email: nickbarringer35@gmail.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

This article will look at the use of supplements, nutrition, compression socks, cryotherapy, and myofascial release as enhanced recovery methods for endurance runners.

As the prevalence of disordered eating in sport continues to increase, sports dietitians and all medical personnel must learn to identify it properly and follow evidence-based practice, including sound judgment, when treating athletes with these issues.

This article sheds some knowledge on shoulder exercise modifications and progressions that can help reduce the risk of re-injury and maximize performance for clients.

All sports nutrition professionals should be able to answer basic nutrition questions. However, athletes with complex nutrition issues should be referred to the appropriate resource as explained in this book excerpt.

The goal of this article is to promote professional dialogue and broaden the knowledge of ways to use nutrition and recovery techniques to work with the physiological changes that come throughout the menstrual cycle.