| What is
a sport dietitian?
Sports Dietetics-USA, a subunit of SCAN [Sports, Cardiovascular
and Wellness Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the American
Dietetics Association] is leading the future of dietetics by promoting
healthy, active lifestyles through excellence in dietetics practice
in sports, cardiovascular, and wellness nutrition and the prevention
and treatment of disordered eating. Sports Dietetics-USA assisted
the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) in the development
of the new Board Certification as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics
(CSSD) credential for RDs who specialize in sports dietetic practice
in the USA.
To be successful as a sport dietitian you must have as a minimum:
- A University education in human kinetics/exercise physiology
AND clinical nutrition/dietetics,
- You must have been at least a provincial caliber athlete
in one or more sports (the more the better);
- You must have completed training in the Body Sense (or Go
Girls) program which promotes positive body image and prevents
disordered eating in sport; and
- You need to have lots of practice working with different
ages and types of athletes in all different situations to get
up to speed on health and performance concerns and what athletes
are actually eating.
How do I find a Sport Dietitian/Sport
Nutritionist in Canada?
Unfortunately there is no formal certification for a sport dietitian
in Canada. The Sport Medicine and Science Council of Canada developed
a sport nutrition advisory council in the late 1980's with the
goal of developing a registry of sport nutrition professionals
in Canada. This sport nutrition program has now become part of
the Coaching Association of Canada. To be a member of this sport
nutrition registry one must have:
- A bachelor's degree in nutrition/dietetics;
- Course work and/or professional development in exercise physiology;
and
- A minimum of 2 years of sport nutrition counseling with provincial
level or higher, athletes and/or teams.
To find a sport dietitian nearest you go to the sport dietitian
registry at http://www.coach.ca/eng/nutrition/find.cfm
|
|
