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Athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) often have reduced resting metabolic rate (RMR) and increased body fat due to lower active muscle mass and decreased metabolic rate, necessitating dietary adjustments to prevent nutrient deficiencies. Athletes with amputations (AMP) experience a reduction in fat-free mass (FFM), leading to a decreased RMR, particularly in those with lower-leg amputations. Athletes with cerebral palsy (CP) often face higher energy costs due to less efficient movements and muscle stiffness. Limited visual feedback in athletes with visual impairments (VI) impacts motor learning and pacing, which can alter performance timing and pacing efficiency, especially in sports like swimming. Athletes with VI may lack visual feedback to gauge hydration and energy status. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to assessing body composition in Para athletes due to the diverse impacts of impairments, which result in unique distributions of muscle and fat across different impairment types and activity levels. This requires tailored assessment methods to provide accurate and meaningful data.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
03/31/2028
BOC
1
03/31/2028
Commission on Dietetic Registration
1
04/18/2028
CSCCa
1
03/31/2028
Dietary protein ingestion to support skeletal muscle recovery, acute reconditioning and longer-term adaptations to exercise training represents a cornerstone within modern sports nutrition. However, most of our recommendations tacitly assume protein needs can be met by the (increased) consumption of animal-derived protein sources. There is interest for an evidence base for increasing alternative dietary protein choices within sports nutrition. While protein ‘source’ has traditionally been less studied within sports nutrition, data are now accumulating such that we can begin to incorporate this issue within modern sports nutrition recommendations. A clear practical challenge for the athlete wishing to become less reliant on animal-derived foods is obtaining sufficient dietary protein. However, it is clear the accelerating availability of alternative protein rich foods is making this achievable. It has traditionally been assumed that animal-derived proteins are the most anabolic (i.e. the most robust at stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates), attributable to a high bioavailability and leucine content. Our evolving understanding and expanded dataset now suggests anabolic parity between animal and carefully selected alternative proteins can be achieved. Promising alternative dietary protein sources that have been investigated include a variety of plant- (including blends), fungal-, algal- and insect-derived proteins. All these proteins provide differing challenges and opportunities, with each existing at various stages of maturity concerning the data supporting their application, and broader applied and commercial viability. Acute studies of muscle protein synthesis and translational studies of muscle adaptive responses to training now show equivalent magnitude responses can be achieved using traditional omnivorous diets and/or animal-derived protein supplementation compared with (more) alternative protein-based approaches, assuming sufficient protein is consumed. However, many limitations in our knowledge base still exist; including how alternative diets interact with different training regimens, populations and various adaptive responses.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
02/21/2028
BOC
1
02/21/2028
Commission on Dietetic Registration
1.25
02/19/2028
CSCCa
1
02/21/2028
Sexual reproduction is one of the most notable sex differences. During puberty girls experience menarche, which signals the ‘official start’ of the menstrual cycle and persists until menopause. During the menstrual cycle, the ovarian hormones oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate in a predictable repeating pattern, although it should be noted that there is large inter- and intra-individual variability in cycle length and hormone levels. Aside from their paradigmatic roles, oestrogen and progesterone have been shown to have non-reproductive functions. As such, the menstrual cycle has developed - over the last century - into a topic of interest for female athletes from a health and performance perspective.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
02/13/2028
BOC
1
02/13/2028
Commission on Dietetic Registration
1
02/10/2028
CSCCa
1
02/13/2028
While total energy needs of female athletes are lower than male athletes, macronutrient needs tend to be similar relative to body size (i.e. g per kg body mass). Macronutrient utilization may vary over the course of a menstrual cycle; however, the overall effect appears to be small and can be minimized with proper fueling. Micronutrient needs of female athletes differ from male athletes, and the risk of deficiency should be considered in the development of nutrition plans. Nutrition programs that encourage autonomy, build competence and enhance connection have the potential to improve athlete performance by increasing intrinsic (internal) motivation. Nutrition plans should consider the individual needs of female athletes and be adjusted throughout the training and competitive phase to help athletes achieve their goals.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
01/27/2028
BOC
1
01/27/2028
Commission on Dietetic Registration
1
01/23/2028
CSCCa
1
01/27/2028
Athletes’ use of supplements is highly prevalent across sport and competitive levels. High prevalence is combined with indiscriminate use. This remains a concern in sport as it can lead to negative health effects and the risk of committing an anti-doping rule violation. Consequences of committing an anti-doping rule violation through supplement use are significant for competitive athletes due to the principle of strict liability. The principle of strict liability interacts with a growing and professionally marketed industry that is poorly regulated. Consequently, competitive athletes can find themselves in a vulnerable and risky position when it comes to consuming supplements. Dr Susan Backhouse discusses adopting a behavioral approach and adherence to RMSUG to help identify what needs to change to protect athletes from unintentionally doping through indiscriminate supplement use.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
12/27/2027
BOC
1
12/27/2027
Commission on Dietetic Registration
0.75
01/03/2028
CSCCa
1
12/27/2027
Daily hydration management for a youth athlete extends beyond just sport performance to also facilitating academic achievement and overall health. Establishing sensible hydration behaviors as a youth athlete can be instrumental in underpinning healthy hydration habits as an adult that enable wellness and help to maintain long-term health. As youth develop and advance through sport, they need to develop personal initiative and autonomy to make healthy and ethical decisions about their involvement in sport, including managing their own hydration needs and strategies. Dr Michael Bergeron discusses contemporary approaches utilizing multi-domain, complex systems, and state-of-the-art tools and methods instrumental in fully recognizing the wide-ranging role and contribution of hydration to youth athletes’ health and sustainable sport participation and performance.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
12/17/2027
BOC
1
12/17/2027
Commission on Dietetic Registration
0.75
12/12/2027
CSCCa
1
12/17/2027
Substantial volumes of fluid can be lost during intense or prolonged exercise as a consequence of thermoregulatory sweating. In these situations, athletes need to drink during and after exercise to replace fluids lost to avoid potential negative effects of dehydration. Fluid replacement is a multi-step process involving a number of physiological systems including fluid intake, fluid delivery to the bloodstream, distribution within the body fluid compartments, and whole-body fluid retention. Adequate fluid replacement is influenced by beverage composition, as certain ingredients can facilitate or hinder one or more steps in the rehydration process. Dr Lindsay Baker reviews the scientific principles of fluid replacement and role of beverage formulation on the rehydration process for athletes.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
11/12/2027
BOC
1
11/12/2027
Commission on Dietetic Registration
1
12/03/2027
CSCCa
1
11/12/2027
Buffering agents including sodium bicarbonate, beta-alanine and sodium citrate are routinely used by athletes, and effects of buffering agents on athletes’ performance have been investigated since as early as the 1930s. Extracellular buffering agents, including sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate, can increase the blood’s buffering capacity (pH and [HCO3-]), and intracellular buffering via beta-alanine supplementation can increase muscle carnosine concentration. The recent International Olympic Committee consensus statement on nutritional supplements reported that for sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine, there is scientific evidence for beneficial effects on athletes’ performance. There is also growing evidence that sodium citrate can be effective in improving performance. There is a high prevalence of the use of supplements and buffering agents within athletic populations and consideration of the use of buffering agents in specific contexts relevant to athletes is therefore warranted. Contexts that have been investigated within the literature to only a limited extent include the use of buffering agents in highly trained female athletes, in extreme environmental conditions (e.g., training and/or competing in hot weather conditions or at altitude) and when using combinations of buffering agents. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the effectiveness of extracellular and intracellular buffering agents can be influenced by modifying factors, such as the dose, timing, duration, and intensity of exercise performed. Additionally, the translation of research findings in buffering agents to highly trained athletes can be influenced by the design factors of research studies (e.g., use of crossover or matched group study design, familiarisation trials, pre-test dietary standardisation, performance tests that were representative of the real-world competitive demands of athletes) and athlete-specific factors (e.g., recruitment of highly-trained athletes as research participants, measures of buffering capacity, and reported improvements in performance tests that replicate real-world competitive events). There is therefore further scope to provide a practical evaluation of the evidence on buffering agents, which may be particularly relevant to performance support practitioners and coaches seeking to implement an evidence-based buffering protocol for their athletes.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
11/12/2027
BOC
1
11/12/2027
Commission on Dietetic Registration
1
12/06/2027
CSCCa
1
11/12/2027
Vitamins and minerals are essential for numerous metabolic processes in the body, such as immune functioning, haematological adaption, energy metabolism and growth and repair. Athletes often have higher micronutrient requirements than the general population due to the increased utilisation and/or losses of micronutrients associated with exercise and training adaptation. Females can be at greater risk of micronutrient deficiencies and vitamin and/or mineral supplements can have a useful role in helping an athlete meet daily micronutrient needs. Iron, calcium, vitamin D and folate are identified as micronutrients which require greater attention for female athletes.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
11/21/2026
BOC
1
11/21/2026
CSCCa
1
11/21/2026
There are important sex-based differences that exist between men and women that may influence nutrition and dietary supplement recommendations. The hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle, and with oral contraceptives, result in metabolic alterations which should be considered when making supplement considerations for active women. Body composition and protein metabolism also change throughout a woman’s lifespan. This course will detail the scientific evidence related to sex-specific nutritional recommendations.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
05/15/2026
BOC
1
05/15/2026
The importance of carbohydrate as a fuel source for endurance exercise and athletic performance is well established. Despite decades of intense carbohydrate research within the field of sports nutrition, new knowledge continues to be generated with the potential to inform practice. To ensure sufficient muscle glycogen availability, endurance competition or high-quality intense training should be preceded by daily dietary carbohydrate intakes scaled to the demands of the subsequent exercise. The optimization of liver and muscle glycogen content in the hours before and hours directly after exercise are important goals for carbohydrate nutrition. In this respect, nutrition strategies that combine glucose and fructose carbohydrate sources appear most beneficial for enhancement of performance and recovery. Athletes looking to benefit from carbohydrate feeding during exercise can choose from a wide range of readily oxidizable carbohydrate sources, with glucose-fructose blends (inc. sucrose) affording the greatest flexibility for within-event modulation of carbohydrate intake. Finally, a periodized approach to dietary carbohydrate intake around training will ensure athletes have sufficient fuel to execute the demands of training to maximize training adaptation whilst minimizing the potential for adverse health or performance consequences (e.g., through development of RED-S).
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
05/15/2026
BOC
1
05/15/2026
CSCCa
1
05/05/2026
The application of sound nutritional guidance is necessary to support female soccer player health and performance. Based on findings in elite female soccer players, there is scope to improve nutritional practices relative to energy intake, fueling, hydration, and supplement use. Drs. Samantha Moss and Rebecca Randell discuss the energy and nutrient needs of female soccer players and areas where additional high-quality research that includes elite female players as participants is necessary.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
04/04/2026
BOC
1
04/04/2026
CSCCa
1
04/04/2026
Aging is associated with the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and decline in physical function which may result in reduced mobility and subsequent loss of independence. Exercise is a potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis in both athletic populations and in older adults. Dietary practices by athletes to augment performance and recovery may be relevant to the preservation of skeletal muscle mass and strength in older adults such as the supplementation with creatine, long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), and inorganic nitrate.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
12/19/2025
BOC
1
12/19/2025
Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) are a class of biologically active fatty acids that play fundamental roles in the production of anti-inflammatory signalling molecules as well as serving as vital components of phospholipid membranes. The most well studied LC n-3 PUFAs are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3). Often associated with improved cardiovascular health, there is now emerging evidence that ingestion of LC n-3 PUFAs above population recommendations enhances skeletal muscle anabolism in older adults. Indeed, daily intake of ~ 5g/d of LC n-3 PUFAs has been shown to potentiate the muscle protein synthetic response to the infusion of insulin and amino acids and increase gains in skeletal muscle strength with resistance exercise training in older women. These findings suggest that LC n-3 PUFA intake could have ergogenic effects in older exercising adults. However, more recent work has failed to detect a positive impact of LC n-3 PUFA intake towards skeletal muscle in older persons. Yet, few studies have been conducted in highly-trained older adults, or ‘master athletes’ thus it is unclear if there is a benefit to increased LC n-3 PUFA intake in this specific population. Aside from the potential ergogenic benefit, as some older adults possess sub-optimal LC n-3 PUFA status, there may be utility in increasing LC n-3 PUFAs ingestion in older persons to support healthy aging.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
12/19/2025
BOC
1
12/19/2025
The majority of published sport nutrition recommendations are based on studies conducted with male athletes. In female athletes, the menstrual cycle may affect optimal nutrition strategies for performance, but menstrual cycles can be quite variable. Authors Bryan Holtzman and Kate Ackerman review the nutritional recommendations for female athletes from a variety of perspectives. Within the review, the energetic requirements for athletes and the negative effects of failing to meet these requirements are discussed. The authors also establish a model for meeting nutritional needs of increasing complexity and personalization for female athletes and provide baseline recommendations for female athletes. This course aims to provide practical advice for athletes, coaches, physicians, and other members of the athlete entourage.
Course Objectives
Course
Credits
Course Expiration
ACSM
1
05/26/2025
BOC
1
05/26/2025
CSCCa
1
05/26/2025
