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SSE 240: Creatine Supplementation: New Insights and Perspectives on Bone and Brain Health

Creatine is a well-established dietary supplement which enhances resistance training adaptations across the lifespan, including muscle mass and performance. Beyond muscle, creatine has been shown to have favorable effects on measures of bone biology in older adults and disease state populations and measures of brain health and function across a variety of populations, including young adults who experienced traumatic brain injury. This review will outline recent advances and perspectives on how creatine supplementation functions to improve indices of bone and brain health across a variety of populations. 

Reference Article

SSE 240: Creatine Supplementation: New Insights and Perspectives on Bone and Brain Health

Course Objectives

  • Outline a general overview of how creatine supplementation enhances muscle mass and performance. 
  • Describe the mechanisms and highlight recent research examining creatine’s effects when combined with resistance training on bone tissue. 
  • Discuss recent research evaluating the effects of creatine supplementation on brain function and highlight the benefits when the brain is stressed (i.e., mental fatigue, sleep deprivation, aging, and hypoxia).  
  • Identify which neuromuscular diseases have been shown to benefit from creatine supplementation. 

Course

Credits

Course Expiration

ACSM

1

12/19/2026

BOC

1

12/19/2026

Commission on Dietetic Registration

1

03/31/2024

Reference Article

https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-docs/sse_240_001.pdf?sfvrsn=2

SSE 239: Contemporary Approaches to the Identification and Treatment of Iron Deficiency in Athletes

Iron is an essential micronutrient in the diet. However, athletes commonly present as iron deficient because of numerous mechanisms associated with exercise. An understanding of these mechanisms is important in our strategic approach to repleting and maintaining healthy iron stores Athletes presenting with an iron deficiency have several options with regard to addressing the problem. These include, an increase in overall nutrient intake from food, the use of oral iron supplements, or in severe cases, consideration of parenteral iron therapy. The approach taken to correct iron stores should be made in consideration of an athlete’s iron screening results, which should be standardized and collected on a routine basis.

 

Reference Article

SSE 239: Contemporary Approaches to the Identification and Treatment of Iron Deficiency in Athletes

Course Objectives

  • Discuss the mechanisms of iron regulation in athlete populations. 
  • Describe the three stages of iron deficiency according to the blood screening for serum ferritin, haemoglobin, and transferrin saturation. 
  • Identify the various options for iron supplementation in relation to the athlete’s blood screening results. 
  • Strategize how to approach iron supplementation when working with athletes who have gastrointestinal sensitivity.

Course

Credits

Course Expiration

ACSM

1

12/19/2026

BOC

1

12/19/2026

Commission on Dietetic Registration

1

03/31/2024

Reference Article

https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-docs/sse_239_002.pdf?sfvrsn=2

SSE 232: Exogenous Ketone Supplements as Ergogenic Aids in Athletic Performance: A New Dawn Fades?

The ketone bodies acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate have wide-ranging metabolic and molecular effects on organs such as the brain, heart and skeletal muscle, some of which are suggestive of benefits to athletes in terms of performance and recovery. The recent development and increasing commercial availability of ingestible forms of ketone bodies as exogenous ketone supplements has amplified interest in these compounds. A variety of compounds classified as exogenous ketone supplements are now available and have been subject to several studies in exercise performance and recovery contexts in human participants. While there are mechanistic bases for potential beneficial effects of exogenous ketone supplements in various athletic contexts, most studies to date have failed to observe benefits to performance or recovery.

Reference Article

SSE 232: Exogenous Ketone Supplements as Ergogenic Aids in Athletic Performance: A New Dawn Fades?

Course Objectives

  • Discuss the differences between various exogenous ketone supplements in terms of form and effects on circulating ketone body concentrations 
  • Describe the potential mechanisms by which exogenous ketone supplements may improve or impair exercise performance 
  • Utilize the research to date on the effects of exogenous ketone supplements on exercise performance to guide athletes

Course

Credits

Course Expiration

ACSM

1

05/15/2026

BOC

1

05/15/2026

Commission on Dietetic Registration

1

03/31/2024

Reference Article

https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-docs/sse_232_003.pdf?sfvrsn=2

SSE 228: Functional Ingredients to Support Active Women

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.

Reference Article

SSE 228: Functional Ingredients to Support Active Women

Course Objectives

  • Describe a typical menstrual cycle and potential metabolic alterations during the phases 
  • Discuss hormonal contraceptive use and the impact on the menstrual cycle 
  • Identify and describe dietary supplements that may be beneficial to active women

Course

Credits

Course Expiration

ACSM

1

05/15/2026

BOC

1

05/15/2026

Commission on Dietetic Registration

1

03/31/2024

Reference Article

https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-docs/sse_228_004.pdf?sfvrsn=2

SSE 225: Beyond Caffeine for Mental Performance

In this course, Dr David Kennedy discusses caffeine from a research and real-world perspective. Caffeine, when taken alone in a research context, is associated with consistent ergogenic and psychological benefits, although within differing optimal dose ranges. In a real-world sport/exercise context, caffeine is often consumed alongside other bioactive compounds in the form of manufactured energy drinks or naturally occurring, plant-derived, caffeinated products. This SSE course explores the state of the research and where further exploration is needed.

Reference Article

SSE 225: Beyond Caffeine for Mental Performance

Course Objectives

  • Define caffeine and its’ mechanism of actions as it relates to psychological effects.
  • Differentiate the optimal dose of caffeine and functional benefits for enhanced psychological performance.
  • Translate the effects of other constituents that are often co-ingested with caffeine in the real world.

Course

Credits

Course Expiration

ACSM

1

02/06/2026

BOC

1

02/06/2026

Commission on Dietetic Registration

1

03/31/2024

Reference Article

https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-docs/sse_225_a03.pdf?sfvrsn=2

SSE #208: An update on beta-alanine supplementation for athletes

Fatigue during high intensity sports or activities (~1-10 minutes in length) is caused by several components with strong evidence that muscle acidosis via accumulating hydrogen ions is a key performance inhibitor.  To address this issue, skeletal muscle has intra and extracellular buffering mechanisms to attenuate exercise induced acidosis.  Carnosine is an intracellular buffer that is key in slowing the decline of muscle pH.  Carnosine has a nitrogen containing imidazole side ring which accepts or buffers hydrogen.  This buffering can contribute as much as 15% of total buffering capacity.  Additionally, carnosine has been shown to be a calcium/hydrogen exchanger, delivering calcium back to the sarcoplasmic reticulum and hydrogen away to the cell membrane.  This suggests that carnosine may increase calcium sensitivity and muscle contraction efficiency.  Plasma beta-alanine is the rate limiting substrate of carnosine.  Approximately 3-6 g/d of beta-alanine supplementation over at least four weeks can elevate muscle carnosine stores by 30-60%.  Several meta-analyses have been conducted and has shown 2-3% increased performance in non-elite athletes, followed with just 0.5-1% increased performance in elite athletes. 

Reference Article

SSE #208: An update on beta-alanine supplementation for athletes

Course Objectives

  • Utilize the information provided in this SSE to determine whether beta-alanine supplementation is right for your athlete and their training needs. 
  • Describe the mechanisms that carnosine buffers hydrogen and exchanges calcium/hydrogen. 
  • Discuss future applied research for beta-alanine and how else beta-alanine can be applied to non-elite and elite athletes.  

Course

Credits

Course Expiration

ACSM

1

06/24/2024

BOC

1

06/23/2024

Commission on Dietetic Registration

1

03/31/2024

CSCCa

1

06/23/2024

Reference Article

https://www.gssiweb.org/docs/default-source/sse-docs/stellingwerff_sse_208_a03.pdf?sfvrsn=2