If your goal is to specialize and work in the fitness field, in this article you will discover how to become a sports nutritionist, the training , the recognized specialization courses and the opportunities that this increasingly sought-after profession offers.
If you already have a clear idea of how necessary this professional figure has become , you will also know why. Let’s clarify the essential concepts.
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From Medical Fitness – fitness as medicine – to the increasingly requested figure of the Personal Trainer , the trends clearly show how health and living well , in a healthy and active way, have become the real priorities in the scale of our primary needs.
We want to feel good about ourselves: at a young age , not to feel less than others in terms of fitness and physical performance. In later life , however, maintaining physical fitness becomes important both to delay aging and as a prevention tool.
The result leads to the same conclusion and is embodied in an increasingly close link between physical exercise and well-being , which represents one of the tools used to feel adequate, to feel good, to regain and maintain health – both physical and mental – at despite any external circumstance or event.
How does the sports nutritionist fit into this scenario?
Being a nutrition specialist, his role becomes central in guaranteeing the best performance and physical fitness through correct nutrition, both for the professional athlete and for the amateur athlete who trains regularly even individually. And they could never achieve their goals within a training program, without a well-structured and personalized diet.
A poor diet – lacking some fundamental nutrients – decreases sports performance (endurance, strength, muscle power, etc.), leads to weight gain and is also the trigger for the most widespread metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.
In short, having made these necessary premises, we can deduce the reason why the figure of the sports nutritionist is so indispensable and how promising the employment possibilities are, both in the private and public sectors.
Being a specialist who works with people’s health, he cannot ignore serious and guaranteed training . The legislation that regulates the sector is very strict, so it is best to choose valid and recognized training.
If you want to know how to become a good sports nutritionist, you must start from the course of study that allows you to take the first steps to access the profession.
Course of study
What to study to become a sports nutrition specialist? Is it possible to become a nutritionist without a degree?
These are the most common questions asked by those who want to specialize in this field. Let’s point out straight away that no, it is not possible to become a sports nutritionist without a degree.
The nutritionist has a degree in biology and specializes in food and nutrition.
To carry out this profession, in fact, it is necessary to enroll in a master’s degree course (lasting five years) in Biology or Nutrition Sciences .
The next step after graduation is the state exam for the qualification to practice the profession of biologist and, finally, registration with the National Order of Biologists (Section A).
As with many other specialist professions, the path continues with specialization through master’s degrees, in-depth courses and seminars . Keeping up to date in this field is essential to keep up with developments in medicine and science.
Soon, we will go into detail about the recognized and certified courses that allow you to practice the profession. If you are already in this post-graduation phase, and are looking for specialist training courses, it will be useful to have references to help you best orient yourself, without wasting time or money on bad investments.
If you have not yet undertaken a course of study, it will help you to know the differences between the various roles : nutritional biologist, dietician and dietician.
The Nutritional Biologist
The nutritional biologist can work independently in developing, drawing up and prescribing food diets based on the nutritional profile of the person and their possible food intolerances and/or pathologies (after the doctor’s diagnosis), evaluating their physiological conditions, state, nutritional needs and energetic. But he can’t diagnose.
Therefore, the person who is aware of having a problem and needs to be followed by a nutrition specialist turns to the nutritionist.
In this specific case, the sports nutritionist deals with the correct diet for amateur and professional athletes who must maintain the right energy intake in relation to training and their objectives.
The Dietitian
The dietician is a nutrition technician , a healthcare worker with a degree in Dietetics , a three-year course from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.
It can operate both in the public and private sectors with regards to:
- the care of food and nutrition aimed both at the individual and as a protocol in collective contexts
- the development of dietary and nutritional plans prescribed by the doctor
- the promotion of correct eating styles.
Even the dietician cannot make diagnoses , but unlike the nutritionist he cannot even prescribe diets and/or medications.
Among his tasks, that of verifying the hygiene of food (for example: in school and hospital canteens), promoting food education , collaborating with industries in the sector.
In-depth courses
If you are clearer about the difference between these professional figures, we can go into detail about the specialist courses in sports nutrition , useful for completing the necessary training.
This phase cannot be skipped, as it is the one that closes the circle and completes the preparation of the nutritionist in the sports field .
The first precaution to observe is to follow courses organized by academies that present a wide range of recognitions and certifications. There are many around, but not all of them ensure structural solidity and a connection with institutional partners that express quality and competence.
These are professional specialties that have to do with people’s health. So, be careful about the training path you choose to follow.
