Search for:

Dietetics and Nutrition

Taking the confusion out of eating to fuel your needs.

Nutrition Services offered here at SSM

• General dietary assessment and meal planning and individualised nutrition support and advice for medical conditions eg. Diabetes, Heart health, Gastrointestinal conditions, Food intolerances, Weight loss
• Dietary assessment and counselling for recreational to elite athletes. Children, adolescents, adults and older adults, everybody!
• Body composition assessment and monitoring (ie. Level 1 Anthropometrist (Body composition testing)
• Nutrition seminars and supermarket tours
• Fluid balance assessments and sweat testing

What is a Dietitian?

Dietitians are University trained Nutrition specialists who are clinically trained in providing counselling to individuals and groups on dietary education and healthy eating lifestyles.

An accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) will be registered and comply with the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) to deliver best practice guidelines in nutrition management.

An Accredited Sports Dietitian of the Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) body will have met the specific requirements stipulated by this specialist organisation to practice Sports Nutrition.

Dietitians (APDs) differ from Nutritionists (ANs) in that they are trained and qualified to advise patients on the specific nutrition management of chronic health conditions. They translate scientific information into individualised, evidence based practical advice to assist patients manage their condition. Nutritional management should be reviewed by an APD periodically.

The overall aim is to improve patient outcomes through medical nutrition therapy (MNT)

What is a Sports Dietitian?

The main objective of a Sports Dietitian is to identify the best eating and drinking strategies to fuel and meet an individual’s nutritional schedule and training/competition requirements. These strategies should always be tailored within each person’s unique lifestyle choices and circumstances to ensure their performance and day to day well being needs are optimised.

Overall, a Sports Dietitian aims to maximise an athlete’s performance, whatever level of sport they participate in. To achieve this ultimate goal, the Dietitian can aide with:

• General health and immunity
• Maximising energy levels
• Concentration
• Support growth and body composition
• Recovery
• Hydration goals and strategies

What services can a Dietitian provide?

Individuals or groups can benefit through counselling, group workshops, tours or lectures. These are the main areas that can be covered from the first consultation up until the end of their care continuum.

Dietary Assessment/ Analysis

• Ensuring overall basic framework diet is met
• Nutrient adequacies ie. Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat, Fibre, Fluid, Micronutrient levels: Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin C etc.
• Pre and post-training eating patterns
• Timing of carbohydrate/ protein intake related to training stage
• Food variety choices
• Maximising vegetarian eating
• Manage sporting needs on background of medical issues such as Diabetes, Anaemia, Eating Disorders, Food Allergies or Intolerances.

Meal Planning

• Outlining structure of eating pattern
• Recipe ideas
• Dietary periodisation

Weight Management

• Determining healthy weight range
• Psychology of eating
• Strategies for skinfold reduction

Anthropometry: Body Composition Assessment and Monitoring

• Weight and height (BMI)
• Waist Hip ratio (WHR)
• Body Composition : Skinfold testing, Girth measurements and weight

Bulking Up

• Nutrition planning to meet requirements and complement weights training program
• Critical analysis of supplementation ie. To take or not to take, what is rubbish, what is not, weighing up between benefits vs. Possible detriment to performance or law.

Competition Eating

• Preparation, such as Carb loading and hydration
• Single day vs. Multi-day events
• Eating on the road eg. Local, interstate, OS

Hydration Issues

• Daily fluid needs for body size
• Training hydration strategies
• Fluid types and effect on hydration status – water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, energy drinks, juice, milk
• Fluid balance assessment: Hydration testing, sweat testing and fluid loss monitoring

Workshops/ Resources/Other Services

• Implementation of Nutrition Programs/Systems
  • Supplement provision
  • Recovery strategies
  • Nutrition support for Team travel
• Produce education resources
• Nutrition research
• Group education sessions ie. Supermarket tours, cooking demonstrations, label reading exercises