Sports Nutrition and Performance Enhancement

This 2-week, tutorial-based course examines current best evidence in sports nutrition as it applies to active and athletic populations. Core topics include energy sources (macro- and micronutrients) and their relationship to energy system utilization, hydration strategies, and dietary intake recommendations. The course also addresses considerations related to body composition, body weight, and appropriate nutrition choices for health and performance.

Additional content includes performance-enhancing nutritional strategies, dietary supplementation, and the identification and regulation of banned substances (e.g., anabolic steroids and growth hormone), as well as an overview of drug testing procedures. The course concludes with an exploration of the role of the sports physical therapist in supporting nutrition and performance optimization within scope of practice.

Course Objectives/Outcomes

By the end of the course, a successful learner will be able to:

• Apply principles of energy metabolism and nutrient utilization to analyze the physiological demands of athletic activities (e.g., power, endurance, mixed).
• Develop evidence-informed nutrition strategies, including macronutrient distribution, hydration, and nutrient timing, to support performance and recovery.
• Analyze factors influencing body composition, energy balance, and nutrient needs to guide appropriate nutrition recommendations.
• Evaluate dietary practices, supplementation, and performance-enhancing strategies for safety, effectiveness, and compliance with current guidelines.
• Evaluate emerging sports nutrition products and strategies (e.g., pre-workouts, green powders, GLP-1 agonists) for their impact on performance and health.
• Analyze risk factors for low energy availability and RED-S to inform screening, referral, and interdisciplinary management.
• Evaluate the efficacy, mechanisms, and risks of common ergogenic aids (e.g., caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine) for evidence-based application.
• Analyze risks associated with dietary supplements, including contamination and unintentional doping, and apply mitigation strategies.
• Apply anti-doping guidelines (e.g., WADA, NCAA) to support safe, ethical decisions related to supplementation and performance enhancement.
• Integrate scope of practice principles to guide nutrition screening, education, and referral as a sports physical therapist.

Evidence In Motion is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 9255. This Distance learning-interactive activity is offered at 8.6 CEUs; Intermediate, OT Service Delivery, Foundational Knowledge. AOTA does not endorse specific course content, products, or clinical procedures.

Applicability

• Sports Physical Therapy Residency
• Sports Physical Therapy Certification

Evidence In Motion is a BOC approved provider of continuing education.