What’s on your plate influences your performance!

Sports nutrition has always been a passion of mine and I have worked with young athletes since my graduate school days at University of Iowa in the 1980s. I was fortunate to study sports nutrition and exercise physiology at a time when few teams or athletes gave much thought to how nutrition can provide a competitive edge.  During my time at Iowa, I worked with university swimmers, dancers, and even an Olympic bound wrestler.

All of these years later, I continue to work with athletes, often virtually because they train in many locations. I have worked with a number of top US figure skaters, including an Olympian and several top pair teams. I am always so impressed by the level of dedication that these young people bring to their sports. They are so motivated and willingly make changes to improve their fueling and ultimately, their performance.

In the past few years, I have been fortunate to work with a young local athlete who is a nationally ranked swimmer who has already achieved school and state records (and he’s just 16!). Nick and his mom gave permission to share his story, which recently appeared in OSAAtoday. In the article, you will note that Nick attributes some of his improvement in times to positive changes in his diet. In the time I worked with Nick, he made tremendous progress in improving his nutrition and fueling which resulted in a better body composition, improved energy and personal best times.

I recently left my general outpatient clinical practice but I will continue my work with athletes. In addition to my advanced training in sports nutrition, I also bring the perspective of a pediatric dietitian who understands how a young athlete has many competing demands in terms of fueling for growth, development and physical activity.

In the age of COVID-19, the visits are all virtual. If you are interested in meeting with me, please email me at connie@nutritionforkids.com.

Connie is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in child nutrition as well as a Certified Sports Science Dietitian (CSSD).