Sports nutrition
The Sports nutrition is an area of nutrition focused on optimising the physical performance and recovery of athletes and people who engage in regular physical activity. It involves the application of nutritional and scientific principles to support the body's health, performance and recovery during and after exercise.
An online sports nutrition consultation involves a series of steps and activities designed to assess, educate and create a personalised nutritional plan to improve the physical performance, health and recovery of the athlete or practitioner of physical activities:
- The nutritionist collects detailed information about your health history, sporting history, type of physical activity practised, frequency and intensity of training, sporting goals and current challenges.
- Assessment of current eating habits, food likes and dislikes, meal times, supplementation and fluid consumption.
- Discussion of pre-existing health conditions, injuries, food allergies or intolerances and medication.
- If possible, the nutritionist can ask the client to provide body measurements such as weight, height, body fat percentage and circumferences of body parts. In some cases, photos or videos can be used for a visual assessment.
- Based on basal metabolic rate, level of physical activity and goals (weight loss, gaining muscle mass, weight maintenance, etc.), the nutritionist calculates calorie needs and macronutrient distribution.
- Evaluation of the intake of essential vitamins and minerals for performance and recovery.
- Creation of a detailed diet plan, adapted to the person's needs and preferences. It includes suggestions for meals, snacks and food intake times.
- Recommendations on nutritional supplements, if necessary, such as protein, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and more.
1. Avaliação Inicial
Personal and Sports History
Food history
Clinical History
2. Avaliação Antropométrica
Body measurements
3. Análise de Necessidades Nutricionais
Calculating Energy Requirements
Micronutrients
4. Planeamento Nutricional Personalizado
Food plan
Food supplementation
- Education on the importance of balanced nutrition, the role of macronutrients and micronutrients, and how different foods impact performance and recovery.
- Guidance on the ideal time to consume different nutrients in relation to training and competitions.
- Follow-up sessions to monitor progress, adjust the nutritional plan as necessary and address any issues or challenges that arise.
- Regular communication via email, messaging or online platforms to provide ongoing support and make quick adjustments to the diet plan.
- Provision of educational materials, recipes, shopping lists to complement adherence to the nutritional plan.
- Summarising the main recommendations, reviewing the agreed objectives and planning the next follow-up sessions.
5. Educação Nutricional
Information and guidance
Timing Strategies
6. Monitoramento e Acompanhamento
Regular Check-ins
Continuous Feedback
7. Ferramentas e Recursos
Access to resources
8. Encerramento da Consulta
Summary and Next Steps
Raquel Teixeira
Graduated in Nutrition Sciences and Master in Food Safety.
‘I have dedicated my entire professional career to nutrition in sport, in a variety of disciplines and contexts, from young athletes to professional athletes, team and individual disciplines, including Olympic and Paralympic athletes.’
Mission
Food and nutrition have a significant impact on the performance of athletes by promoting a state of health and adequate energy, as well as achieving a good body composition.