NESTA Sports Nutrition Specialist (SNS) Certification

This unit covers the core sciences that nutrition is built on:

• The chemistry of nutrition, and how the body is organized from the cell up to the organ systems
• Energy, metabolism and enzymes, including the ATP-PC, glycolytic and aerobic energy systems
• Exercise physiology and the endocrine system
• The digestive system, and how carbohydrates, proteins and lipids are digested and used

This unit turns the latest research into practical strategies, with graded findings from the evidence-based Evidence Analysis Library:

• Assessing energy requirements, energy balance and energy availability (BMR/RMR, the Harris-Benedict and Cunningham equations, and the risks of low energy availability)
• Body composition and how it affects performance
• Macronutrient intake and timing for training and competition
• Micronutrients and supplements, including the common gaps athletes face with iron, vitamin D and calcium
• Fluids, electrolytes and hydration before, during and after training
• Periodized meal planning built around the athlete's training cycle

Knowing the science only helps if your client actually changes how they eat. This unit teaches you how to coach that change:

• Working with athletes: the full assessment process, including intake questionnaires, biometrics, health history and 24-hour food recalls
• Setting goals by breaking outcomes into skills and daily practices
• Building rapport and communicating with your clients
• The Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change) and how to meet clients where they are
• Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-efficacy and the basics of motivational interviewing
• Advising, measuring, adjusting and supporting clients over time

The Specialist Flowchart, 13 downloadable client forms and the Eating Strategy Calculator spreadsheet (Excel and Apple Numbers).