What is a Sports Dietitian?

A sports dietitian provides individual and group/team nutrition counseling and education to enhance the performance of competitive and recreational athletes.

Some responsibilities include: 

  • Counseling individuals and groups on daily nutrition for performance and health;
  • Translating the latest scientific evidence into practical sports nutrition recommendations;
  • Serving as a food and nutrition resource for coaches, trainers, and parents;
  • Providing sports nutrition education to athletic teams, and community groups.

What type of nutrition services and counseling do we offer? 

  • Nutrition assessment and analysis of current diet;
  • Determining caloric needs, protein needs, hydration needs and other macro- and micro-nutrient needs;
  • Sport-related improvement through better nutrition;
  • Under- or over-nourished athletes;
  • Weight gain or weight loss;
  • Body fat assessment (triceps skinfold) for athletes;
  • Female Athlete Triad (syndrome involving energy deficiency, menstrual disturbances and bone mass loss);
  • Meal planning for athletes;
  • Food/supplement selection and buying advice for athletes;
  • Specialty diets (i.e. plant-based, allergy/intolerance restrictions, etc.) in athletes;
  • Help to manage gastrointestinal symptoms during performance;
  • Recovery from injury;
  • Medical condition (i.e. low iron, compromised bone health) related to poor nutrition for active, otherwise healthy, individuals;
  • Specific sport (i.e. gymnastics, running, baseball, etc.) nutrition consultation.

About Your Visit

Athletes should complete a three-day food record form to help our dietitian have a better picture of your eating habits. Please email the food record to Susan.Fogarty@chkd.org before coming to your appointment.

Typically, a visit will last one hour and include nutritional analysis, evaluation and a nutrition prescription. Follow-up is encouraged, but not required. Body composition testing is available by request and will be done by skin calipers and or bio-electrical impedance. 

Payment 

Not all insurance companies cover nutrition services. If the insurance company does not cover this service, patients will be asked to pay for services prior to their visit.

Fees vary depending on the length of visit and CHKD discounts are given to self-pay patients. The self-pay rate is $80 for initial visit and $40 for follow-up should a parent learn that insurance will not cover the visit.

Setting Up An Appointment

Call CHKD’s Primary Care Sports Medicine and Adolescent Medicine office at (757) 668-7529 (PLAY) to schedule an appointment with Sue Fogarty, dietitian.