Applied Nutrition for Sports Performance

Assignment cover sheet 

Copy and paste the SSES cover sheet into your word document as the first page of your assignment so we can identify you and fill in the comments section when we have marked your assignment. You can find the assignment cover sheet in the assignment documents folder 

Client summary sheet 

This is a table which summarises your dietary analysis findings and some of the additional measures you will perform in your seminars. The template can be found in the assignment documents folder 

Sum of skinfolds radar graph

In one of the seminars you will perform a 7 site skin fold analysis (in pairs). The data will be presented as a radar graph and this is to be placed directly following the client summary sheet above

Section 1. Athlete needs analysis 

(500 words)

This section should outline your sport discipline (if you don’t do sport make one up and base the assignment on your chosen sport), the physiological demands of that sport and a summary of what the main nutritional challenges and requirements are for the specific athlete in question. (This must be supported with relevant literature)

Section 2. Average Macronutrient and fluid Intake 

(800 words)

The athlete’s daily average macronutrient and fluid intake (amount of each nutrient they consume per day) will be discussed in this section. This will apply to the following nutrients: 

Carbohydrate

Lipids

Protein

Fluid (consider total fluid from food and drinks)

You will to firstly briefly describe the importance of each nutrient with reference to the sports person your assignment is based on. Then discuss how much of the nutrient they should be consuming daily for their given sport and training level (again using primary research evidence to support this). Then compare the athlete’s intake per day of each nutrient to the research recommendations to determine if the athlete’s average daily intake is adequate.

Section 3. Timing of Nutrient intake 

(1200 words)

By selecting one day of the athlete’s diet and activity record and the corresponding day’s analysis from nutritics. Critically look at the athletes timing of food and fluid intake and amounts for the following: 

Pre exercise nutrients and Fluid (Carbohydrate loading, the pre exercise meal, fluid intake)

During Exercise Nutrients and Fluid (Mainy Fluid/electrolytes and carbohydrate)

Post Exercise Nutrients and fluid (recovery fluid replacement protein and carbohydrate)

NOTE only include sections that are relevant to your athlete e.g carbohydrate loading might not be applicable etc.

For each of the above sections, discuss why it’s important to have the correct amount of nutrients at the right time. Then for the athlete in question, discuss the relevant research recommendations for amounts and timing of nutrient and fluid intake for the specific athlete in question. Then critically discuss what the athlete’s actual diet is like in comparison to this. Is it adequate? 

Section 4. A summary of the strengths and weaknesses of data collection methods used 

(500 words)

Throughout this course you will become familiar with strengths and weaknesses of every step of nutritional analysis. In this section you will need to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of some of the data collection techniques you have used in the seminars. The data collection techniques will include 

3 day diet and activity record

Skinfold analysis 

The use of Nutritics a computer based analysis system to analyse dietary intake

Section 5. References