NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition, Second Edition, presents valuable foundational information on the effects that nutrition has on performance, health, and body composition. Whether you work with fitness enthusiasts or competitive athletes, this resource will help you understand and apply scientific findings so that you can assess an individual’s nutrition status and—if it falls within your scope of practice—develop customized nutrition plans.

Developed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) with contributions from 13 experts in the areas of nutrition and human performance, and subjected to an intensive peer-review process, this authoritative resource covers all aspects of food selection, digestion, metabolism, and hydration relevant to sport and exercise performance.

This second edition brings several contemporary sport nutrition issues to the forefront, including recent developments in relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), research related to carbohydrate mouth rinsing, the role of popular dietary supplements, preworkout supplements, and the use of protein and amino acids in improving aerobic endurance, strength, and power. Examine the topic of energy balance and the implications of undereating and overeating. Learn to use popular software and smartphone apps to assess nutrition status. Understand what macronutrients are and how they are metabolized, stored, and oxidized for energy. Use science-based recommendations for using macronutrients, micronutrients, and hydration to improve aerobic, anaerobic, and strength-based performance. Finally, use cutting-edge findings on nutrient timing based on the type, intensity, and duration of activity to help you understand how to recommend the correct nutrients at the ideal time to achieve optimal performance results.

NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition includes professional application sections to draw the connection between research and its practical implementation. Sidebars emphasize important topics, and reproducible forms (a food log, brief nutrition assessment, and goal-setting questionnaire) can be copied and shared. A running glossary keeps key terms at your fingertips, and extensive references within the text offer starting points for your continued study and professional enrichment.

Each client and athlete can benefit from a customized diet tailored to the frequency, intensity, duration, and specificity of their training and demands of the sport or activity. With NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition, you will get an in-depth understanding of how food and sport supplements can enhance exercise and sport performance for optimal training, competition, and recovery.

Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education course and exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes all the course materials and exam.