Social media has not been short on influencers and personal trainers sharing misinformation surrounding nutrition. From “skinny me tea”, to gummies, all types of “quick fixes” have been spruked by some, which may lead to eating disorders, health and mental health issues within those who chose to follow their advice.

However, the Sport Nutrition Association want to tackle this issue head on.

Founded in Australia by Alex Thomas, The Sports Nutrition Association, which operates in Aus, NZ, USA, Asia and Europe, is the governing body responsible for establishing and standardising best practices in Sports Nutrition.

Alex Thomas says:

“We felt that there needed to be regulation in this space.”

“Clients will often find their personal trainer online because they either loon a certain way or they resonate with the trainer in some way. However, nutrition questions are often also asked, and we want to make sure that the industry standards of advice PTs are sharing is safe and helpful.”

“Not every personal trainer will have the time or the desire to do a full nutrition course, that’s why we have presented an alternative for them”

How the Sports Nutrition Association works:

Education

The Sports Nutrition Association provides education and recognised certification for Personal Trainers, Exercise Physiologists, Strength Coaches & Exercise Scientists looking to add Sports Supplementation & Nutrition programming to their insured scope of practice.

The education is also for those people interested in studying nutrition, or a potential career in nutrition, but do not want to wait 3+ years and invest tens of thousands of dollars later to find out it isn’t for them.

The Provisional accreditation allows people to first study and learn the subject matter, then practice in the space (in a provisional capacity) to ascertain if this is a career for them, and then they are required to enrol into further study (they otherwise would be with another professional body at the entry level) to become openly accredited.

However, by this point you will be well and truly confident in your decision for this as a career.

Sports Nutritionist Registry

Those who went through the course can then be on the Sports Nutritionist Registry so potential clients can find them. They will also have access to the most up-to- date sports nutrition information to keep them on the front foot when it comes to providing science-backed advice.

Regulation

The Sports Nutrition Association not only ensures members are geared with the most up-to-date knowledge on the best nutrition practises for their client’s needs, but having the stamp of approval can also help a client better choose a trainer that suits their needs as they know when have done the work and have access to the most up to date information at their fingertips.