The professional framework defining what Accredited Sports Nutritionists can and cannot do at each level of qualification.
Sports Nutrition is the non-medical practice of:
When it comes to nutrition, the fitness industry has established a well-intentioned, albeit hazardous, trend in allowing professionals that aren't qualified dieticians, and are otherwise unqualified, unregulated and unregistered "nutrition professionals" to engage with clients.
This is something Sports Nutrition Association has aimed to combat through the establishment of a membership association that provides members an accreditation framework, ongoing training and professional development and the ability to obtain access to an insurance policy with coverage that specifically contemplates the unique issues that a Sports Nutritionist is required to deal with in working with both professional and aspiring athletes.
The goal of Sports Nutrition Association is to ensure that not only is the highest quality personalised professional service being provided to clients, but also that clients and the public generally can have confidence when they are engaging with a professional offering Sports Nutrition services.
In the health and fitness industry, there is an important distinction that must be recognised between simply providing 'coaching' and 'guidance', and providing a personalised and prescriptive nutrition service that is targeted towards assisting an athlete or client achieve a particular performance outcome.
Sound nutrition service must be personalised, this is what makes it effective for each individual client. Understanding this fundamental principle is paramount to any professional that wants a successful career within the nutrition industry.
Sports Nutrition Association specialises in equipping professionals with the skills required to enable them to provide expert and tailored services and ultimately succeed in a career in the nutrition industry.
This is not to say that there isn't an important place for general health tips.
For example: Undergoing employment for a corporation or local government to present some healthy eating/nutrition principles applicable to a large group of people.
However, this is a different focus, process and skillset from that of a Sports Nutritionist.
For example: A Sports Nutritionist will provide an individual client or athlete with a tailored service that is designed to enable them to elicit a specific result through nutritional change.
In any professional services industry, the level of qualification and experience that a practitioner has achieved influences the scope, quality and nature of service that they are able to competently provide to clients. The Sports Nutrition industry is no different in this respect.
The Sports Nutrition Association framework defines three of the most common categories of Sports Nutrition professionals, as well as the nature of the services that Sports Nutrition Association considers can be competently provided by a professional that has achieved each level of competency.
Learn more about the other accreditation levels here.
The key competencies and practice scope include:
The key competencies and practice scope include:
Qualified to provide all of the services contemplated in the 'Provisional' and 'Open' categories, and is also qualified to work directly with athletes in the following speciality disciplines:
Notwithstanding the level of qualification that has been achieved within the Sports Nutrition Association framework, a Sports Nutrition Association professional (and any professional that is not an Australian Health Practitioner) should not engage in providing personalised professional service to clients in respect of health related issues falling within the scope of the following categories:
Access the complete Scope of Practice document as a PDF for reference.
