Nutrition for Olympic Athletes with Alecia Kending MS, RD, CSSD

Next Level Podcast with Host Tavis Piattoly, MS, RD, LD

Podcast Transcript

2:55 Alicia's responsibilities as a Sports Dietitian for the various US Olympic Teams she manages

• So when I first started at the USOC, probably about three years ago, I was working with endurance sports, winter sports, and Paralympic sports. But since then, realizing those are huge groups in themselves and times three it was way too much. I'm now more in the some of the winter sports and now I've taken on some summer sports. We currently have a Sports Nutrition fellow that's taken over the endurance sports, and we’re very happy to announce that we have hired a full time Paralympic sports dietitian. Right now I’m focusing on figure skating and women's ice hockey on the winter side. On the summer side my main focus is with the national swim team and our USA track and field athletes. Those four sports in themselves keeps me busy. I do some of the basic nutrition consultations, working one on one with athletes, but I also helped with menu planning and meal planning for our athletes that are trying to reach either their weight goals or performance goals. Individual recommendations but then also do for my team sports – like women's hockey. Right now they're kind of on a whirlwind tour traveling roadshow, playing Canada numerous times before the games. and then playing some local men's teams. While they're on the road I do a lot of menu planning for them. Every time they have a game I help with their pregame meal, postgame meal, and then ordering all their bars and gels and whatever they need for the during or in between period game stuff. 
• So, it's individual and travel nutrition; it's group planning; it's presentations for all these groups. And then a huge part of what I'm doing, especially given the fact that they're in a registered testing pool if they're participating in the Olympics, I help with dietary supplement education to make sure that they're educated in what they're putting in their bodies. I'm sure we can talk about that later 'cause that's a huge can of worms 

5:30  The challenges Olympic athletes face regarding nutrition?

• Biggest thing is logistics. These guys are on the road a lot. 
• They adapt well to different environments. They’re maybe in a hotel room every day of the week. 
• I think that's what makes them good at what they do is they are able to adjust. However, when we're making nutrition recommendations, if I make a meal plan, and I tell them they have to eat certain things that doesn't mean that they actually have that available to them. So, need to make them feel empowered to make the right decisions when they're in different environments … 
• Challenges faced with working with different athletes  → 15 year old figure skaters to  equestrian athletes to athletes who are 50 years old. The challenge with this is working with their varying levels of knowledge on the nutrition
• Another challenge is athletes that are decentralized –they're all over the country. So, keeping up with the nutrition information, and there influences. 
• Important to have open communication with them 

8:13

• Young athletes gain the experience every year that they're competing, and they're surrounded by some of these veteran athletes that have really valued nutrition. 
• Also, we have athletes that are so committed to the sport. They're looking to do whatever they can to have the performance advantage. So they know how important training, recovery modalities, and sports nutrition is for preparation or peak performance.

9:50 What would be your one piece of advice you’d want to give our young athletes who listen to the show regarding nutrition?

• It's kind of along the lines of psychology. You only go see a psychologist if something's wrong with you. We know that's not the case. There's a performance benefit to really focusing on these different areas 
• The advice that I have working with these types of athletes at all different levels is to encourage athletes to appreciate nutrition and where their food is coming from.
• Be engaged in the preparation of their food.
• Athletes participating in preparation will indirectly impact how much time they put into the planning and the preparation of the food. It can make them feel empowered to make their own choices.