FSHP Academy
Sports Nutrition — all lessons

Module 1: Foundations of Sports Nutrition

Energy systems and metabolism for nutritionMacronutrients and athletic performanceMicronutrients and hydration essentials

Module 2: Nutrition for Training & Competition

Pre-, intra- and post-workout nutrition strategiesFuelling for endurance vs strength/power sportsCompetition-day meal planning

Module 3: Body Composition & Weight Management

Balancing muscle gain and fat lossSafe weight-cutting practices for athletesNutrition for injury prevention and recoveryEnergy availability and RED-S

Module 4: Supplements & Ergogenic Aids

Evidence-based supplements (creatine, caffeine and others)Avoiding banned substances and doping risks

Module 5: Practical Applications

Creating individualised nutrition plansSports nutrition case studies

Sports nutrition case studies

Worked case studies applying sports-nutrition principles to endurance, team, strength, weight-category and youth athletes, including when to refer.

Professional Evidence: Established consensus 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Apply assessment and planning processes to realistic athletes
  • Integrate fuelling, timing, hydration and supplements
  • Recognise red flags and referral points
  • Evaluate outcomes and adjust plans

Before this lesson

Why this matters

Principles become skills only when applied. These cases integrate the module. Names are fictional.

Case 1 — The fading marathoner

Athlete: 34-year-old, 62 kg, running 70 km/week; “hits the wall” at 30 km. Assessment: ~4 g/kg/day carbohydrate; nothing during long runs. Plan: 6–7 g/kg on long-run days; 60 g/h carbohydrate during runs >2 h, gut-trained over 6 weeks [jeukendrup2014] [thomas2016]; carbohydrate loading 36–48 h before the race. Outcome: Completes the marathon with even splits.

Case 2 — The team-sport double session

Athlete: 21-year-old hockey player; morning skills and evening conditioning. Plan: Recovery snack with ~1 g/kg carbohydrate and 25 g protein after morning session; lunch within 2 h; pre-evening snack. Outcome: Evening session quality improves (GPS high-speed distance up ~8%).

Case 3 — The weight-class powerlifter

Athlete: 84 kg lifter competing at 83 kg, 24-h weigh-in. Plan: Gradual approach to 84.5 kg over 6 weeks; low-residue diet and mild fluid restriction for the final 1.5 kg; rehydration and refuelling plan after weigh-in [reale2017]. Outcome: Makes weight; strength unaffected.

Case 4 — The underfuelled cricketer

Athlete: 18-year-old female fast bowler with missed periods for 5 months and a lumbar stress injury. Action: Coach refers to sports physician and dietitian; assessment consistent with low energy availability (REDs) [mountjoy2023]. Plan led by the medical team. Lesson: Recognise and refer — trainers are not the treating team.

Case 5 — The youth swimmer

Athlete: 14-year-old training before school; no breakfast. Plan: Food-first: milk and banana before training; school-friendly snacks; no supplements. Outcome: Better energy in morning sessions and at school.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Practical demo needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Sports nutrition case studies

sports dietitians (search)

You will understand: applying principles to real athletes

Why: Applied learning.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Working with athletes as a dietitian

professional bodies (search)

You will understand: professional practice

Why: Context.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. In case 1, the marathoner’s main issue was…

Answer B. Fuelling during exercise was the limiter.

2. In case 3, the powerlifter’s plan prioritised…

Answer B. Safer weight-category practice.

3. Which finding in case 4 triggered referral?

Answer B. Signs consistent with REDs.

4. The best way to evaluate a nutrition intervention is…

Answer B. Objective review.

5. A youth athlete should generally…

Answer B. Food first for young athletes.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Write your own case study for an athlete in your sport.
  2. Identify the referral points in each case.
  3. Design outcome measures for case 2.

Key takeaways

  • Good practice follows assess → plan → monitor → adjust.
  • Many performance problems trace back to inadequate energy or carbohydrate.
  • Red flags (REDs, disordered eating, medical issues) require referral.
  • Outcomes should be measured, not assumed.

Connected topics

sports nutrition

Energy availability and RED-S

sports nutrition

Safe weight-cutting practices for athletes

sports nutrition

Competition-day meal planning

References

  1. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). American College of Sports Medicine joint position statement: nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(3):543–568. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852 Position stand check pending
  2. Jeukendrup A (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine, 44(Suppl 1):S25–S33. Narrative review check pending
  3. Reale R, Slater G, Burke LM (2017). Acute-weight-loss strategies for combat sports and applications to Olympic success. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(2):142–151. Narrative review check pending
  4. Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, et al. (2023). 2023 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(17):1073–1097. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994 Guideline check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.