Iowa Sports Prep

Welcome to Iowa Sports Prep's collection of sports nutrition profiles. These pages explore what students can learn from 35 of the world's leading sports nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and nutrition scientists.

Why Learn from Nutritionists?

At ISP, we believe nutrition is a life skill, not just a diet. By studying the world's best nutrition scientists, students learn:

How to fuel their bodies for peak performance
The science behind energy metabolism
How nutrition varies by sport, phase, and individual
Critical thinking about health claims and fads

Overview Documents

Doc	What It Covers
Sports Nutrition Frameworks	Major schools of thought — carb vs. fat, periodization, behavioral architecture
Elite Sports Nutritionists	Career paths and approaches of leading practitioners

Foundational Figures

Doc	What It Covers
Louise Burke	AIS Head of Nutrition, "Food First" philosophy, ABCD supplement classification
Nancy Clark	"Peace with food," Four Food Buckets, sports nutrition for real people
Tim Noakes	Central Governor Model, LCHF movement, challenging orthodoxy
Cate Shanahan	Deep Nutrition, Lakers team nutritionist, metabolic flexibility

Carbohydrate & Energy Experts

Doc	What It Covers
Asker Jeukendrup	90g/hour carb limit, "train the gut," periodized nutrition
John Ivy	Nutrient timing pioneer, anabolic window, 4:1 carb-to-protein ratio
Bergström & Hultman	Muscle biopsy pioneers, glycogen loading discovery
David Costill	Father of sports nutrition research, hydration science
Robert Cade	Inventor of Gatorade, sports drink science

Protein & Muscle Adaptation Experts

Doc	What It Covers
Kevin Tipton	Muscle protein synthesis, 20-40g per meal, leucine threshold
Brad Schoenfeld	Hypertrophy nutrition, protein distribution, body composition
Phillips & Van Loon	Protein requirements, pre-sleep casein, age-related needs
Paul Greenhaff	Creatine research pioneer, loading protocols
Keith Baar	Tendon and ligament nutrition, collagen + Vitamin C protocols

Fat Adaptation & Alternative Fueling

Doc	What It Covers
Jeff Volek	Ketogenic diets, FASTER study, fat adaptation
Luc Spriet	Fat metabolism, individual variation, caffeine research

Female Athlete Physiology

Doc	What It Covers
Stacy Sims	"Women are not small men," menstrual cycle periodization, menopause
De Souza & Loucks	Female Athlete Triad, RED-S, energy availability research

Team & Applied Sports Nutrition

Doc	What It Covers
Liverpool FC Nutrition	Mona Nemmer's Four Pillars, station feeding, food democracy
James Collins	The Energy Plan, Human Performance Gap, 48-hour fueling window
Andrew Jones	Beetroot juice pioneer, dietary nitrates, endurance efficiency
Graeme Close	Paper to Podium framework, collision nutrition, vitamin D

International Perspectives

Doc	What It Covers
Igor Četojević	Djokovic's physician, gluten elimination, bioenergetic testing
Giuliano Poser	Sacile Protocol, Italian football nutrition, elimination diets
Francis Holway	Kinanthropometry, Muscle-to-Bone Ratio, South American sports science

Hydration & Recovery Specialists

Doc	What It Covers
Maughan & Shirreffs	Beverage Hydration Index, rehydration kinetics, sodium needs
Dan Benardot	Within-Day Energy Balance, metabolic compensation, frequent eating
Susan Kleiner	Power Eating, female athlete strength nutrition, Good Mood Diet
Charles Ashford	Quadrant Nutrition System, NBA nutrition, traffic light heuristics
Jordan Sullivan	Fight Dietitian, 52-Week Fight Camp, safe weight cutting for combat sports

Olympics & Competition Specialists

Doc	What It Covers
Trent Stellingwerff	Canadian Sport Institute, RED-S research, body composition periodization
David Nieman	Exercise immunology, J-curve, Open Window theory, whole foods > supplements

Cross-Cutting Themes

1. "Food First" Consensus

Nearly all experts agree: whole foods form the foundation, with supplements filling specific gaps.

2. Periodization Is Key

Just as training is periodized, nutrition should match training demands: high-carb for intensity, lower carb for easy days.

3. Individual Variation

What works for one athlete may not work for another. Sweat rates, gut tolerance, and metabolic responses vary widely.

4. Timing Matters

When you eat often matters as much as what you eat—pre-exercise fueling, intra-workout carbs, and recovery windows.

5. Female Athletes Have Unique Needs

Women are not small men. Hormonal cycles, pregnancy, and menopause all affect nutritional requirements.

6. Under-Fueling Is Epidemic

RED-S affects performance, health, and longevity. "Clean eating" can mask chronic under-fueling.

7. Evidence Over Ideology

The "high-carb vs low-carb" debate is context-dependent. Sport demands determine the optimal approach.

The Big Rocks of Sports Nutrition

Energy availability — Eat enough to fuel training
Carbohydrate periodization — Fuel for the work required
Protein distribution — 20-40g per meal, 4-5 times daily
Hydration — Individualized based on sweat rate
Sleep — Recovery happens during rest

📚 Deep Dive Research

Want more detail on research methodologies, additional studies, and extended quotes? Each scientist has a full research document:

Location: docs/LifeSkills/Curriculum/Research/SportsNutritionists/

These raw research docs contain:

Full publication histories and key papers
Extended quotes and interview excerpts
Detailed protocol breakdowns
Cross-references to collaborators and influences

Use the PublicDocs pages for quick content. Use Research docs when you need to go deeper.

This collection forms the foundation of Iowa Sports Prep's Bio Skill Tree curriculum, providing evidence-based nutrition education for developing student-athletes' physical foundation.

Learn from Sports Nutritionists