Outreach

1.   Athletics

Education and Counseling of Student-Athletes (Peak Performance through Good Nutrition)

• Every entering student-athlete has access to a nutrition evaluation and diet analysis at the start of their UMass Career
• Each team has meetings with the Sports Nutritionist; services are available to help plan meals on campus and on the road; trips to the supermarket, cooking tips, etc. are offered to off campus students.
• Sports Nutritionists work closely with Dining Services and Catering Services to assure appropriate meals for athletes
• A newsletter on sports nutrition for student-athletes with information about Dining Common's menus, road travel, quick nutritional tips for optimal performance, information on fad diets, and other timely topics of interest to student-athletes is in the planning stage.
• Educational materials for student-athletes on relevant sports nutrition topics are produced and updated. (includes bulletin boards, individual handouts)

Coaches and Athletic Trainers

• All coaches will have access to at least one meeting with the Sports Nutritionist for evaluation and setting of team goals
• We offer Sport Nutrition Forums for Coaches and Athletic Trainers
• Coach's Newsletter with up-to-date information on supplements, sports nutrition topics to enhance performance is provided quarterly

2.   Community

Outreach covers nutritional concerns for both the athletic populations, as well as those of any age, who are interested in the relationship between nutrition and all forms of physical activity for performance and/or health

• We developed a brochure for first year students to help them prevent the poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles that often accompany the first year of college.
• We develop educational material for the community regarding exercise, nutrition, and health.

Academics

We are currently developing a Certificate Program and a Masters Degree Option in Nutrition for Human Performance. Additional courses that emphasize proper nutritional practices for sports or human performance will be developed to provide additional educational opportunities not now available.

Research

Research will be an important component of the Center. The highly talented faculty in the Exercise Science and Nutrition Departments have considerable expertise that are valuable to the Center's research mission. Research is performed that targets vital issues at the interface of health, nutrition, and exercise or sport. This research is both basic and applied, and extends beyond the athlete to explore the role of nutrition and exercise through the life span.