Sports Nutrition for Paralympic Athletes

Sports participation opportunities for individuals with impairments are increasing. Whether an athlete is beginning a sport or competing on the world stage for a podium finish, nutrition is recognized as being integral to optimizing their health, training capacity, and performance. Some athletes with impairments are physiologically similar to their able-bodied counterparts, whereby the application of sports nutrition principles is straightforward. However, athletes with certain impairments require a very individualized approach when applying these principles in a practical way.

Fully updated and expanded, this second edition of Sports Nutrition for Paralympic Athletes is an essential resource for sports nutrition practitioners who work alongside athletes with an impairment, whether that be physical, visual, hearing, or intellectual. In addition to chapters devoted to each impairment type, this book covers specific areas including medical considerations, body composition, supplements, and practical aspects that can be applied across all athletes and sports. Case studies and messages from athletes and world-class coaches enhance the application of theoretical research into practice providing the most relevant sports nutrition advice to Para athletes.

Features

    New chapters on energy availability in Para athletes and cooling and hydration for the Para athlete

    Concise review of current sports nutrition recommendations for athletes, both during training and in competition

    Provides practical guidance and examples on how to apply sports nutrition principles to each impairment type

    Includes real life experiences of Para athletes, elite coaches, and practitioners

    Encompasses wider topics of assessing body composition, medical considerations, and supplement use specific to Para athletes

    Features insight and experiences gained by practitioners over the three major Paralympic Games since the first edition

Sports nutrition can be the difference between being competitive and making the podium. With the rapidly increasing Paralympic profile, this book is valuable for professionals endeavoring to give their athletes the competitive edge - it challenges, stimulates, and drives future research in this area to continue to improve the delivery of this intrinsic component of athlete preparation.

Table of Contents

1 - Introduction (Elizabeth Broad)

2 - Sport for Individuals with an Impairment (Peter Van de Vliet)

3 - Principles of sports nutrition (Elizabeth Broad and Louise Burke)

4 - Energy availability in Para athletes (Claudia Juzwiak and Daniel Joaquim)

5 - Cooling and hydration for the Para athlete (Kelly Pritchett, Robert Pritchett, Elizabeth Broad)

6 - Spinal cord injuries (Victoria Goosey-Tolfrey, Terri Graham-Paulson, Mike Price)

7 - Nutrition for Athletes with Cerebral Palsy and / Acquired Brain Injuries (Michelle Minehan)

8 - Nutrition for Amputees (Jacque Scaramella)

9 - Other Physical Impairments (Elizabeth Broad)

10 - Vision or hearing impairment (Elizabeth Broad)

11 - Intellectual impairments (Elizabeth Broad)

12 - Medical Issues, Pharmacology and Nutrient interactions (Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu, Nida Naushad, Amos Laar, Christine Townsend, Emerald Lin)

13 - Assessing body composition of athletes (Gary Slater and Victoria Goosey-Tolfrey)

14 - Use of supplements in athletes with an impairment (Claudio Perret and Greg Shaw)

15 - Practical sports nutrition – Challenges and Solutions (Siobhan Crawshay)

16 - Summary and Future Directions (Elizabeth Broad)

 

Elizabeth Broad, PhD, has been the Senior Sports Dietitian, US Paralympics at the US Olympic Committee since August 2013, and is based at the Chula Vista training center. Liz has been a sports dietitian for 25 years. She has worked with a wide range of sports in Australia, Scotland and the USA, from development through to both professional and elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Liz is also a Level 3 anthropometrist (body composition assessment). Liz has worked at 2 Olympic games, and 3 Paralympic Games (London with Team Australia, Sochi and Rio with Team USA).