Nutrition Coaching for Athletes Course 1

How to Coach
an Athlete

Athletes and active clients aren’t just bodies. They’re real, unique people with real, unique lives.

In this course, we go beyond traditional “sports nutrition”—with its almost exclusive focus on nutrients. You’ll learn the science of “movement” and movement nutrition, along with the lifestyle factors that are key to your athletic clients’ results.

  • Help your athletes and most active clients make the changes they need to move, perform, recover, win, and thrive… for life
  • Get evidence-based nutrition fundamentals developed by athletes for athletes—to confidently coach everyone from regular exercisers and “weekend warriors” to elite pros
  • Use expert tools and assessments to create plans that consider your most active clients’ needs, goals, preferences, skills, priorities, lifestyle, and nutritional level
  • Earn Continuing Education Credits (CECs)
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WHO IT’S FOR

Nutrition professionals who want to further develop their coaching skills—along with those who simply want a deeper dive into this topic.

COURSE LENGTH

This course is entirely self-paced, and the material can be covered in detail in about 14-20 total hours.

icon_online_2 FORMAT

100% online. Access the course materials from any device, at any time, through your online Precision Nutrition dashboard.

100% GUARANTEE

Try the entire course for 45 days. If you don’t love it, let us know and we’ll give you all your money back.

As a nutrition coach, you likely work with clients who move.

…in all different ways and for all different reasons.

Some may be professional or elite athletes, while others may think of themselves as:

  • Youth, amateur, or dedicated Masters athletes
  • “Weekend warriors” with active hobbies
  • Dedicated exercisers and “gym rats”
  • Not-so-dedicated exercisers (Hey, we’ve all been there)
  • People with active jobs.

Whatever the case, generally, there’s some point at which a person moves often and intensely enough to need or want nutritional support.

And that’s where you come in, coach.

To feel confident coaching all active clients—from beginners to pros—you need to:

  • Know the essential nutritional practices that your active clients need to consider and develop as they work towards their health, fitness, and performance goals.
  • Understand the role of “movement” nutrition—a broad approach that goes beyond “gym time” or “game time” prescriptions to help active people take their movement practice further.
  • Use a systematic coaching framework to develop a plan that addresses both universal features of the human experience and the unique characteristics of an individual.

How to Coach an Athlete is everything we know about coaching your most active and athletic clients. It’s evidence-based nutrition fundamentals designed by athletes for athletes—and everyone else across the broad movement spectrum.

What you’ll learn in How to Coach an Athlete

What actually happens to your clients before, during, and after movement so you can tailor programs to meet their specific needs.

The difference between an athlete, an exerciser, and a mover—and why thinking beyond traditional definitions deepens your practice.

Develop customized, robust, full-spectrum nutrition plans that set you apart from other “just make a meal plan” coaching approaches.

Real-world, real-people coaching strategies from high-performing athletes who now successfully coach other athletes.

Why sport type isn’t always the most important factor in nutrition coaching for athletes… and the variables to consider instead.

How much individualization to add to your clients’ nutrition plans without making programs over-specialized or needlessly complex.

How to properly assess an athlete’s needs, even when you don’t have experience in their sport.

The “human” factors to consider when creating plans to take your athletic coaching clients’ results from good to great.

How the course works

How to Coach an Athlete is a self-paced, digital course. Throughout four carefully crafted units, you’ll get advanced training, techniques, and tools that give you the confidence to coach your most active and athletic clients towards their unique performance goals.

Here’s what’s covered in each unit:

Unit 1:
What is an athlete?

Estimated learning time: 3-4 hrs

You’ll get an introduction to nutrition coaching for athletes, including:

  • Who – and what – is an athlete?
  • Who do you coach? (Or want to coach?)
  • What is “movement nutrition?”
  • How are active people and athletes alike… and different?

We’ll also introduce you to all types of athletes, helping you work effectively with all active clients—from beginners to pros.

Unit 2:
The science of movement

Estimated learning time: 4-6 hrs

In Unit 2, we’ll cover the foundational science of movement and sports nutrition. You’ll get an understanding of:

  • What actually happens before, during, and after exercise
  • Why we need nutrients and the most important ones for athletes
  • What sport type means for how you coach

Unit 3:
Understanding your athletes

Estimated learning time: 4-6 hrs

In Unit 3, we’ll look at your most active and athletic clients as people, rather than just bodies that move, and consider:

  • The important continuums for nutrition coaching
  • The biopsychosocial and deep health factors that affect your clients’ needs, priorities, goals, values, and consistency with a nutritional plan
  • How to assess your client’s physical wellbeing, including social support and relationships

Unit 4:
Coaching in practice

Estimated learning time: 3-4 hrs

Now that you know the wide range of factors that go into coaching active and athletic clients towards their performance goals, it’s time to apply the 6-step PN coaching process. You’ll learn how to:

  • Assess your clients’ current levels and abilities
  • Build a plan that meets your clients’ unique needs and the demands of their chosen activities
  • Decide—using evidence—whether a given plan is helping your clients move towards their goals

Work effectively with all active clients, from beginners to pros

Get advanced training, techniques, and tools to give your clients everything they need to live actively and successfully—regardless of their sport, job, workout, or other pursuits of choice.

START THE COURSE NOW

What’s included in
How to Coach an Athlete?

40+ downloadable resources.

Get exclusive access to the coaching resources we use with PN clients, including food spectrum handouts (to help coach for vegetarian or fully plant-based diets), our Athletic Nutrition Needs Questionnaire, and the Mover, Exerciser, or Athlete cheat sheet.

Real-world case studies.

Drawing on our experience with over 100,000 coaching clients, we’ll share plenty of real-world, real-people applications of coaching concepts through videos and case study activities throughout the course.

Apply this course towards an Advanced Certificate in Nutrition Coaching for Athletes.

This is one of three required courses that make up our Specialist in Nutrition Coaching for Athletes certificate. Take any of the courses as a standalone. Or take all three to get the certificate as a way to showcase your expertise and stand out from the crowd.

Expert Insights Audio

As you progress through the course, you’ll get “behind the scenes” perspectives and conversations with our subject matter experts. (Includes downloadable transcripts of all sound files, so you have a written record if you want to refer back quickly).

Study at your own pace, anywhere.

All of the course materials are delivered digitally so that you can work through the course at your own speed, from anywhere in the world.

Use this course to earn CECs.

How to Coach an Athlete qualifies for continuing education credits with the following organizations: ACE, AFAA, CPTN, NASM, ISSA, NBHWC, REPs NZ and UKIHCA.

Why learn with Precision Nutrition?

Here are just a few reasons…

We’re the originators of behavior-change for nutrition coaching, and since 2005 we’ve used the tools, science, and systems in our courses to help over 100,000 people transform their health and fitness. (No other nutrition company in the world can say this.) That means everything you’ll learn has been proven in the real world, with real people.

We are the experts that other experts come to for help. Precision Nutrition advises organizations around the world, coaches elite athletes and sports teams, and has been featured in leading publications. There’s a reason over 2 million people come to our website every single month.

We’re the home of the world’s #1 nutrition coaching certification, with over 150,000 health and fitness professionals choosing to get certified by us.

Science-backed and peer-reviewed. Our coaching method was recently validated in 3 peer-reviewed studies. This means everything you’ll learn is backed by science.

Bottom line: If you want to learn how to coach nutrition from the best in the field, you’ve come to the right place.

Meet the course authors

Our team includes some of the best nutritionists, PhDs, strength coaches, counselors, researchers, and specialists in the field.

Krista Scott-Dixon is Precision Nutrition’s director of curriculum. She earned her doctorate in Women’s Studies from York University. She holds counseling certifications from George Brown College and Leading Edge Training, which is certified by the Canadian Psychological Association.

Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD

Brian St. Pierre is the director of nutrition at Precision Nutrition, the coauthor of Precision Nutrition’s Level 1 Certification textbook, The Essentials of Nutrition and Coaching, and the mastermind behind the Precision Nutrition Calculator. He holds a master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Maine.

Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD, CSCS

Adam Feit is Precision Nutrition’s head strength and sport psychology coach. Feit earned his master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the California University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Exercise Science from Springfield College. He recently received his PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Springfield College where he examined the use of mental skills in collegiate strength and conditioning.

Adam Feit, PhD, CSCS, SCCC, PN2

Helen Kollias, PhD, is PN’s science advisor and coauthor of Precision Nutrition’s Level 1 Certification textbook, The Essentials of Nutrition and Coaching. An exercise physiologist, Dr. Kollias earned her doctorate in Molecular Biology from York University in Toronto, specializing in the area of muscle development and regeneration. She has a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo, and has taught exercise physiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry at the university and college level.

Helen Kollias, PhD

Craig Weller is Precision Nutrition’s exercise systems and program director and a PN Master Coach. His certifications include US Navy SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant Crewman), Department of State WPPS-2 (Worldwide Personal Protective Service), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, StrongFirst Girya Level 1, and Precision Nutrition Level 2. He’s also a US Department of State Worldwide Personal Protective Service Security Specialist and formerly a nationally-registered emergency medical technician.

Craig Weller, CPT, US Navy SWCC, SFG1, PN Master coach

Karin is a Curriculum Writer with a PhD focused on health behavior change. In addition to that, she has a M.A. in Communications, a Bachelor's in Psychology, and she has published research on Mindset Theory.

Karin Nordin, PhD, PN1

Alexander Schwartz, PhD, is a nutrition scientist and curriculum designer with Precision Nutrition. Dr. Schwartz earned his PhD in Nutritional Sciences in the area of testosterone, appetite regulation and exercise physiology. His master’s of science degree in Human Kinetics focused on energy expenditure, weight loss and obesity and he has been heavily cited on the subject.

Alexander Schwartz, PhD

Dr. Ezinne Meribe is a Research Scientist and Curriculum Writer at Precision Nutrition. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Medicine & Surgery from University of Nigeria Nsukka. She has a Masters degree in Public Health from Kumamoto University, Japan where she is currently enrolled as a PhD candidate. The core of her work is built on using client centered communication to improve health outcomes.

Ezinne Meribe, MD, PhD(c)

Ryan Andrews is a principle nutritionist and adviser for Precision Nutrition and an adjunct instructor at Purchase College, State University of New York. He holds master’s degrees in both Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Kent State University and a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Northern Colorado. Ryan completed his dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins Medicine and studied sustainable food systems at Columbia University in the executive education program.

Ryan Andrews, MS, MA, RD, RYT, CSCS

Dr. Marge Garrod is a retired clinical researcher with a PhD in Nutritional Biology and Masters in Pharmacology/Toxicology, who worked mostly on human nutritional absorption and metabolism studies both through UC Davis and the ARS-USDA Western Human Nutrition Research Center at Davis.

Marjorie Garrod, PhD

Carlos Davila, M.A. Developmental Psychology, is an Adjunct Professor at LIU Brooklyn (where he teaches Sports Psychology at the undergraduate and graduate level) and at John Jay College (where he teaches Intro to Psychology). He’s also a CrossFit coach and group exercise instructor at Fhitting Room.

Carlos Davila, M.A.

Laura Castellani is a post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. Her research focuses on understanding the metabolic implications of antipsychotics, and how exercise and nutrition can restore metabolic and mental health. Prior to joining CAMH, Laura completed her PhD in Exercise Physiology & Metabolism, her MSc in Human Health and Nutritional Science, and a BSc in Biological Science, all at the University of Guelph, Ontario.

Laura Castellani, PhD

Elnaz is a researcher and writer for Precision Nutrition. She holds an HBSc in Biology and Psychology and completed her PhD degree in Kinesiology and Health Science at York University. Elnaz is also a Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified coach and a registered holistic nutritionist through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

Elnaz Moghimi, PhD

Pricing

Get instant access to the How to Coach an Athlete digital course materials for only $349.

You’ll get advanced training, techniques, and tools to gain the confidence to coach your most active and athletic clients towards their unique performance goals.

How to Coach an Athlete
$ 349 ONE-TIME PAYMENT
START THE COURSE NOW
How to Coach an Athlete
$ 349 USD
ONE-TIME PAYMENT
START THE COURSE NOW

45-day money-back guarantee.

How to Coach an Athlete
$ 349 ONE-TIME PAYMENT
START THE COURSE NOW
How to Coach an Athlete
$ 349 USD
ONE-TIME PAYMENT
START THE COURSE NOW

45-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the How to Coach an Athlete course for?
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Work effectively with all active clients, from beginners to pros

Get advanced training, techniques, and tools to give your clients everything they need to live actively and successfully—regardless of their sport, job, workout, or other pursuits of choice.

START THE COURSE NOW