NNutrition and exercise are closely related, but they are completely different disciplines. However, scrolling through Fitness Pro’s Instagram may give you nutritional tips. That is, the trainer needs to know what he is talking about. Certainly when it comes to fitness and exercise. But when it comes to nutrition, think twice.
Adopting a food protocol from your favorite fitness professional may seem harmless enough. After all, without proper nutrition, exercise goals and performance can move south, paying attention only to nutrition, and if you fail to exercise, you miss an important basis of overall health. .. So why not seek advice from your workout guide to make sure you’re properly refueling to improve your performance and reach your fitness goals?
Fitness Professional Issues Giving Nutritional Advice
Sara Amelia Wenig RD, a sports nutritionist and founder of New York Nutrition, said: Wenig worked as a Pilates instructor for many years before becoming a nutritionist. She says her clients often came to her for advice when she was just a trainer. “But this is problematic for many reasons,” she says.
What’s the first problem? Many trainers may have personal knowledge of nutrition and what works for them, but they are not trained or properly certified to give nutritional advice to their clients. In fact, popular trainer certification programs such as the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) provide only a nutrition overview and are not enough to qualify trainers. It makes it clear. Nutritional advice.
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“To fully help someone in nutrition, you need an understanding of nutrition. There are reasons why you need rigorous academic coursework and qualifications to become a dietitian,” Wenig adds.
Some of the extensive undergraduate training that registered dietitians receive includes a mathematics period in food science, explains Julie Stephanski of RDN, a spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Nutrition. “Because we don’t have a deep understanding of how the nutritional composition of foods differs, some trainers and nutrition coaches choose to guide their clients to very limited trendy foods based on their opinion.” She says.
By the way, this isn’t just for gym and studio trainers. These rules also apply to social media where countless trainers, self-proclaimed fitness influencers and wellness professionals provide nutritional advice.
So, if you’re talking to a fitness trainer or if nutritional advice is widespread on social media, how can you find out which advice is legal and which guidance you need to skip? mosquito? Look for these important warning signs, according to experts.
1. Lack of nutritional qualifications
This may seem obvious, but if the person providing the advice lacks a nutritional qualification other than a personal training certification or online course, do not take it. “First, look for a registered dietitian RD / RDN or someone on the way to becoming an RD, especially one with a master’s degree in nutrition. This is an immediate need for anyone who wants to become an RD. “. Wenig. “If someone isn’t an RD but has a master’s or doctoral degree in nutrition, this isn’t a weekend crash course, for example, but has been studying nutrition for years and healthy nutrition advice. It means they are eligible to provide. Not only do they call themselves nutritionists, “says Wenig.
It’s important to know that many different people call themselves nutritionists, as the terminology isn’t very well regulated, Wenig explains. “In many states, qualified nutrition professionals are state-licensed and can see certifications and training that are recognized as nutrition professionals that meet educational standards,” Stefanski points out. increase.
Conclusion: Do not seek nutritional advice from fitness professionals or influential people who are not registered as nutritionists or doctors. But even if they have the proper qualifications to provide dietary advice, they need to dig a little deeper to determine if it’s legal.
2. Partnership or promotion of a specific product brand
For clarity, there is nothing wrong with nutrition professionals charging for time or services. However, if someone is giving nutritional advice while selling a particular product line or brand, the line can be blurred (directly through sponsorship or approval, or indirectly through affiliate links). ).
“People also need to remember that when someone is promoting a product like protein powder, they’re probably paid by this company,” Wenig says. Of course, unless you say otherwise.
In addition, when it comes to supplements and protein powders, these are products that are rarely regulated in the United States, so it’s best to have an expert like RD evaluate what’s worth the investment.
“The diet industry is a billion-dollar business in the United States and lives on with people’s expectations that unfounded products make a difference in weight and health,” says Stefanski. “If someone makes money from the products they recommend, it’s often a conflict of interest,” she adds.
3. Lack of procurement or investigation to support the claim
Having the right qualifications everytime A clear sign of whether you can get nutritional advice from a specialist. However, another good indicator that a certified person is giving solid advice is whether they can provide a source of support for their claim.How many times have you seen or heard someone say? “”Science does not point you to a particular source, “Does it show x claims?”
“It looks like sharing the title / author of an article, posting a PMID number, or sharing a link to an actual study,” says Wenig. However, keep in mind that you will need to do your homework as your research can be flawed, prejudiced, and misunderstood. How big is the study? Does this nutritional advice turn out to be true in some studies? Or do you need to investigate further? Did you conduct a survey of people who are similar to you in terms of gender, age, or other factors? All of these show how much you trust science and how you can extrapolate it into your life.
4. Extreme statements and lofty promises
If something sounds strange, extreme, or too good to be true, listen to the sound of the intestines. “It’s rarely necessary to give up everything someone is eating and follow a non-personalized set meal plan,” says Stefanski. “Physical conditions, habits, dietary readiness, and budget all affect our long-term success and need to be taken into account. Strict nutritional recommendations never lead to long-term success.”
What else should I look for? “False nutritional advice includes certain’superfoods’, promises of rapid weight loss, strange amounts of food or food combinations, strict menus, or dietary windows that do not complement real life. Often, “says Stefanski.
“The big red flag is someone making very black-and-white statements or classifying food as” good “or” bad, “” Wenig added. She says she saw this recent example when someone shared a social media post, claiming that oat milk causes anxiety and depression for everyone. “It caused a group of people [text] Wenig recalls that this is the truth and they believed that they needed to cut oat milk from their lives to start panicking. ” She says she doesn’t have to throw it away.
At the end of the day
Trust your trainers and fitness professionals to provide exercise advice. Those who do not have an advanced nutritional degree with the credential “RD / RDN” or name should think twice before taking their recommendations on how you should eat. It also applies to you.
