The role and awareness of sports dietitians in the United States

The purpose of this study was to assess sports nutrition knowledge, opinions, and practice as well as determine awareness of the Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential among attendees of the 2010 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) National Conference in Baltimore, MD. Forty-five participants who visited the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition booth in the exhibit hall of the conference completed an optional sports nutrition questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Percentages were used to determine frequency of answers. The results of this study showed that sports dietitians/CSSDs were utilized less than 50% of the time in sports nutrition settings, and 19% of participants were aware of the CSSD credential. It is imperative that athletes and other athletic professionals recognize and utilize sports dietitians to provide safe and effective nutrition guidance, and counseling for health and performance for athletes.