A Closer Look at Columbia Athletics Sports Nutrition
6/30/2015 5:11:00 PM | Baseball, Field Hockey, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Men's Squash, Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Golf, Women's Soccer, Women's Squash, Women's Swimming and Diving, Volleyball, Archery, Cross Country, Lacrosse, Heavyweight Rowing, Track and Field
In a new five-part series on gocolumbialions.com, the Lion's sports dietitian, Andrew James Pierce, will provide an in-depth look at the Columbia Athletics Sports Nutrition Program.
In our series, Andrew James Pierce will discuss his collaboration with Food Services, Clinical Work, Performance and Education.
In this week's entry, Andrew talks about how he works with teams to create menus for team meals to maximize performance.
Check back to read more about Columbia Athletics Sports Nutrition.
Hello GoColumbiaLions.Com!
I am excited to tell you all about what we are doing in Columbia Athletics regarding Sports Nutrition. Today, we will start with team meals.
A primary responsibility of my position concerns the actual feeding of our student-athletes. I am involved in the menu development for team meals including those provided before and after competition, practice and while traveling. I assist the coaching and operations staff with the selection of those responsible for providing meals, both at home and on the road, including Columbia dining services, team hotels or outside food services establishments. Once the vendor has been secured, it is my job to ensure the menus meet the nutritional need of the individuals within the budget set forth by the sports program. Not done yet, I will roll up my sleeves and help with the setup and management of all necessary equipment and supplies during meal and snack times.
I like to be a presence at team meals not only to help facilitate the food service operation but also to take advantage of the education opportunity it presents. I believe the most effective way to communicate nutrition information is through practical application. Providing food allows for concrete examples of what constitutes a high-performance diet.
Beyond team meals, I also evaluate and help procure other food and food products available to the athletes such as post-workout recovery snacks, dietary supplements and hydration. In particular with supplements, I will assess and evaluate all dietary supplements for efficacy, safety, value and NCAA compliance.
Although we don't have an athlete-specific training table in the Ivy League, here at Columbia we have the next best thing: awesome dining halls and an excellent Dining Services staff. In fact, The Daily Meal, placed Columbia at #3 on their 2014 list of the 75 Best Colleges for Food in America, based on criteria that included nutrition and sustainability (read the list HERE). Columbia Dining Services also employs a full-time dietitian, Christina Lee, and she and I collaborate frequently on projects related to student-athlete nutrition and wellness. For example, in the case of a high-needs athlete, I will communicate with Christina and the Dining Services staff in order to customize meal plans and accommodate any dietary restrictions or special circumstances that may be present.
It is a great collaborative effort.
I hope you enjoyed this peak inside our sports nutrition program. Next time we will talk about clinical work.
Go Lions!
Andrew James Pierce, MS, RD, CSCS
