Categories included in the nutrition assessment are food and nutrition-related history, anthropometric measurements, biochemical data, medical tests and procedures, nutrition-focused physical findings, client history, and comparative standards.
A complete history includes not only intake but also eating patt erns, diet quality, and variety of foods consumed, as well as any consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and dietary supplements.
In the absence of instruments validated for the athletic population, those developed for the general population are typically used, including a 24-hour recall, a 3- to 7-day food record, and a food frequency questionnaire.
Challenges specific to the assessment of the athlete include periodized training cycles, temporary manipulation of the diet, diets specific to training vs competition days, the use of dietary supplements, sports foods and products, and adequacy of preexercise and postexercise fueling.
Biochemical assessments of particular concern in the athlete’s assessment are the oxygen-carrying nutrients (iron, folic acid, vitamin B-12), bone-building nutrients (vitamin D and calcium), hormones, and markers of hydration status.
Collected data must be compared with evidence-based standards.
172 SECTION 2: SPORTS NUTRITION ASSESSMENT AND ENERGY BALANCE