ABSTRACT
Planning diets for athletes is a complex activity. The development of a nutrition plan is a complex activity that requires consideration of a number of factors related to the athlete and the requirements of the sport. An athlete’s nutrition plan may cover a full week or even longer, to account for varied dietary requirements on different days of training, competition and rest. The professional working with the athlete will focus on developing rapport, understanding the athlete’s interests and motivations, providing nutrition education related to the athlete’s goals, and helping the athlete identify changes that can be made to achieve these goals. The spirit of motivational interviewing suggests that motivation to change should come from the client, so it is the client’s job to express and resolve their own uncertainty, while the nutrition professional supports them in this process rather than directly persuading them.
