In the game: New sports nutrition certificate prepares future dietitians
Popular new program proves a hit with Texas A&M nutrition students
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The Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Nutrition has stepped onto the sports nutrition field and is preparing students for peak career performance.
The department’s Sports Nutrition Certificate program equips dietetics students with a science-based approach and hands-on learning opportunities to enhance their understanding of nutrition’s role in sports, exercise and overall health.
Since its debut, the program has more than tripled in size.
Specifically geared for undergraduate dietetics majors, the program includes three classes and a lab component, culminating with a final practicum where students assist dietitians in the Texas A&M Athletics Department of Performance Nutrition.
“We held a curricular review a few years ago, and our dietetics students repeatedly mentioned a desire for more sports nutrition offerings,” said David Threadgill, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and Department of Nutrition head. “With the scale and stature of our athletic programs, we felt Texas A&M was in a unique position to provide this opportunity for future sports and performance nutritionists.”
Broadening nutrition career horizons
Aaron Riviere, registered dietitian and clinical assistant professor, is leading the charge as the program’s director.
Riviere said the traditional term “sports nutrition” is evolving into “performance nutrition.” This broader lens includes recreational athletes who are trying to balance training with regular work and family schedules.
He also mentioned industry growth in “tactical nutrition,” supporting military groups and other special populations like first responders. Riviere said he integrates new industry research as much as possible into the program to make students aware of non-traditional nutrition fields.
“It’s important for students to think about the typical athlete, but we also want to expand their understanding to ultimately help anyone perform optimally in their setting,” he said. “That evolution and increased scientific understanding behind the link between nutrition and human performance is creating new and exciting career paths for students.”
A head start on the competition
With few universities offering sports nutrition curriculum of this caliber at the undergraduate level, future Aggie dietitians are at a huge advantage.
“Program graduates will still need to get their master’s degree and complete a dietetic internship,” Riviere said. “But what they learn will make them more competitive for those opportunities as well as entry-level positions after graduate school.”
A master’s graduate of Texas A&M’s kinesiology program, Riviere knows firsthand the critical role that practical application plays in the nutrition world — something he’s excited for the first certificate holder to experience this fall.
“In the final practicum, students can’t practice independently because they aren’t yet licensed,” he said, “but the hands-on experience they get assisting dietitians in the athletics department will be a game changer for their career success.”
Get in the game early
Program interest is on the rise. The challenge is ensuring students begin the program by the fall of their junior year to complete the certificate on time.
Riviere, who teaches many of the classes, encouraged interested students to connect with him before their junior year to determine if the program aligns with their career aspirations.
“Maybe this is the right career path, and students follow through, or maybe it’s not,” Riviere said. “Whether it is or isn’t, the most important thing is that we discuss early enough to help students make the best decision for them.”
