by Brett Hoover — posted on 11/27/2011
An oft-overlooked component of athletic success will take the stage at The Armory this season as a program focusing on sports nutrition is being launched in conjunction with the Department of Applied Physiology and Nutrition at the Teachers College at Columbia University.
The unique program is headed Dr. Karen Dolins, who has served as a nutrition consultant for the New York Knicks, the United States Tennis Association, the WNBA, the New York Rangers and others.
As we have more information regarding the program schedule, we will be sharing it here at Armory Track. Athletes and non-athletes alike will be encouraged to come learn the truth about how nutrition can help endurance, strength, speed and recovery.
Here is an overview interview with Dr. Dolins:
What was the genesis for this program?
Teachers College Columbia University has been a leader in the field of nutrition for more than 100 years and was one of the first institutions to recognize a need for a specialization in sports nutrition. Our combined master’s degree in Applied Physiology and Nutrition was first offered in 1982, at a time when sports nutrition was a new profession and the obesity epidemic was not yet on the radar screen. Continuing in our trailblazing tradition, we added an experiential component to our master’s curriculum to help prepare our students even more for careers in the burgeoning field of sports nutrition. The program was test-piloted for two years to make sure that we would be able to meet the needs of both our students and the institutions we work with.
The Armory Track and Field Center was a natural site for us to reach out to. Executive Director Dr. Norbert Sander was enthusiastic about partnering with us and bringing science-based sports nutrition to the Armory.
What are the primary lessons you want the program to share?
The field of sports nutrition abounds with misinformation. Our master’s degree students are taught to evaluate nutrition claims and to develop protocols based on science. Importantly, they are taught how to translate this science into easily understood recommendations for the athlete, and the counseling skills needed to help individuals and groups make the behavior changes needed to achieve their goals. Our students learn how to create individual prescriptions to enhance both athletic performance and health.
What do you hope your students can learn from this initiative?
The Armory provides a real-life learning experience for our students. By working with athletes, our students strengthen their ability to evaluate each individual’s needs and tailor recommendations accordingly. Each athlete they come in contact with will have a different starting point, different level of motivation, and face different obstacles. Our students will be sensitive to these issues as they guide individual athletes towards the practice of science-based sports nutrition.
What is the long-term goal of the program?
We look forward to a long-term partnership that will help enhance the health, well-being and athletic performance of all those who participate in Armory programs while training our students to become effective facilitators practitioners in the field of sports nutrition.
What would success of this program look like for you?
It’s behavior that counts. I will know that we are successful when participants in the Armory’s programs turn to us for help with their nutritional concerns and our students are effective at helping them understand the strategies that will help them achieve their goals and overcome the obstacles that stand between them and change. I hope to see athletes understanding how to fuel their bodies with the right mix of foods, practicing effective hydration strategies, and, if weight change is a goal, accomplishing this through methods that will make them healthier and stronger.
