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Certified Sports Nutrition Coach
(NASM-CSNC)

Help athletes maximize their potential and optimize performance through nutrition.

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$53 /month $25 down + 11 interest-free payments. 0% interest, no fees, penalties or credit check!

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$899

 

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Course Highlights

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Certified Sports Nutrition Coach

$899

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What You’ll Learn

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With our Certified Sports Nutrition Coach (NASM-CSNC) course, you’ll learn how to develop personalized nutritional recommendations to optimize performance and recovery for fitness clients and athletes.

Gain an edge on your competition by learning the latest sports nutrition principles to support healthy performance. You'll help your clients improve their results and transform their training through nutrition.

Are you ready to help fitness clients and athletes reach their full potential through nutrition? Sign up to become a Certified Sports Nutrition Coach today!

 


Revolutionary Digital Learning Platform

With our interactive learning platform, you'll have all the resources you need to study for NASM's Certified Sports Nutrition Coach anytime, anywhere. Take this quick tour to see the tools and features of this course.

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Who Should Become a
Certified Sports Nutrition Coach?

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    Nutrition Coaches

    Keep clients on the right track when it comes to nutrition programming and help clients look at food as fuel in a new way.
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    Sports Coaches

    Sports coaches at all levels can benefit from a deep understanding of nutrition coaching to help get the most out of their athletes.
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    Strength & Conditioning Coaches

    Strength and conditioning coaches can gain valuable insight and a systematic approach to getting even more out of athletes.
  • athlete equiptment white outline icon

    Weekend Warriors

    This course helps weekend warriors understand the keys to performance and how to use them to unlock their potential.
  • woman working out icon

    Fitness Enthusiasts

    Even the casual gym goer can benefit from nutrition instruction, finding new ways to maximize their overall health.
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    Personal Trainers

    Sports performance tactics can help any personal training client perform better in every aspect of their workout and physical activity.
 

Curriculum

A fitness credential is recommended but is not required for the Sports Nutrition Certification. We always recommend getting your feet wet with one of NASM's many nutrition courses.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Performance Nutrition
Learn to differentiate performance nutrition from general nutrition strategies, and understand the profession of a Sports Nutrition Coach, the skills needed, and the populations they work with.

Chapter 2: Scope of Practice 
Understand a Sports Nutrition Coach's scope of practice and professional expectations, and be able to determine when to refer athletes to another professional.

Chapter 3: Evidence-Informed Practice
Differentiate evidence-informed practice from evidence-based practice and determine high-quality sources of information.

Chapter 4: Understanding the Spectrum of Athletes and Performance
Learn to identify where athletes exist within the spectrum of athlete types, and understand needs based on physiological, sociological, cultural, and ethical factors.

13 Infographics

4 Videos

17 Knowledge Checks

13 Infographics

4 Videos

17 Knowledge Checks

Chapter 5: Essentials of Metabolism
Explain aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, and be able to describe energy balance and related concepts.

Chapter 6: Energetics of Performance
Understand the difference between energy balance and energy availability, and determine fueling requirements for optimal performance.

3 Infographics

8 Videos

7 Knowledge Checks

3 Infographics

8 Videos

7 Knowledge Checks

Chapter 7: Protein
Learn about the function of protein and establish protein requirements in a dietary program.

Chapter 8: Carbohydrates
Explain the role of carbohydrates for athletes and describe methods for establishing requirements in a dietary program.

Chapter 9: Fat
Understand the role of fats in sports nutrition and how different sports may rely on fats to a greater extent than others.

Chapter 10: Micronutrients
Describe recommendations for incorporating micronutrients into an athlete's diet and identify common food sources for essential vitamins and minerals.

Chapter 11: Hydration
Communicate appropriate hydration strategies for during and between training bouts to athletes.

7 Infographics

5 Videos

29 Knowledge Checks

7 Infographics

5 Videos

29 Knowledge Checks

Chapter 12: Periodization and Nutrient Timing
Describe appropriate periodization and nutrient-timing strategies to optimize adaptations to training, enhance recovery, and to ensure optimal performance.

Chapter 13: Body Composition
Explain the relationship between body composition, athlete type, and performance, and describe methods for assessing body composition.

Chapter 14: Recovery
Identify the three R’s of recovery and their relevance to performance nutrition, and explain the importance of recuperation for athletes.

Chapter 15: Supporting the Ill/Injured Athlete
Explain the various levels of appropriate support for illness and injury based on severity and determine when client referral is necessary.

Chapter 16: Supplementation
Assess the athlete’s need for supplementation using a thorough decision-making process.

7 Infographics

5 Videos

23 Knowledge Checks

7 Infographics

5 Videos

23 Knowledge Checks

Chapter 17: Performance Nutrition Assessment and Evaluation
Identify pre-appointment data gathering methods to determine athlete’s baseline status and select appropriate nutritional assessment methods specific to an athlete based on pre-appointment data.

Chapter 18: Fueling for the Work Required
Determine appropriate dietary and supplement strategies to optimize fuel supply, fuel stores, and fuel utilization.

Chapter 19: Coaching Process/Approach 
Identify barriers to behavior change, specialist diets, and their influence on adaptations to training, recovery, and athletic performance, and apply appropriate levels of coaching.

Chapter 20: Programming
Evaluate all findings from an athlete's needs analysis and design a nutrition intervention which addresses optimal health and performance goals.

5 Infographics

3 Videos

16 Knowledge Checks

6 Printable Handouts

5 Infographics

16 Knowledge Checks

3 Videos

6 Printable Handouts

After the completion of the course, you will take an online final exam from the comfort of your own home, or wherever you prefer to take tests. The test is 100, multiple-choice questions. You are allowed to go back and reference the course while taking the exam. The exam is timed and cannot exceed 90 minutes. To pass, you need a score of 70% or higher and you have up to 3 attempts to pass.

 

Free PDF Download:
NASM's Recipe Book for Athletes

 

This recipe book is full of healthy and protein-rich meals, desserts, drinks, and snacks that fit every athlete's diet!

 
 

FAQs

NASM-CSNC is approved for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the following organizations:

NASM Provider logo

1.9 CEUs

AFAA Provider Logo

15 CEUs

Mobile NASM Provider logo

1.9 CEUs

Mobile AFAA Provider Logo

15 CEUs

A Nutrition Coach works with a more general clientele to develop strategies that address issues like obesity, body composition, aging, and lifestyle approaches to disease management. A Sports Nutrition Coach digs a little deeper, working specifically with athletes to educate and provide coaching around performance nutrition within sports.

While these two roles differ in the audience they serve, they do work hand in hand to provide a well-rounded understanding of nutrition.

To that end, our CNC course sets down an effective foundation in nutrition to build from, helping through a fundamental understanding of how to serve clients’ nutrition needs. From there, our CSNC program takes what you learn throughout CNC and builds upon it to target a specific client base to focus on strategies that impact performance and recovery.

There are 100 multiple choice questions on the final exam and you'll have 90 minutes to take it. You have 365 days from the date of purchase to complete your final exam. If you need an extension, you can purchase one for a fee by calling Member Services at 1-800-460-6276 Option 3.

The final exam is administered online within your student portal. It consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and 90 minutes for completion. You have 3 attempts to pass with a 70% or higher. If you need more attempts, don't worry! You can call Member Services at 1-800-460-6276 Option 3 to purchase a retest.

While a Personal Training Certification or fitness credential is suggested, it is not required to take the NASM-CSNC course.

Once you successfully pass your exam, a digital copy of your certificate will become available to you within 24 hours, but in most cases immediately. Within 4-6 weeks, a hardcopy certificate will be mailed to the address you have on your NASM account.

To maintain your certification, you must submit 1.9 CEUs (continuing education units), a renewal application, and fees every two years. For more information, please review the NASM-CSNC Renewal Guidelines.

Why Become a Sports Nutrition Coach?

  • Achieve sports performance-related goals
  • Identify energy and macronutrient needs for various types of athletes
  • Implement strategies for optimal performance
  • Develop a personalized/individualized nutritional strategy

Why Choose NASM

Woman athlete holding shaker bottle in gym

The NASM Certified Sports Nutrition Coach course can help sports coaches and personal trainers alike improve their clients’ strength and conditioning through specialized nutrition programs meant to maximize performance.

By incorporating insights from leading sports performance professionals, researchers, trainers, and nutrition coaches, we've developed a wealth of user-friendly content, food programming technique videos, and updated scientific research that is unprecedented in similar programs. With NASM, you’ll be able to take even your most ambitious clients to the next level.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Talk to one of our program advisors to learn more about the NASM-CSNC. Fill out the form and you will be contacted within 1 business day.

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