Mission Statement
The University of Florida Sports Nutrition Department is committed to empowering student athletes to achieve peak performance and personal growth through evidence-based nutrition, holistic wellness practices, and tailored support, fostering a culture of excellence, resilience and sustained success.
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Our Team
With eight full-time performance dietitians, our department stands as one of the largest teams in the country, allowing for maximal RD-athlete interaction, individualized care, and focus on the performance and development of all student-athletes. We are supported by a full-time Sports Nutrition Program Coordinator and a large team of nutrition-focused students and volunteers that work to extend our reach to all of our campus locations.
Staff Directory
Education Services
Team Education:
Team Educations are 30-45-minute interactive nutrition lessons. Topics can include hydration, carbohydrates, protein, recovery, travel, supplementation, sleep, meal prep, effective shopping, and nutrition application.
Cooking Demonstrations
Our RDs invite student athletes into our up-to-date demo kitchen, located within the Otis Hawkins Center, to learn and develop a variety of cooking methods that range from simple to complex. Athletes will be exposed to a wide selection of cooking methods including ovens, broilers, stove-tops, air-fryers, and other such apparatus. Our RDs also teach kitchen safety and best practices that include knife handling, safe cooking temperatures, and proper storage methods.
Team Talks
Five-to-10-minute educations given at team practices, lifts. and recovery areas to quickly remind athletes about important nutrition related topics. Past team talks have focused on hydration, breakfast, snacking, and recovery.
Handouts
To supplement our educational sessions, we provide student athletes with handouts to help reinforce what has been discussed. Handouts are uploaded each week to our social media account and include current and relevant information for our athletes in a user-friendly way.
Follow us on Instagram:
@fuelingators
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Sports Science
University of Florida Sports Nutrition employs a variety of resources and technologies to monitor progress, screen, and treat athletes from a nutritional standpoint. These mediums allow us to effectively track health, performance, and recovery progression and provide a more optimized nutrition plan.
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Duel-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)
Known as the Gold Standard for body composition assessment, the DEXA Machine uses low-grade X-Ray technology to accurately assess regional and total body composition, as well as overall bone health. Results are used to track overall effectiveness of individual strength & conditioning, nutrition plans, and Return-to-Play progression levels following sports injuries.
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Hydration Testing
Current technology is used to evaluate the hydration status of our athletes. They are educated on the importance of proper hydration and the impact that hydration status can have on health and performance. Our team utilizes urine specific gravity (USG) refractometry and MX3 osmolarity testing to ensure hydration status among our athletes and to help develop individualized hydration plans to maximize competition preparedness.
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Blood Work Analysis
Our team works closely with doctors and pharmacists to analyze all athlete blood work, ensuring optimal athlete care and the ability to effectively treat identified deficiencies.
Application
Individualized Nutrition Care
Our team provides one-on-one counseling sessions to tailor nutrition to the athlete's specific body type and performance goals. These sessions are available to all athletes and can be used regularly as needed.
Athlete-Specific Supplementation Strategies
We utilize research-backed supplementation counseling for athletes based on bloodwork, past medical history, short-term health need, or performance enhancement. Our team uses a variety of resources to ensure provided or recommended supplements are safe, effective, and NCAA-compliant to maximize outcomes and minimize risk.
Field-Presence
Our performance RDs work actively with their teams and are available for real-time check-ins and nutrition coaching at team practices, lifts, and competition as-needed.
Resources
The University of Florida has made it a point to invest in the nutrition and well-being of its student athletes, providing an array of resources to help optimize health and well-being and apply nutrition education and practices from the performance dietitian team.
Heavener Football Complex Dining Facility
The Heavener Dining Facility is available to all active student athletes, regardless of scholarship or medical status.
Open Monday-Friday 7:00am – 8:00pm
Breakfast: 7:00 – 9:30am
Lunch: 11:30am – 2:00pm
Dinner: 4:30pm – 8:00pm
*Grab n’ Go section available 8:00am – 4:00pm
RedCard Athletics
Available to all active student athletes on weekends (Saturday & Sunday) from 7:00am – 10:00pm. Funds are allocated toward meal purchases at more than 20 participating local dining establishments.
Campus and Sport-Specific Fueling Stations
Fueling stations are available to all active student athletes at locations across campus, including:
- Otis Hawkins Academic Center 8:00am – 3:00pm Mon-Thurs (until noon Friday)
- South End Zone Strength and Conditioning Center (Gatorade Fuel Bar)
- Individual Sport Training Centers
Gatorade Fuel Bar
Located in the South End Zone Strength Training Complex, the Gatorade Fuel Bar provides a range of recovery options to refuel student-athletes post-training. Available products include yogurt, chocolate milk, anti-inflammatory recovery, plant-based nutrition, and ready-to-drink shakes to meet any and all individual needs of our student athletes.
