Sports nutrition. (Book Reviews).

Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Blackwell Science, Oxford, 2002, 187 pages, $88.00, ISBN 0-632-05814-5

The nutritional management of athletes has increasingly become a normal and important part of training and competition. The science of sports nutrition has progressed significantly in recent years and it is therefore vital that coaches, health professionals involved with athletes and athletes themselves remain well versed in current thinking. Sports Nutrition, the latest release in the Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science series published by the International Olympic Committee, aims to provide such a resource and does so admirably.

The book is edited and principally written by well respected professionals in the field, Ron Maughan from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and Louise Burke, a sports dietitian with the Australian Institute of Sport. The list of contributors is equally impressive with many key international researchers providing an expert comment and/or a case study from their area of expertise at the end of each chapter. This amalgamation of experts both in research and practicing in the field can assure the reader that the information and research presented is both complete and up to date.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first deals with nutrition requirements for training and covers such topics as energy demands for different sports, fuel usage during exercise, protein and amino acid requirements for athletes, micronutrient requirements, particularly iron and calcium both of concern for the athlete, fluids and electrolytes, and finally alcohol in sport. Part 2 deals with nutritional needs during competition including how to prepare for competition, maximising glycogen stores, for example, and gives practical advice on what to eat and drink during competition. Finally, this part covers how to best assist the recovery process with nutrition intervention. Part 3 deals with the practical side of sports nutrition and this section will be an invaluable reference tool for trainers, coaches and athletes themselves. Topics covered include how to assess nutritional status and the limitations of methods available, how to assess and change body composition, a review and analysis of dieta ry supplements and ergogenic aids. It also includes practical strategies for meeting common nutrition goals (such as meeting carbohydrate requirements, losing body fat or gaining weight to meet sports specific requirements). How to cope with travelling to meets and competitions, follows on with strategies for specific populations e.g. the female athlete, vegans, children or those with diabetes, and finishes with strategies to cope with specific environmental situations including acclimatisation and exercising in the heat.

Each chapter finishes with recommendations and guidelines that provide a reference for coaches and athletes without a scientific background in an easy to read form. An excellent feature of the book is the use of case studies which bring home the practicalities of the issues discussed in each associated chapter. Where relevant there is also a box with expert comment from a scientist in the field. These are particularly informative and provide a reference point for many topical issues such as high protein diets for athletes, the use of BCAA supplementation, fat loading, exercise and immune function, use of low glycemic index foods before exercise and many more.

In summary, Sports Nutrition is an excellent resource for all those involved with athletes as well as essential reading for students of nutrition or sports-related fields. It provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of current research and thinking as well as offering a translation to nutritional strategies for direct use in the field. At $88.00 this is a reasonably priced and valuable resource to invest in.