Personal trainers and sports dietitians are experts in the realm of personal fitness, especially when it comes to tailoring a set workout plan for a client’s specific body type and fitness goals. They know what workouts their clients need to do, at what level of intensity, and how often so that they see the results they are after. This requires a high degree of knowledge about the physiological makeup of the body as well as how each joint and muscle function.
But what about nutritional advice? Nutrition and fitness go hand-in-hand. It’s hard to get real results if a client’s nutrition is poor, even if they are giving it their all in the gym. This is especially true when it comes to weight loss and weight gain programs. So it makes sense that a personal trainer would also be highly knowledgeable about proper nutrition, what to eat, and when to eat it to achieve a client’s desired results.
But did you know that not all personal trainers can give a client nutritional advice? In fact, it’s actually illegal for them to do so in certain states if they don’t have an additional certification like a sports nutritionist does. Why is that? That’s what this article will discuss.
But first, we need to define just what a personal trainer is, what a personal trainer is not. And we will also define the nutritional advice that is allowed and what personal trainers cannot do, as per regulations put in place to protect those seeking out personal trainer services and/or sports a nutritionist.
Who Is a Personal Trainer?
A personal trainer is a health and fitness professional who helps clients achieve goals through exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes. Personal trainers work with individuals of all ages and abilities who want to improve their health, increase their level of fitness, and put themselves on a path towards living healthier lives.
In order to become a personal trainer, you must have a degree from an accredited school of fitness education or training that’s four-years long or more. You also need to be CPR certified and complete a number of hours in the field as an intern under the supervision of a certified personal trainer.
What Nutrition Advice Can Personal Trainers Give?
In order to protect the general public from people who might try to take advantage of them by claiming they are experts in the field of nutrition, there has been legislation put into place that regulates what a personal trainer can and cannot do. According to the Association for Fitness Professionals – a personal trainer can give nutritional advice without holding a special certification (like being a sports nutritionist) or degree, but it must be limited to discussing healthy eating habits or suggesting healthier foods.
What Nutrition Advice Can Personal Trainers Not Give?
A personal trainer is an expert in all things exercise and fitness related, but they are not nutritionists or dietitians. This means that while they can explain general nutritional information to help their clients understand what kinds of foods are good for them, they cannot do more than that. They cannot give specific nutritional advice to a person on which foods are best for them, how much they should eat of a particular food, or what kinds of things they should eat with those foods.
What If a Personal Trainer Is Certified by an Organization Other Than the Afpa?
In some states, personal trainers who are certified through one of many reputable certification organizations may give nutrition advice. These include:
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) – Can give an evidence-based Certified Nutrition Coach program
- National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) – Can give nutritional advice after completing an approved college course, passing a fitness-manager exam, and taking an exam on nutrition.
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) – Can give clients sports nutrition information after attending one of their physiology or exercise management courses. ACSM is the only organization that requires a written exam on specific aspects of sports nutrition in addition to a course.
Anything Else a Personal Trainer Can Do When it Comes to Nutrition?
Since nutritional information is difficult to understand and interpret, personal trainers should not be the only ones giving clients dietary advice. They should work with other experts such as flip doctors and registered dietitians, and other members of their client’s medical community in order to give the best advice possible when it comes to diet.
Looking for Nutritional Advice or Personal Training?
Do you know who can legally give both personal training advice and sports nutritional advice? Someone who is both a master sports nutritionist and certified personal trainer. That someone would be JJ Beasley of Craft’d Nutrition. Get in touch with JJ today to start your journey to a stronger and healthier you.