Book Review: Nutrition for Sport, Exercise, and Health
Author: Marie A. Spano, Laura J. Kruskall, D. Travis Thomas
Nutrition for Sport, Exercise, and Health is a comprehensive text with a modern layout that should appeal to the current generation of students. The overall organization of the book is standard, starting with energy pathways, macronutrients, and micronutrients, followed by a detailed discussion of dietary supplements that includes current research on popular supplements in sport. Regulation of dietary supplements in United States is discussed as well as the various certifications that test supplements marketed to athletes. Specific supplements reviewed are more expansive than traditional sports nutrition textbooks, including glycerol, nitric oxide, DHEA, HMB, CLA, stimulants, and androgenic steroids, in addition to common sports supplements such as caffeine and creatine. Each supplement section is brief and highlights current state of the literature; however, the literature changes so quickly in this area that is difficult to maintain the most up-to-date information in any text.
While there are no chapters dedicated to specific sports, the final section provides information on body composition, aerobic endurance, and resistance training, and special populations (i.e., children, diabetes, vegetarian, etc.). Many sports are repeated in aerobic endurance and resistance training chapters, making it unclear which recommendations to apply to each sport. Since most sports are a combination of these elements and nutrition is specific to training regimen and individual, this design is logical. Admirably, the authors tackle controversial topics in these chapters such as low-carbohydrate, high-fat and ketogenic diets for endurance and dispel myths such as the simple equation of 3500 kcal/pound for weight loss. The nutrition for special populations chapter is thorough and covers common concerns for active and elite individuals. In future editions, a section on active individuals post-bariatric surgery would add relevant recommendations.
The overall writing style of the text is simple and easy to comprehend, while at the same time, it provides the necessary background biochemistry and summary of current literature before concluding with practical recommendations. Authors summarize the most recent and relevant studies for each chapter, integrating the evidence with applications specific to different types of athletes. Practical recommendations are laudably decisive, based on state of the research and individual variation in sport. Incorporating additional case studies to show application of the recommendations would be helpful in future editions. The figures are contemporary and colorful, updating the diagrams of pathways and physiology compared to older text options. Key points are highlighted within the text in summary boxes titled “Did you know?” and “Perspectives.” Overall, this text is ideal for a university sports nutrition course, starting with the most basic pathophysiology and delving into the biochemical pathways that allow for greater manipulation of nutrition to enhance athletic performance.
Reviewed by
Laurel Wentz, PhD, RD, CSSD
Assistant Professor of Nutrition
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
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