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As an endurance athlete, you need to eat enough nutrients, like protein, each day to help you build muscle, increase strength, and maintain mental and physical function. And as we get older, it’s even more important to beef up intake of vital nutrients to maintain muscle health. One way to achieve this goal is through diet coaching.
Proof: A new study found that middle-aged women who received nutrition education, tailored protein prescriptions, and diet coaching were able increase their protein intake in 12 weeks.
Kelly Jackson Ph.D., board certified nurse practitioner, lead researcher and certified spin instructor tells Bicycling she and her colleagues decided to focus on women because, “women tend to be under-represented in research studies due to the mere fact that women have less muscle mass than men.” And the other reason, according to data collected from National Health and Nutrition Surveys, middle-aged women tend to eat an inadequate amount of protein, which Jackson says places older women at greater risk for muscle loss.
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To combat this problem, the group of researchers set out to explore how to help older women increase their protein intake by using a prescription that has been proven to be an effective way to protect against age-related muscle loss. Here’s what happened.
The Methodology
During the first week of Jackson’s study, 53 women, ages 45 to 64, were recruited and divided into two groups—one received diet coaching for 12 weeks and the other did not. The researchers interviewed each participant over the phone on three separate days to determine a baseline for their eating habits. And that same week, each participant took baseline tests to evaluate their grip strength, muscle mass, gait speed over four meters, and ability to rise from a chair unassisted with their arms folded across their chest.
The second week, everyone met with both a registered dietitian and Jackson to receive nutrition education and a per-meal protein prescription—0.59 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight a day, which was adjusted based on an individual’s BMI.
For the remaining 10 weeks in the study, participants in the coached group continued to speak with Jackson individually over the phone to receive diet coaching that consisted of discussing how much protein they ate at each meal, and if needed, different ways to increase their intake. Participants in the non-coached group only received phone calls during the fourth and twelfth week of the study.
In the end, both groups improved their protein intake, but the coached group ate more protein–especially for breakfast.
So, what’s the takeaway?
While both groups ate more protein at the end of the study, 72 percent of participants in the coached group increased their intake compared to just 25 percent of participants who weren’t coached. Translation: Diet coaching can be a game changer, especially for a cyclist who needs protein not only to fuel day-to-day activities, but also to help increase strength, repair muscle, and fuel workouts. It can also be particularly beneficial for older individuals at risk of age-related muscle loss.
The study’s findings suggest diet coaching, nutrition education, and per-meal protein prescriptions are effective methods to help you not only increase your intake of the muscle-building macronutrient, but also maintain the habit of consuming more of it. If you have a protein deficiency or you’re not sure if you’re eating the right amount of protein each day, then consider teaming up with a registered dietitian nutritionist to ensure you’re eating enough of the macronutrient throughout the day.
The Benefits of Seeing a Dietitian
You might think you can manage to figure out your fueling needs with little to no help. Or that you’ve got all your bases covered by reading articles about nutrition and following social media influencers and experts online. But as this study shows, working with an experienced professional like a registered dietitian can help figure out your needs and clue you in on what you might be missing from your diet to meet your health and performance goals.
For starters, registered dietitians are trained to help you identify your body’s needs by assessing your activity level, health history, and personal food preferences. Plus, they’re well equipped to help you pick different food options based on your lifestyle and budget.
“A registered dietitian nutritionist assesses the vitamins and minerals regularly consumed in an athlete’s diet and can advise you on what foods should be increased to meet micronutrient needs,” says Julie Stefanski, R.D.N., C.S.S.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In this case, a registered dietitian can help you identify if you’re eating enough protein to fuel your workouts—as well as other essentials like fiber, carbohydrates, healthy fats, electrolytes, etc.—and if not, they can help you find different ways to kick it up a notch.
Plus, teaming up with a registered dietitian can help you identify gaps in your nutrition plan to help improve your overall performance. They can identify whether you need to add supplements to your diet, or simply eat more of a certain nutrient and how to do so.
“Many athletes rely on certain foods or beverages as a habit without branching out to things that might support their performance better,” says Stefanski. Registered dietitians can introduce you to new recipes and help you incorporate more nutrient-dense foods into your diet, like avocados, cottage cheese, spinach, and more.
Also, working with a registered dietitian can help you focus on things you might have overlooked or missed in your diet, like recovery nutrition. Stefanski says, what you eat after a workout is important to help with muscle recovery and growth, bone health, and immune support.
Bottom line, according to Stefanski, registered dietitians can help you:
- Measure the amount of energy and macronutrients needed to fuel your basic needs, as well as your training needs
- Calculate how much fluid your body needs throughout the day and during workouts
- Promote health eating habits
- Answer any nutrition questions or concerns you may have
How to Find an Experienced Dietitian
When it comes to finding the right person for the job of guiding your nutrition, there are a ton of different options for where to search. But be mindful of who you choose.
“Registered dietitian nutritionists are trained to use a diagnostic approach, known as the nutrition care process, when assessing a client. The nutrition care process includes assessment, determining a nutrition diagnosis, intervention, and evaluating an individual’s progress,” Stefanski says.
Plus, a registered dietitian, or registered dietitian nutritionist, is required to have a bachelor’s degree in the field, complete an internship, pass an exam, and obtain a state license—so they have plenty of experience helping you nail down a nutrition plan.
Two of the easiest ways to find a registered dietitian near you is to check out the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website or complete a google search for experts in your area. You can easily find a registered dietitian (you’ll see the initials RD or RDN after their name) to meet your needs and budget, as some dietitians offer a variety of different services for different prices. Also, your appointment with a registered dietitian might be covered by insurance if you were recently diagnosed with injury, like a stress fracture, or have digestive issues.
Monique LeBrun joined the editorial staff in October 2021 as the associate health and fitness editor. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has previously worked for ABC news and Scholastic. She is an avid runner who loves spending time outside.
