The Benefits of an ISSN Certification for Sports Nutrition

By Published On: March 24, 2021

Trainers, coaches, and other fitness professionals are increasingly recognizing the importance of advising their clients on suitable nutrition.

A certification in sports nutrition helps you to differentiate yourself from the competition. It also gives your clients and employers reassurance that the advice you give is properly grounded in science.

If you want to add evidence of this valuable skill to your personal training qualifications, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) offers a well-respected and internationally recognized certification as a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN).

bowl of healthy food and other foodsThe ISSN-CISSN is one of the most prestigious certifications available in sports nutrition and will put you on the path to becoming a well-respected practitioner in this growing area.

The ISSN-CISSN certification is unique among other sports nutrition certifications, as it’s a collaborative effort between numerous research scientists in the field who have practical experience and research. The exam gets updated in response to new research in the field as well, so it stays current and relevant to what you’ll need to know as a certified sports nutritionist. 

In earning your certification, you cement your knowledge in the close relationship between exercise and nutrition. Additionally, the CISSN certification is more advanced than the ISSN-SNS certification, and it is preferred for those who want to provide detailed sports nutrition information to clients. You should take it if you seek to be able to offer your clients advanced information on nutrition; anyone who works as a health and fitness professional can benefit from a CISSN.

The CISSN is recognized by applied exercise science nutrition leaders. You should take the exam following a degree program, such as our Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science. 

All the students on our online Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science take classes on exercise and sports nutrition. Students who choose the Sports Nutrition concentration also have classes that are designed to prepare them for the ISSN-CISSN certification exam. This includes the following classes:

  • Vitamins and Minerals
  • Nutrition and Exercise for Weight Management
  • Special Topics Seminar in Sports Nutrition
  • Practicum: Sports Nutrition

In these courses students examine the role and function of vitamins and minerals from a physiological and clinical perspective. They examine nutrition and exercise strategies for weight management and take an in-depth look into advanced topics in sports nutrition.

For their practicum, students plan and implement a sports nutrition program and complete a nutrition assessment and case study on a member of their community.

For a capstone project, students synthesize what they have learned into a culminating experience, such as independent research that leads to a publishable journal article, professional field experience, conference presentation, or other approved project.

If this sounds like the kind of curriculum that will help move your sports nutrition career forward, contact us to learn more.

Want to learn more about nutrition? Our webinar, “Body Recomposition Through Base Training and Nutrition,” goes over how athletes, coaches, and trainers can use base performance testing and body composition testing to understand their or their athletes or clients’ current state of conditioning. Watch on-demand now.

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