PG Diploma in Sports Nutrition

Last Updated on July 30, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! In this post, we will deal with a postgraduate course that is related to sports nutrition. Here, we will have an in-depth analysis of PG Diploma in Sports Nutrition.

It is a postgraduate level course. Graduates who have completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course are eligible to pursue this course. Bachelor of Physical Education, B.Sc. Sports Science and Nutrition, B.Sc. Nutrition and Dietetics, B.Sc. Home Science etc are some such relevant Bachelor’s Degree courses.   Here is a quick overview of the academic program –

Name of the course	PG Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Type of course	Postgraduate Diploma
Field	Sports nutrition/Sports science
Duration	1 year
Eligibility	Completed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course or Equivalent qualification

In this post, you will find all the important details that you need to know about this academic program. Here, I’ve covered the following details – duration, eligibility, colleges, syllabus, admission, fees, scope, jobs and salary.   Nutrition plays a huge role in the life of a sportsperson. His/her performance on the ground/field/arena depends upon the attention that his/her nutrition and diet gets. Nutrition is integral to improving one’s athletic performance.   Sportsperson, their coaches and support staff know this fact. This is the main reason why they hire skilled sports nutritionists.   If you want to build a decent career in this sector, PG Diploma in Sports Nutrition program will be of help to you. It is a job oriented postgraduate level course.   What is sports nutrition all about? What’s the scope and potential associated with this domain? What is it like to specialize in this field? Will I get a good job after completing this course? You will find answers to these questions in the next section.   Let us start –

PG Diploma in Sports Nutrition: An Introduction

In simple terms, sports nutrition is the study and practice of nutrition and diet with regards to improving one’s athletic performance.   Football, tennis, basketball, athletics, cycling, volleyball, strength sports, endurance sports and other such sporting events involve physical activity. In order to perform at the highest level, sportsperson must stay fit. They must develop good stamina, physical shape and fitness levels. Nutrition plays a huge role in ensuring peak physical conditions of a sportsperson.   Nutrition and diet plays a huge role in our day to day lives. The kind of food we eat and the amount we consume plays a huge role in our overall health and well being. For example, consuming excess amount of processed food can lead to lifestyle diseases such as cholesterol and high BP. Consuming too much sugar can lead to excess sugar levels in our system.   In the above paragraph, I was talking about regular people, like you and I. Now sportsperson live a different type of life altogether! They are professionals, who must perform at the highest level on the field/pitch/arena/whatever event they are participating in. Just imagine the extent of effect that nutrition and diet has on their life!   For example, sportsperson involved in strength sports must have well developed core muscles and strength. Those involved in endurance sports such as marathon, cycling and swimming must have good stamina. Those involved in athletics must have good muscle mass.   A sportsperson must make sure that he/she consumes the right amount of food at the right time. Apart from diet, he/she must also consume necessary supplements.   A balanced diet must consist of the right amount of nutrients (vitamins and minerals), carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The amount of nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and fats required may vary from one sportsperson to another. The amount depends upon factors such as – type of his/her body, his/her metabolism level, the sport he/she plays etc.   It is the job of a sports nutritionist to take care of a sportsperson’s nutrition intake and diet. He/she is responsible for charting a diet, seeing to it that the diet contains adequate amount of nutrients, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, tweaking and improving the diet as per the sportsperson’s requirements etc.   Let us consider boxing as an example. Before entering a match or tournament, a boxer must prove that his/her weight is well within the limits of a specific category. Under some circumstances, a boxer may have to lose or gain some weight to fit into a specific weight category.   This is where a sports nutritionist comes handy. The nutritionist may tweak the boxer’s diet and help him/her lose/gain weight (as per the requirements). For achieving this goal, a nutritionist plans and charts a specific diet and workout regime for the sportsperson.   In order to excel in this profession, a sports nutritionist must be knowledgeable about areas such as – nutrition, dietetics, supplements (for energy, recovery, performance enhancement etc), assessing progress, sports science, rehabilitation etc. He/she must work closely with the sportsperson or team. Sports nutritionists are usually hired by sportsperson as well as teams.   PG Diploma in Sports Nutrition will help you take a step towards this profession! It is a job oriented course.   It is a postgraduate level course. The academic program is 1 year long. Course duration may vary from one college to another though!   After completing this course, you will be knowledgeable about areas such as –

• Importance of nutrition in a sportsperson’s life
• Diseases occurring due to deficiency of nutrients
• Metabolism
• Biochemistry
• Food industry
• Organs in human body and their functions
• Absorption of nutrients
• Therapeutic diet
• Dietary modification

Let us take a closer look at the course details. In the next section, you will find details such as – duration, eligibility, colleges, syllabus, scope and more. You may also check – nutrition and dietetics courses in India, sports management courses in India and sports journalism courses in India.

Course Details

Type of course

It is a postgraduate diploma course.

Duration

Course duration is 1 year. It may vary from one institute to another.

Eligibility Criteria

Minimum educational qualification required is – competed relevant Bachelor’s Degree course or Equivalent qualification.

Syllabus

Here are some of the core subjects present in the curriculum –

• Nutritional biochemistry
• Food microbiology
• Human physiology
• Dietetics
• Diet consulting
• Clinical nutrition
• Community nutrition
• Food production and costing
• Practical training

Colleges

Here are some of the popular colleges offering this course in India –

• SGSU, Gujarat
• ISST
• SNDTHSC
• INFS
• DU
• RKU
• VNSGU

Fees

Tuition fees depends upon factors such as – type of college, course content, rating and reputation of the college etc. Based on the above mentioned factors, training fees may vary from one institute to another. It could be anywhere between 25-100K INR.

Admission Process

Admission policy may vary from one institute to another. Some institutes rely on merit based admission process. Some other institutes rely on direct and donation based admission process.

Career Prospects

Sports nutritionists have access to different types of job profiles and opportunities. They even have access to ample amount of self-employment opportunities.   Here are some of the prime recruiters –

• Sportsperson (individuals)
• Sports teams
• Gyms
• Fitness centers
• Sports rehabilitation centers

Sports nutritionists are also hired by schools, universities and NGOs. Talking about self-employment, they may work independently as diet or nutrition consultants or independent nutritionists.

You may also check –

Physiotherapy courses

Occupational Therapy course

Salary

Starting salary depends upon different factors. Some such notable factors are –

• Job location
• Profile of the employer
• His/her academic performance
• His/her skills and aptitude
• Job profile

On an average, starting salary could be anywhere between 50-80K INR per month. In case of Government job, the salary will be based on designated pay scale and grade.