When it comes to sports nutrition and helping you perform at your peak, the RRP Physiotherapy team in Brisbane are your go-to health practitioners.
In this blog, our Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) and sports dietitian, Ally Smith, has put together a list of the 4 things we believe every Brisbane athlete must know.
We also share:
- The many ways athletes can benefit from seeing a dietitian, plus,
- The areas our dietitian focuses on – depending on your sport.
Benefits of Seeing Sports Dietitian Brisbane
Fuelling your body is an important part of working towards performing at your best on competition day.
The reality is athletes have very different nutritional needs compared to the general population because of their active lifestyle and performance goals.
So, if you’re wanting to get the most out of your body, you’ll benefit from practical nutrition advice from a sports dietitian that’s tailored to your individual needs.
RRP’s resident dietitian can help athletes with:
- Improving performance,
- Injury prevention,
- Overcoming existing health problems,
- Reaching certain fitness and/or body composition goals,
- Ensuring macro and micronutrient needs are met,
- Gastrointestinal issues (endurance athletes in particular),
- Recovery challenges,
- Hydration, and
- Supplementation (if needed).
Sports Nutrition Brisbane Essentials: 4 Things Every Athlete Must Know
Here are four nutritional areas we feel athletes should have a good understanding of:
1. The role of carbohydrate for fuelling and recovery
The primary role of carbohydrate in physical activity is to provide energy. Without an adequate amount, performance and recovery will be impaired.
The amount required will depend on the frequency, type, duration and intensity of the activity being performed.
Competitive sporting athletes will generally require more carbohydrate than the average gym user.
2. Using protein for fuelling and recovery
Adequate protein intake, not only post physical activity, but also throughout the day, is essential to promote muscle adaptation during recovery from exercise in a few different ways:
- In aiding the repair of exercise induced damage to muscle fibres,
- In promoting training induced adaptations in muscle fibres,
- In facilitating the replenishment of energy stores,
3. How fluids for fuelling and recovery
Water has numerous roles in the body and is required to maintain blood volume and regulate body temperature.
During exercise, the body cools itself by sweating, but this will ultimately result in fluid loss, which if not replaced can lead to dehydration.
Drinking fluid during exercise is necessary to replace the fluids lost through sweat. The amount required will depend on the amount lost.
4. Awareness of the appropriate integration of supplements when needed
The use of supplements and sports foods by athletes involves a balance between the potential benefits and the potential risks. My philosophy on supplements is that they are there to ‘supplement’ a healthy diet and training regime, they should add that extra few percent, if needed.
My general recommendations (which have all been extensively studied) include Creatine Monohydrate, caffeine, electrolyte supplements (if needed), protein powder (if the athlete cannot meet their requirements through food), and other supplements, if the athlete has been diagnosed as deficient (e.g. iron).
Athletes We Can Help
Here are some examples of the athletes we help on a daily basis here at RRP Physiotherapy – and common things we help them navigate.
- Weightlifting and strength-based clients
- Focus on fuelling throughout the day and particularly around sessions (carbohydrate and protein).
- Endurance based athletes
- Focus on fuelling throughout the day and particularly around/during (if more than 90 mins) sessions (carbohydrate, protein, hydration).
- Navigating around potential gastrointestinal upset.
- Short burst cardio athletes
- Focus on fuelling throughout the day and particularly around training (protein, carbohydrate, hydration).
- Weight making category sports (MMA etc)
- Fuelling up in the lead up to and before events.
- Water depletion techniques if needed.
- Bodybuilders
- Focus on nutrition leading up to and after competition.
- Focus also placed on competition day nutrition to ensure athletes aren’t holding water etc.
- Aesthetic based sports (gymnastics, diving etc)
- As these athletes generally have longer training sessions, we focus on fuelling throughout the day and before, after and during sessions. We want to ensure the athletes maintain required physique while performing at their best.
- Team based sports
- A combination of the above.
Sports Dietitian Brisbane
Are you ready to reach your potential in the ring, on the track, field or court? Make an appointment with our accredited practising sports dietitian in Brisbane.
Call 0431 048 286, or book online here.

If a little niggle, or serious injury is stopping you from reaching your potential and performing at your best, then the trusted team at RRP Physiotherapy can help.
We develop customised treatment plans for people of all walks of life and sporting abilities, including professional athletes.
Our team has a strong background in exercise rehabilitation and is obsessed with health and fitness. But rest assured, we also treat non-sporting injuries like workplace injuries, chronic diseases, musculoskeletal imbalances, body stiffness and much more.
Our clinic at Macgregor is based in a World Gym, so we’ve got access to world-class facilities to help fast-track your recovery.
RRP Physiotherapy accepts Private Health Insurance (via HICAPS), and bulk-bills WorkCover, DVA (White/Gold Cards) and GP Management Plans (EPCs). Plus, you don’t need a referral to come and see us!
Book online now or call 0431 048 286. Physiotherapy. Sports Physiotherapy. Massage. Dietetics.