As a Division I school, the University of Notre Dame dedicates a myriad of resources to its more than 750 athletes, one of which is a multifaceted nutrition program. The Sports Nutrition Department aims to provide nutritional advice to all Notre Dame athletes, helping them achieve their goals and optimize performance, according to the department’s website.
“Not only does proper nutrition help fuel athletes for lifts and competition, but it is also crucial for general health, a robust immune system, proper recovery and restful sleep,” assistant director of sports nutrition Christopher Doyle said. “Making sure they are putting quality fuel in their bodies at the proper time can increase their endurance, power, speed, focus and overall performance.”
Each of the five sports dietitians takes the time to build relationships with their athletes, understand their nutritional habits and identify their goals in order to best assist them.
Doyle said that the first step in sports nutrition is making sure the nutritional foundation is solid. This includes macro/micronutrient needs, hydration and adequate fruits and vegetables. From there, the dietitians implement more sports-specific interventions such as meal timing, recovery and supplements, he said.
Each athlete has different nutritional needs, which vary depending on the athlete’s sport, sex, position, goals, muscle mass and activity levels.
“Every single athlete is different. No matter the sport, the position or the year. You will never find two athletes that need the same thing,” Doyle said.
With travel being such a significant part of athletic programs, dietitians must ensure that the athletes have all the necessary nutrition for a successful trip. This is particularly important when the dietitians are unable to accompany the athletes.
“I travel about 50% of the time with women’s basketball and only travel to conferences and NCAA tournaments with the other teams,” Doyle said. “Football has two dietitians for them specifically and both travel to all their games each season.”
In order to maintain such a robust program, the department also relies on Irish Fuel student employees who are responsible for restocking the fuel station and making smoothies and protein-rich snacks.
Sophomore Irish Fuel student worker Eva Damonte said that they work in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex, better known to students as the Gug.
“We get all of our tasks on this app called Todoist. Our job usually involves restocking the fuel station and making smoothies all the time,” Damonte said.
The Gug is the main fuel station on campus. It is located right next to the largest weight room, so it is frequently utilized before and after lifts to provide quick carbs and recovery.
According to Irish Fuel employee Katie Cole, the powerbites are a Gug athlete-favorite.
“Our claim to fame is our powerbites which are small peanut butter balls that have oats, chocolate chips and other fun mix-ins. We make them in batches of 100 plus,” Cole said.
Doyle said he believes everyone should take the time to learn about nutrition because of the incredible benefits of a healthy diet. He said that with the obesity and diabetic epidemics that are currently prevalent in the U.S., proper education regarding a healthy diet can go a long way.
“Working at Irish Fuel has opened my eyes. For example, I now implement collagen into my everyday routine because I learned about its benefits,” Damonte said. “Irish Fuel also has an Instagram which Notre Dame students can get great nutrition tips from.”
Because of the nutrition program’s positive growth, the demand for Irish Fuel student workers is on the rise.
“I love this job and the community and atmosphere of sports has always been something I’ve been passionate about,” Cole said. “I love that I can work so closely with people in my desired field. I have learned so much from this job … it’s been awesome.”