Practical nutrition education: special considerations for athletes.

The interest in sports nutrition and fitness over the last 10 years has risen beyond our wildest beliefs. Athletes are breaking new records every year, pushing their bodies past points ever thought possible. Athletes must rely on nutrition to help them reach their goals. Books, magazines, newspapers, and television provide the latest information on nutrition and diets, some credible, some not; and athletes are the perfect target for "the magic formula or pill." As health care professionals, we have the responsibility to help our patients to synthesize new information without overlooking the most important thing: the need to follow a well-balanced diet. Nurse practitioners have an opportunity to educate patients on some of the basic sports nutrition information. Nurse practitioners can help patients in distinguishing reliable nutrition information and assist patients in meeting their health and fitness goals with good nutrition practices. The focus of this article is not to provide education regarding nutrition, but to provide simple, useful tools to educate patients and help them meet their goals.