Nancy Clark

Staying on top of the latest sports nutrition information is a challenge. That's why our longtime nutrition expert makes a point of attending the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to learn the latest thinking from leading exercise scientists from around the globe.

Athletes tend to do a good job of training their muscles, heart and lungs. But some (particularly endurance athletes and those in running sports) commonly fail to train their gut to accommodate performance enhancing carbs and water. That way, they can train better - hence compete better - without stressing about undesired pit stops.

If your child is a scrawny athlete, is a teenage eating-machine who wants to weigh more, or are trying to bulk up for football, here are some tips to help them gain weight healthfully.

In this era of highly competitive sports, athletes are always looking for ways to fuel optimally. Performance nutrition is also of interest to military personnel. Our longtime sports nutrition expert reports from this year's annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine on recent nutrition research from both civilian and military exercise scientists.

Sports dietitian Nancy Clark relies on the research of exercise physiologists and sports scientists who study the best ways for competitive athletes to fuel their bodies to optimize their performance. Here are some of insights of one of the researchers she follows.

According to a recent statement published by the American Heart Association the timing and frequency of meals is important for cardiovascular health, and is particularly important for athletes. Because children and adolescents who skip meals have a higher risk of developing health issues, the issue is particularly important for parents in meal planning.

With national magazines reporting that butter is back and the Paleo diet embracing coconut oil, athletes are left wondering whom to believe. A top sports nutritionist addresses the issue of dietary fat and the sports diet.

It's no secret that disordered eating practices are common among weight-conscious athletes. A top sports dietitian has some helpful tips for making weight healthfully.

Can a vegetarian athlete get enough protein? What about antibiotics in meat? Do artificial sweeteners cause cancer? These are just a few of the questions that athletes often ask in their quest to eat wisely and consume a quality sports diet. Here are some answers from an expert, based on the latest research.