Sports and performance nutrition
Online sports nutrition dietitian
An online sports nutrition dietitian is a registered dietitian who coaches you by video on what to eat for training, competition and recovery. On CognitiveMind.ai you can work with Jacob Dowling, RD, CDCES, if you are in one of the 20 states he serves.
Jacob Dowling sees patients in 20 states
What does a sports dietitian do?
A sports dietitian turns the science of sports nutrition into a plan for one person: your sport, your training load, your body and your schedule. The work is practical, from what to eat before an early session to how to recover between games.
General advice about eating well is a good start, but athletes and very active adults face particular questions. How much should you eat on a heavy day compared with a rest day? Why do you fade in the last part of a long session? How do you fit enough food around work, family and practice? A registered dietitian works through those questions with you and checks how the answers hold up in real weeks.
What does sports nutrition coaching cover?
Most coaching covers five areas: total energy, carbohydrate, protein, fluids and recovery, all timed around your training. The balance between them depends on the sport and the goal.
Energy for the work you do
Eating too little for your training is common, especially for busy adults and people trying to change their weight at the same time. Low energy availability can show up as fatigue, poor recovery, frequent illness or stalled progress, and it is worth raising with your dietitian and doctor.
Carbohydrate matched to training
Carbohydrate is the main fuel for high-intensity and long efforts. Many athletes benefit from eating more of it on demanding days and less on easy ones, an approach called carbohydrate periodization.
Protein spread through the day
Protein supports muscle repair and adaptation. For most active people, a protein source at each meal and after training is more useful than one very large serving.
Hydration and electrolytes
Sweat losses differ from person to person and from day to day. A dietitian can help you estimate your own needs and decide when sodium or a sports drink is worth it, for example in long sessions or hot weather.
Recovery and sleep
Recovery depends on meals after training, fuel across the day and enough sleep. Coaching looks at the whole routine rather than a single shake.
Who can benefit from a sports dietitian?
Anyone who trains regularly and wants their eating to support it: recreational and competitive athletes, people returning to sport, and adults who simply exercise a lot.
Younger athletes have extra needs for growth and should start with their pediatrician. Anyone with signs of an eating disorder deserves a specialist team, and a dietitian can help find one.
- Team-sport players who need fuel for repeated sprints and quick recovery between games
- Runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes fueling long sessions
- Strength and fitness training, including people building muscle
- Plant-based athletes planning protein, iron, vitamin B12 and calcium
- Masters athletes paying closer attention to recovery and bone health
- Anyone returning to training after an injury
Does online sports nutrition coaching work?
Nutrition coaching suits video well, because most of the work is conversation, planning and follow-up rather than a physical exam. Results depend mainly on consistency and on a plan that changes as your training does.
Video visits also remove travel time, which matters when you already fit training around everything else. Between sessions, secure chat lets you ask a quick question about a race-day breakfast or a training camp menu without waiting for the next appointment.
What happens in a first sports nutrition visit?
A first visit is a conversation about your sport, training week, goals, health history and what you eat now, followed by a few practical first steps.
It helps to bring a rough training schedule and a few days of typical meals, and any guidance from your coach, physical therapist or doctor. From there, ongoing coaching tests the plan in real training weeks and adjusts it.
Work with Jacob Dowling, RD, CDCES
Jacob Dowling is a registered dietitian, a certified diabetes care and education specialist and a fitness coach who specializes in performance fueling and rehabilitation nutrition. He sees patients by video in 20 states.
He is licensed in Florida and Illinois. He also sees patients by video in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. He is not licensed in these states. None of them requires a state licence for nutrition counselling by a credentialed registered dietitian via telehealth. Services there are nutrition counselling, not medical treatment, without any state’s protected title, and in Alaska and Hawaii without a dietitian title at all. In California, medical nutrition therapy from a registered dietitian is provided on a referral from the patient’s physician (Business and Professions Code §2586).
He has worked in nutrition for more than a decade, holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and plays basketball and football himself. Coaching is week by week: you set the goal together, he builds a personal plan, and you adjust it in weekly sessions.
Ongoing coaching runs through the Personalized Care Plan: $750 for 30 days, with four 60-minute video sessions, a plan adjusted week by week, chat support and call support. It is self-pay and not billed to insurance. You can start with a single $140 first visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a sports dietitian and a nutritionist?
A registered dietitian, also called a registered dietitian nutritionist, has completed accredited training, supervised practice and a national exam, and is licensed in many states. "Nutritionist" on its own is not a protected title everywhere. A sports dietitian is a registered dietitian who focuses on athletes and active people.
Do I need to be a competitive athlete to see a sports dietitian?
No. Sports nutrition coaching is useful for anyone who trains regularly, from weekend players and gym regulars to people returning to exercise after time off.
Can a sports dietitian help with supplements?
A dietitian can talk through whether a supplement makes sense for you and how it fits with your diet, medications and sport rules. Decisions about any supplement should be made with your dietitian and doctor.
How much does online sports nutrition coaching cost?
With Jacob Dowling, a first visit is $140 self-pay. Ongoing coaching through the Personalized Care Plan is $750 for 30 days, paid by card and not billed to insurance.
Which states can I book in?
Jacob Dowling sees patients in 20 states. He is licensed in Florida and Illinois. He also sees patients by video in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. He is not licensed in these states. None of them requires a state licence for nutrition counselling by a credentialed registered dietitian via telehealth. Services there are nutrition counselling, not medical treatment, without any state’s protected title, and in Alaska and Hawaii without a dietitian title at all. In California, medical nutrition therapy from a registered dietitian is provided on a referral from the patient’s physician (Business and Professions Code §2586). You need to be in one of these states at the time of each video visit.