Performance Nutrition

We work to support athletes using what they eat and drink to optimise their wellbeing, growth/development, adaptations to training and performance while minimising illness and injury.

What is Performance Nutrition?

Nutrition helps athletes/parent, coaches and practitioners understand how what we eat and drink supports their day to day wellbeing, training and performance. This could include advice on how to fuel differently for a range of training volumes and intensities, injury prevention or recovery from an injury, optimising immunity and recovering from illness, optimising body composition through lean or fat mass increases or decreases.

How we work

Knowing the “what”, “why”, “when” and “how much” of nutrition is vital and we work hard to educate athletes to develop their understanding and change habits. This knowledge and habit development is delivered in the form of formal workshops/lectures, 1-to-1’s as well as a range of other methods. Knowledge is only the start of the journey, we work with athletes to develop practical strategies, cooking skills, planning and organisation looking to change behaviour and make delivering results in life, training and performance a habit.

Our work extends beyond the athletes and incorporates work with coaches, practitioners, chefs, back room staff and management to ensure the environment supports athletes to use nutrition to their advantage. This can come through working to optimise what is in and the layout of catering, changing or introducing signage/reminders, support planning and logistics for travel or games to name a few.

Experience of our team

Our team has a wealth of experience across Performance Nutrition working across development environments and Elite Sport from Olympic, World, European, Commonwealth and Professional sport. Alongside this work in the sporting environment with athletes, coaches and support staff, we have consulted on app development, menu/recipes creation and elite environments.

Alongside this each year our Performance Nutrition team offer mentoring and coaching to the next generation of practitioners and have seen our alumni go on to roles with various home country Institutes of Sport and professional sport including rugby, football, irish rules football, diving, and combat sports.

Each member of our team holds a minimum standard of qualification including:

  • SENr Practitioner or Graduate status.
  • MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition or equivalent.
  • ISAK level 1.
  • UKAD Introduction to Clean Sport.
  • Level 2 Food Safety.

Meet The Team

Andrew Shepherd - Performance Nutrition Lead

Andrew Shepherd

Andrew leads the Performance Nutrition team at Loughborough Sport, supporting the development and delivery across internal and external services. He leads on relationships with key partners both on and off campus. Leading the delivery for swimming and the Centre of Excellence for Boxing. Having previously held roles at Swim England, British Diving, England Athletics, Sheffield Hallam University, and worked extensively in boxing, triathlon, and athletics.

Harriet Bates - Performance Nutritionist

Harriet Bates

Harriet is a highly experienced performance nutritionist, who alongside her work at Loughborough Sport, has worked for the English Institute of Sport and provided nutrition support to British Rowing, British Wheelchair Basketball and an EFL Academy.  Since joining Loughborough Sport in 2016, Harriet has shaped her role as a performance nutritionist to also include spearheading Loughborough Sport’s female athlete health strategy, as she is passionate about creating an environment that better supports female athletes. Other interests of Harriet’s include: nutritional strategies to aid recovery, and supporting athlete robustness.

Max Haskell - Performance Nutritionist

Max Haskell

Max is a former student of both Swansea and Loughborough University completing a masters at the later in 2020-21. During this period he undertook an internship with Loughborough Sport gaining first-hand experience alongside his degree. Since then, Max has gone on to gain part-time roles with both Loughborough Sport and the UK Sports Institute where he supports England Netball. His current area of focus is understanding maturation and its potential effects in sport to better support youth athlete development.

Bethan Crouse - Performance Nutritionist

Bethan Crouse

Bethan is currently completing a stipend placement within the Performance Nutrition Team alongside a part-time MSc in Nutrition and Physiology for Sport and Exercise. Before joining the team at Loughborough, Bethan completed a BSc in Nutrition from Cardiff Metropolitan, obtaining Registered Associate Nutritionist status. Some of her areas of interest include energy expenditure variability within team sport athletes and the effects of the menstrual cycle on exercise performance and subsequent nutrition considerations.

Anna Street - Performance Nutrition Placement

Anna is currently completing a stipend placement within the Performance Nutrition Team alongside a part-time MSc in Nutrition and Physiology for Sport and Exercise. Before joining the team at Loughborough, Anna completed a BSc in Psychology with Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Exeter. Anna has an interest in female athlete health, and para-athletes.

Grace Shorrock - Part-Time Performance Nutrition Placement

Grace is currently completing a stipend placement within the Performance Nutrition Team alongside a part-time MSc in Nutrition and Physiology for Sport and Exercise. Before joining the team at Loughborough, Grace graduated with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University. Her passion for empowering athletes to optimise their nutrition and supporting their journey as an athlete is powered by her own nutritional experiences as a competitive cyclist and a passion for cooking. Some areas of interest include nutritional strategies to promote recovery and the effects of 'train low' models on exercise performance. 

Casual Team

We have a wider team of casual staff who support our commercial service. 

Opportunities at Loughborough

Summer Work Experience

Support the performance nutrition team in providing support to University athletes and teams throughout the pre-season.

What’s involved:

  • Assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of practical nutrition strategies.
  • Assist with tasks such as dietary analysis, workshops, hydration and recovery stations, season planning and athlete education.

Who is this aimed at:

  • BSc / MSc on any course
  • Loughborough University students
  • Looking to start their journey in performance sport

Details:

Advert: Feb – March
Interview: March / April
Start date: Summer

Part-Time Placement

2 years. Responsible for 3 performance programmes. 21 hours/week. Stipend allowance.

What’s included:

  • Weekly CPD
  • Support with external CPD through CVA Bursary
  • Mentorship and coaching from an experienced Performance Nutritionist

Who is this aimed at:

  • MSc Physiology and Nutrition
  • Loughborough University students
  • Students with a clear desire to work in Sport / Performance Nutrition

Details:

Advert: July - August
Interview: August/September
Start date: October

Internship

1 year. Responsible for 2 performance programmes. 10 hours/week. Voluntary

What’s included:

  • Weekly CPD
  • Mentorship and coaching from an experienced Performance Nutritionist

Who is this aimed at:

  • MSc Physiology and Nutrition
  • Loughborough University students
  • Students with a clear desire to work in Sport / Performance Nutrition

Details:

Advert: August - September
Interview: September
Start date: October

Mentoring and Coaching Programme

This year, our Performance Nutrition team are offering the chnace to learn from them, as they offer a new Mentoring and Coaching Programme.  

is an extension of the Loughborough Sport Part-Time Placement and Voluntary Internship programme and offers a chance to work with senior members of the Performanced Nutrtion team.  Find out more below.