Liz Applegate gives the Aggie Rundown on Sports Nutrition
Dr. Liz Applegate is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and the Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of California, Davis. When she came to UC Davis as an undergraduate student, Dr. Applegate was a double sport athlete in field hockey and track and field. She went on to become a professional athlete for 8 years and to complete her Ph.D. in Nutrition. She has been writing for Runner’s World magazine for 30 years. From her many years of experience as an athlete, student, and educator, she knows that diet plays a role in performance.
"Sports Nutrition is my world"
Says Dr. Applegate, “Sports nutrition is my world. It’s what I live and breathe and I hope to spread that passion with athletes.” Dr. Applegate meets with each campus team individually. She also meets with coaches ahead of time to determine exactly what topics they would like covered.
Resources abound for student athletes at UC Davis
Dr. Applegate emphasizes that UC Davis Sports Nutrition has many resources for student athletes. Her office is filled with handouts covering topics such as performance eating for breakfast (including recipes). She also has a Twitter feed @fuelingaggies and a fuelingaggies Instragram account where athletes can sign up and get daily tips about sports nutrition. “You name it, if it has to do with performance eating, we do it here at UC Davis.”
Sports Nutrition Internship Opportunities for Nutrition Seniors
For the past 11 years Dr. Applegate has offered opportunities for senior Clinical Nutrition or Nutrition Science undergraduate students to experience hands-on work with UC Davis athletes. Working with Dr. Applegate, Sports Nutrition Interns create educational materials such as handouts and videos. They also give one-on-one nutrition education advice and feedback on athletes' diets as well as UCD Dining Commons tours for athletes.
"What you eat as an Aggie Athlete makes all the difference in the world"
Says Applegate, “Sports nutrition is that extra nudge that is going to help you win the game, be first at the finish line, shoot the best three pointer ever. I may be biased, but UC Davis has a great sports nutrition program." Applegate explains that not all Division I schools devote as much energy, time, and resources as UC Davis does to sports nutrition. At UC Davis, athletes have access to Dr. Applegate along with a team of sports nutrition interns. "If you need some assistance with your diet, if you want to talk about performance fatigue or injury, we have an open door and we want to help build your skills to be a better Aggie athlete through diet.”