Development of a medical nutrition therapy protocol for female collegiate athletes.

Nutrition intervention can improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of nutrition related problems in women athletes. The current healthcare environment demands that dietitians document the outcomes of the medical nutrition therapy (MNT) they provide. This requires the development and validation of MNT protocols so that outcomes can be documented and compared in similar populations across multiple settings. The purpose of this project was to develop a sports nutrition management MNT protocol for collegiate women athletes. A registered dietitian currently working with collegiate women athletes collaborated with four dietitians from the community to develop an MNT protocol. Further testing and validation using this MNT protocol will help dietitians document the outcomes of their interventions in this population.