FN164 Sports Nutrition Research Essay 1. Research a special topic relating to the field of Sports Nutrition: Suggested Topics: Protein Supplements; Sports Drinks (Gatorade, etc.); Energy Drinks (Red Bull, etc.); Caffeine and athletic performance; Alcohol and athletic performance; any currently popular dietary supplement sold with claims to enhance athletic performance (Creatine, Arginine, Coenzyme Q10, HMB, carnitine, chromium, NO, BCAA’s). 2. Write an essay including: a. Popular Claims, Beliefs and Misconceptions List the popular nutrition claims made about your topic or supplement. Perform a “Google” search. What is the “marketing hype” about your topic? List common beliefs, and/or misconceptions about your topic. b. What are the nutritional concerns that are relevant to athletes? If your topic is a dietary supplement, include the active ingredients in the supplement. If your topic is a diet, include a description of the diet protocol. c. What are the long term and short-term side effects? d. What are the advantages and disadvantages? 3. Critical Evaluation/References Investigate the claims/beliefs/misconceptions using unbiased sources of information. You must include at least two peer-reviewed sources. Give examples of research that has been conducted on your topic. Search the Saddleback College Library website http://www.saddleback.edu/library/articles.html -List and summarize 2-3 peer-reviewed journal articles found using your supplement. (You can summarize the abstract) Once you have found 2 peer reviewed sources*, you can include other sources of information that use peer reviewed information to write their materials. *Sources for peer‐reviewed information on sports nutrition and dietary supplements: American College of Sports Medicine: www.acsm.org Gatorade Sports Science Institute: www.gssiweb.com Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: http://www.jissn.com Office of Dietary Supplements: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list‐all/ University of Maryland Medical Center: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ 4. Conclusion Using critical thinking skills draw your own conclusion regarding the topic. Do you think the product or diet is safe, effective, a good idea for athletes? Is there enough evidence to support a decision or does more research need to be done? Is there enough evidence to support the safety of the product? Do you recommend this product or diet for an athlete? Why or why not? 5. Works Cited/Bibliography A complete list of all references used for research must be included. Include a works cited page. (must be MLA or APA format) If you need help citing your references, use the Purdue Online Writing Lab or Saddleback College Citing and Writing Resources Grading-75 points total a. Clarity and understanding of material, creativity, organized and well-prepared b. Originality (not copied verbatim from references) c. Critical evaluation of research material, valid peer reviewed (FN approved) sources used d. Ability to demonstrate practical application or inappropriate use of product/diet
