An excellent book on sports nutrition has recently been released and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to review it.

“GOLD MEDAL NUTRITION” by Glenn Cardwell is directed at the athlete, coaches, schools, students and sports dietitians

One of the most valuable things about Glenn Cardwell’s work is his ability to convey complex sports nutrition ideas in a manner we all understand, from the novice to the highly qualified sports dietician. He has a wonderful ability to put things into context and with links to issues to history and current practice.

Glenn uses his vast and extensive involvement with many different sports and athletes to illustrate the points and topics, along with well placed cartoons reinforcing his excellent sense of humour in exactly the right place. The cartoons enhance the topic under discussion. “Gold Medal Nutrition” is about sports nutrition for sports performance.

The book is in three parts. Part one discusses fuel systems and general eating patterns to provide the basis for building future sports nutrition knowledge and information, including the role of protein, carbohydrates, glycaemic index, minerals and fluids in sports performance. The section on the individual amino acid content in selected foods is one of my favourite tables and I find myself frequently returning to it for reference.

Part two focuses on practical aspects of sports nutrition, such as digestion, eating before, during and after activity, supplements, shopping and food labels. This section contains a number of tables for quick and easy reference. The dining out guide is a must read for all athletes.

Part three covers weight management, including weight gain and weight loss. Information here is presented in bite-size pieces, allowing the reader to dip in and out of the various sections. Several recipes are included for smoothies and energy shakes.

The book finishes with an excellent and extensive table on the nutrient value of common foods, takeaway meals and items for protein, fat, carbohydrate and total energy. The list of resources and websites will be helpful for those wishing to find further information on the topic of sport dietetics.

“Gold Medal Nutrition” is for athletes, especially those who are keen to improve their performance, and should be considered required reading. This book is a must for any student studying sports nutrition at any level and an ideal resource for new and seasoned sports dietitians and sports nutritionists looking for refreshing ways to present information at seminars and when writing articles.

Jeni Pearce

Gold Medal Nutrition, 4^th Edition, 2006, (ISBN 0 7360 6069 3)

by Glenn Cardwell, is published by Human Kinetics, Australia. $38.00