northNutrition and exercise are deeply connected, yet totally different, areas of expertise. However, scroll through any fitness pro’s Instagram and you’ll likely see some nutrition advice. I mean the coaches must know what they are talking about, right? When it comes to fitness and exercise, sure. But when it comes to nutrition, think twice.
You may seem harmless enough to adopt the dietary protocols of your favorite fitness pros. After all, without proper nutrition, your exercise goals and performance can fail, and if you only pay attention to nutrition but don’t exercise, you’re missing out on a critical key to overall health. So why wouldn’t you seek the advice of the person who guides you through your workouts to make sure you’re also adequate fuel supply in order to boost your performance and reach your fitness goals?
The Problem With Fitness Experts Giving Nutrition Advice
“It would make sense that trainers, whose goal is to help their clients, would also want to help them address the nutritional side of things,” he says. Sarah Amelia Wenig, RD, sports nutritionist and founder of New York Nutrition. Wenig worked as a Pilates instructor for years before becoming a dietitian and says that when she was just a trainer, her clients often came to her for advice. “But this is problematic for many reasons,” she says.
The first problem? Many trainers, while they may have personal knowledge of nutrition and what works for them, are not properly trained or certified to give nutrition advice to clients. In fact, popular coach certification programs like American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)it only provides an overview of nutrition and makes it clear that it is not enough to qualify trainers to offer nutrition advice.
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“In order to fully help someone with nutrition, understanding the science of nutrition is a must—there’s a reason why rigorous academic coursework and qualifications are required to become a dietitian,” adds Wenig.
Part of the extensive undergraduate training registered dietitians receive includes several semesters of food science, explains Julie Stefanski, RDN, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Without a deep understanding of how the nutritional makeup of foods differs, some nutrition coaches and trainers choose to steer clients toward a very limited set of trending foods based on opinion,” she says.
And this doesn’t just apply to trainers in gyms or studios, by the way. These rules also apply to social media where countless trainers and self-proclaimed fitness influencers or wellness experts provide nutrition advice without the rock-solid credibility to get it.
So if you’re talking to a fitness trainer or seeing nutrition advice circulating on social media, how do you know which advice is legitimate or which guidance to skip? Look for these key red flags, experts say.
1. Lack of nutritional credentials
This may seem obvious, but if the person giving the advice lacks nutrition credentials beyond a personal training certification or online course, don’t take it. “First, look for someone who is a registered dietitian nutritionist, RD/RDN, or on their way to becoming an RD, especially those with a master’s degree in nutrition, which will soon be required for anyone wishing to become an RD,” Wenig says. “If someone is not an RD, but has a master’s or doctorate in nutritional science, this means that they have studied nutrition for years, not over the weekend in a crash course, for example, and are qualified to provide good advice on nutrition, as well as calling themselves nutritionists,” says Wenig.
It’s important to know that many different people call themselves nutritionists in the United States, since the term is not very well regulated, Wenig explains. “In many states, qualified nutrition professionals are licensed by the state, and you can check to see what certifications and training are recognized as nutrition experts who meet educational standards,” says Stefanski.
Bottom line: Don’t follow nutrition advice from fitness experts or influencers who aren’t also registered dietitians or physicians. But even if they have the proper credentials to offer dietary advice, you still need to do a little more research to determine if it’s legit.
2. Affiliation or promotion of specific product brands
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with nutrition experts charging for their time or services. But the lines can get blurred when someone gives nutrition advice while also selling a specific product line or brand (either directly through sponsorships and referrals or indirectly through affiliate links).
“People should also keep in mind that when someone is promoting products, like a protein powder, they are most likely going to be paid by this company,” says Wenig. Unless, of course, they say otherwise.
Also, when it comes to supplements and protein powders, remember that these are largely unregulated products in the United States, so it’s best to have a professional like an RD help you assess what’s worth your investment. .
“The diet industry is a billion-dollar business in the US, and it’s kept alive by people’s hopes that unsubstantiated products will make a difference to their weight or health,” he says. Stefanski. “If someone else is also making money off of a product he’s recommending, that’s usually a conflict of interest,” she adds.
3. Lack of sourcing or research to support claims
Having the proper credentials is forever the telltale sign of whether you can follow the nutrition advice of an expert. But another good indicator that the reputable person is giving sound advice is if he can present sources to back up her claims. How many times have you seen or heard someone say “science shows x claim” without ever pointing to a specific source?
“This may look like sharing the title or authors of the article, posting the PMID number, or sharing links to the actual studies,” says Wenig. However, keep in mind that you still need to do your homework, as the research may be flawed, biased, or misunderstood. How big is the studio? Is this nutrition advice that multiple studies have found to be true? Or is more research needed? Was the study conducted on people similar to you in terms of gender, age, and other factors? These are all indicators of how much you can trust science and extrapolate it to your life.
4. Extreme declarations and lofty promises
If something sounds weird, extreme, or too good to be true, listen to your gut. “Rarely is there a need for someone to give up everything they’re eating and follow a set meal plan that isn’t individualized,” says Stefanski. “Medical conditions, habits, food preparation skills, and budgets affect our long-term success and must be taken into account. Rigid nutrition recommendations never lead to long-term success.”
Other things to look for? “Faulty nutritional advice often includes specific ‘superfoods’, a promise of rapid weight loss, strange amounts of food or food combinations, rigid menus, or eating windows that don’t complement real life,” says Stefanski.
And Wenig adds that “a big red flag is when someone makes a very black-and-white statement or classifies foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad.'” She says that she saw a recent example of this when someone shared a post on social media. she stating that oat milk causes anxiety and depression in everyone. “It caused the people in the group [text] they started to panic because they believed for a moment that this might be true and that they would have to eliminate oat milk from their lives,” recalls Wenig. Fortunately for those drinking an oat milk latte right now (*raises hand*) she says there is no need to throw it away.
At the end of the day
Trust coaches and fitness experts for exercise advice. If someone doesn’t have an “RD/RDN” credential or an advanced degree in nutrition to their name, think twice before making their recommendations about how you should eat, and don’t assume that because something has worked for one person, it will also work for you. will apply to you.
