Clinical Sports Nutrition
Book Review
by Anthony Meade
Clinical Sports Nutrition
Burke L, Deakin V.,
McGraw Hill, Sydney,
2006,
822 pages,
$110.00,
ISBN 0074716026
This is the third installment of what is considered 'the
bible' of sports nutrition by sports dietitians in Australia and overseas. The first
edition of CSN in 1994 was a pioneering textbook that brought practical sports nutrition
to the fore. The second edition was published in 2000 and this latest version has again
had significant upgrades.
CSN now boasts 60 more pages and a slightly different
format but still has contributions from the who's who of sports nutrition research and
practical application from around the world. The style of previous editions remains with
each of the 25 chapters having detailed discussion of the scientific principles as well as
practice tips from leading sports dietitians and respected sports medicine professionals.
The chapter on the historical perspective of sports nutrition from the second edition has
been left out, which is probably the only negative as this was always a good reference
when teaching students about the advances in sports nutrition over the past few decades.
Every chapter has updated and extensive reading lists even
in the chapters that have not really changed. Several chapters have had significant
reviews including the chapters on iron and disordered eating.The new feature that works
well is the inclusion of three 'commentary' chapters. Commentary A on 'The evolution of
the Female Athlete Triad' is timely with the author Anne Loucks being heavily involved in
the revision of the American College of Sports Medicine consensus statement due very soon.
Australians Trent Watson and David Pyne contribute their expertise in the other two
commentaries 'The science of antioxidants and exercise performance' and 'Nutrition for the
athlete's immune system', both of which are emerging areas in sports nutrition research.
CSN covers all of the key sports nutrition topics in the
depth you would expect. The difference between CSN and other texts is that it is written
by experts for sports nutrition professionals but remains a pleasurable read without
sacrificing the expert knowledge. While other authors have tried to replicate it, CSN
remains a standout text and will continue to be the textbook of choice for students
enrolled in sports nutrition courses and for sports dietitians in clinical practice.
Anyone who has previous editions will pick their way through the new one to find the
differences and will find this a valuable addition to the bookcase. Those picking up CSN
for the first time will find themselves reading it back to front despite its 800+ pages,
the same way I did with the original edition. This is not just another sports nutrition
text, this is THE sports nutrition text and for anyone serious about sports nutrition this
is $110 well spent.
Copyright 2007 Gale Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source: Dietitians Association of
Australia Nutrition & Dietetics: The Journal of the Dietitians Association of
Australia, http://www.daa.asn.au/, June 1, 2007,
BYLINE: Meade, Anthony
Anthony Meade, MND, APD; Sports Dietitian, President, Sports Dietitians Australia
Richmond, Victoria, Australia, Dietitian, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Health Service,
Woodville, South Australia, Australia |
