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
Gale Group, Inc., ASAP Copyright 2007
Dietitians Association of Australia Nutrition & Dietetics: The Journal of the
Dietitians Association of Australia June 1, 2007.
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 |
