Nutrition for Coaches
Nutrition for Coaches
Scope of practice, calories, macros, hydration, meal timing, sports nutrition basics, weight loss and muscle gain nutrition, behaviour change, supplements overview, referral red flags.
Who this course is for
Personal trainers and coaches who want a scope-appropriate, evidence-informed grounding in general nutrition coaching — not a dietetics or clinical nutrition qualification.
What you'll learn
- •Explain the scope boundary between nutrition coaching and clinical dietetics/medical nutrition therapy.
- •Recognise referral red flags for disordered eating and respond appropriately.
- •Explain energy balance and estimate a client's energy needs as a starting point, not a fixed prescription.
- •Explain the roles of protein, carbohydrate and fat, and apply practical macro targets.
- •Apply practical hydration and meal timing guidance.
- •Apply general sports nutrition and recovery nutrition principles.
- •Apply sustainable nutrition principles for fat loss and muscle gain.
- •Give a scope-appropriate overview of common supplements and coach nutrition behaviour change.
R1,799
8 modules · 16 lessons · ~15h
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to complete Personal Training Foundations first?
Completion of Personal Training Foundations is recommended, particularly its scope-of-practice and behaviour-change content, since this course builds directly on those foundations and applies them specifically to nutrition coaching. The course is written to stand on its own, but Personal Training Foundations will make several sections click faster.
Is this a dietitian or clinical nutrition qualification?
No. This course gives personal trainers and coaches a scope-appropriate, evidence-informed grounding in general nutrition coaching for healthy clients pursuing fitness goals, explicitly distinct from clinical dietetics and medical nutrition therapy. The opening module covers this scope boundary in detail, including exactly which situations require referral to a registered dietitian.
Will this course teach me to diagnose or treat eating disorders?
No. This course teaches you to recognise common warning signs of disordered eating and facilitate a warm, non-judgemental referral, but diagnosing a specific eating disorder remains entirely outside a coach's scope and requires an appropriately qualified medical or mental health professional.
Does this course cover supplements?
Yes, with a scope-appropriate, evidence-informed lens. You will learn which common supplements (creatine, protein powder, caffeine) carry reasonable evidence support, and which popular categories (fat burners, BCAAs, testosterone boosters) carry considerably weaker support than their marketing suggests, always framed around the foundational principle that supplements support, not substitute for, sound overall nutrition.
How long does the course take to complete?
Most learners complete it in around 16 hours of study across the 8 modules, at your own pace, with lifetime access to the content, manual, and quizzes for the duration of your enrolment.
How is the course assessed?
Each module has its own short quiz. The course concludes with a final certification exam combining multiple-choice, multiple-answer, scenario, short-answer, and case-study questions, marked against a published passing standard.
What happens if I fail the final exam?
You get one free retake at no extra cost. If you don't pass on the second attempt, you'll need Coach Freddy's approval before trying again, to make sure further attempts reflect genuine additional preparation.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Once you pass the final exam, Coach Freddy issues a personalised, watermarked PDF certificate with your name and a unique certificate number, downloadable from your Academy dashboard.
Do I get a downloadable manual, or is everything only online?
Both. All content is available online through the lesson viewer, and you can also download a full branded course manual covering the entire syllabus as a PDF for offline study or as a permanent reference.
Course Content
Module 1: Scope of Practice in Nutrition Coaching
- What a Nutrition Coach Can and Cannot DoPreview
- Recognising Disordered Eating and Referral Red Flags
Module 2: Energy Balance and Calories
- What Calories Are and the Energy Balance ConceptPreview
- Estimating Energy Needs Practically
Module 3: Macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat
- The Role of Protein, Carbohydrate and FatPreview
- Practical Macro Targets for Common Training Goals
Module 4: Hydration
- Why Hydration Matters and Signs of Poor HydrationPreview
- Practical Hydration Guidance Around Training
Module 5: Meal Timing and Distribution
- Does Meal Timing Matter, and When?Preview
- Practical Meal Timing Guidance Around Training
Module 6: Sports Nutrition Basics
- Fuelling for PerformancePreview
- Recovery Nutrition Basics
Module 7: Nutrition for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
- Nutrition Principles for Fat LossPreview
- Nutrition Principles for Muscle Gain
Module 8: Supplements and Nutrition Behaviour Change
- A Scope-Appropriate Overview of Common SupplementsPreview
- Coaching Nutrition Behaviour Change