At Duke, we understand that as a student-athlete, nutrition isn't just part of your training -- it's a cornerstone to your success. The Duke Sports Nutrition Department is a tailored experience that evolves with you, both as a student and an athlete.
Our mission? To empower our student-athletes with nutrition strategies that propel their performance in sports, academics and life. Here's how we do it:
Enhance immune system & decrease incidence of sick days
Decrease incidence of soft-tissue injuries
Decrease markers of inflammation and muscle soreness
Decrease risk of dehydration and heat illness
Support recovery from immobilization, concussion, bone injuries and soft tissue injuries
Promote healthy relationships with food and identify disordered eating/eating disorders
Provide the neuromuscular system with the energy it needs to train and compete at a high-level throughout a full year cycle of training/competition for each individual sport
Meet energy demands of each specific sport, season and position
Provide proper sources of nutrition to fuel the athletes before and during exercise and promote proper recovery after exercise
Provide optimal sources of nutrition to support academic success for student-athletes
Support adaptations of (dependent on season) hypertrophy/muscle growth, strength, power and speed
Support specific body composition goals of the individual athlete and sport
Promote faster recovery from surgery
Provide education on the basic nutrition principles to support an overall healthy lifestyle as a collegiate student-athlete
Provide education on the sport-specific nutrition principles necessary to support top performance
Prevent disordered eating/eating disorders through proper education for athletes, coaches, staff and administration
Promote a “food first” policy and educate on the usage and safety of supplements
Promote the use of healthy lifestyle skills that will carry over into life beyond college athletics
Department Services
Team Nutrition Education
Individual Nutrition Counseling
Grocery Store and Dining Hall Tours
Cooking Classes
Training Table Presence and Education
Monitoring of Gatorade Fuel Bar
Daily Fueling at Blue Devil Fuel Zone
Hydration Assistance and Education
Vitamin/Supplement Education and Provision
Fueling Stations and Facilities
Gatorade Recovery Bars
Strategically located in the Scott Family Performance Center, Yoh Weight Room and K Center Weight Room, these fueling stations for post workout recovery include fruit smoothies, protein shakes, chocolate milk and more.
Blue Devil Fuel Zone
Olympic sports student-athletes can grab healthy snacks on the go from this fueling station located in the Scott Family Performance Center
Training Table
Duke's Training Table is a dedicated dining hall location in Blue Devil Tower, exclusively for student-athletes. This facility offers a variety of nutritious meals that are designed to meet the dietary needs of Blue Devil student-athletes.