ISU Athletes SCORE with Sports Nutrition Grant from Dairy West
Dairy West has awarded Idaho State University a $30,000 sports nutrition partnership grant. Idaho State University is one of six organizations Dairy West is partnering with to educate athletes about the importance of fueling for performance and highlight dairy foods as an optimal fueling choice.
Collectively, nearly 2,000 athletes — including 300 at Idaho State University — will gain cutting-edge sports nutrition education through the Dairy West partnership.
Education includes: team talks with athletes, one-to-one nutrition counseling, grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations and more. Expanded athlete fueling stations will offer additional equipment and fueling options, including local dairy foods. Funding also allows greater collaboration and support from a multi-disciplinary team including dietitians, physicians, physiologists and mental health experts
“Partnering with performance teams to support athletes is exactly the reason dairy farm families are passionate about our sports nutrition programs,” Dairy West health and wellness manager and sports nutrition lead Jaclyn St. John, a registered dietitian nutritionist, said. “Dairy foods provide the optimal combination of carbohydrates and protein to maximize performance.”
Dairy West launched the opportunity — its first-ever competitive sports nutrition grant — this summer. Performance teams could apply for up to $30,000 — including up to $25,000 in programmatic funding and up to $5,000 for dairy food — and nine organizations applied.
Dairy West is a regional dairy promotion organization established in 2017 to represent dairy farmers, processors, and supply chain partners in Idaho and Utah. The organization raises awareness of the importance of dairy farming, promotes the health and nutritional benefits of dairy foods, and encourages global demand for Idaho, Utah, and Western U.S. dairy foods through coordinated marketing and communications efforts, nutrition counseling, and research programs. Visit DairyWest.com and Unbottled.com for more information.
Benefitting from this grant is Idaho State University’s SCORE (Smart Cooking On the Run Everyday) program, run by Natalie Christensen, a former ISU athlete in soccer and track and field. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nutrition. Under her supervision, the SCORE program empowers ISU athletes to plan and cook healthful meals and snacks, educates ISU athletes on the basics of a nutritious diet, and equips ISU athletes with resources for healthful meal planning, shopping, and food prep. You can find out more at isu.edu/score.
