Gender-affirming Nutrition in Sports: Providing Excellent Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals

Dietetics practitioners can provide excellent care for transgender and gender diverse individuals. This session addresses benefits and common barriers to physical activity and sport participation, including eating disorders and body dysmorphia, among the transgender community, different ways in which a client may transition, the effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on body weight, composition, and energy needs, and the role of nutrition professionals as allies for their transgender clients, students, and colleagues. Attendees will learn about the role of nutrition care throughout transition from a leading researcher in the field as well as a dietetic intern and a registered nurse with lived experience in the transgender community.

Planned with the Committee for Lifelong Learning

CPE Level: Level 2 - Intermediate
CPEU:1.5

Performance Indicators

• 1.7.2 Recognizes the importance of diversity, orientation, social and cultural norms that may have an impact on individuals, groups and plans of care.
• 8.1.2 Integrates knowledge of biological, physical, and social sciences with knowledge of food and nutrition to make decisions related to nutrition care.
• 8.3.8 Creates a nutrition care plan to match energy and other nutrient and fluid needs to maintain health, optimize performance and reduce the likelihood of negative exercise outcomes (e.g., overtraining, injury).

Learning Objectives

• List at least three benefits and potential challenges related to physical activity, sport participation, and nutrition that transgender and gender diverse individuals may experience.
• Describe the anticipated effects of masculinizing and feminizing hormone therapy on total body weight, body fat, muscle mass and strength, and energy needs.
• Discuss at least one way that nutrition professionals can be allies for their transgender and gender diverse clients, students, and colleagues.

Moderator

• Whitney Linsenmeyer

Speakers

• Bari Glassman
• Whitney Linsenmeyer
• Lukas Neafsey