Nutrition in Action: The Carnegie Applied Sport Nutrition Symposium

Introducing Mona Nemmer, our keynote presenter, and Liverpool FC's head of nutrition. Mona was appointed head of nutrition when she joined the club in July 2016. She arrived on the back of three years at Bayern Munich, where she worked in the same position after being recruited shortly after Pep Guardiola took over at the Allianz Arena. Mona moved to Bayern after serving as a chef and nutritionist for the German nation team for four years, being also responsible for all the youth sides.

Introducing Albert Arrieta, currently completing an applied PhD at Leeds Beckett University in collaboration with Huddersfield Town Football Club. Albert's research focuses on the emerging role of the performance chef in professional football. He conducted a comprehensive head chef audit across the top four divisions of English football, exploring roles and responsibilities. Today, he will share insightful findings from this research. In addition to his PhD work, Albert serves as the 1st team sport nutritionist at Huddersfield, supporting player health and wellbeing in the English Football League Championship. Join us as Albert sheds light on the evolving role of the performance chef in football.

Introducing Michael Bache, a renowned Executive Performance Chef in the UK. With over 22 years of experience in Hospitality & Catering, Michael served as the Executive Performance Chef at Bath Rugby for over a decade, before he moved to Bristol Bears. He has also supported English Rugby men's team in achieving their most recent Six Nations Championship title. Recently appointed as the Executive Performance Chef at Aston Villa FC, Michael's passion for fresh food and attention to detail drives his belief in the impact of nutrition on performance. Michael will shares insights into crafting performance food. Join us to learn from one of the industry's leading performance chefs.

Introducing Dr Meghan Bentley, a registered practitioner of the Sport and Exercise Nutrition register with over eight years of experience in sports and exercise nutrition. Meghan's expertise spans elite sport, teaching, and research, providing tailored support to athletes at an international level. She specialises in strength and power sports, weight-making sports, and para-athletes, with a focus on athlete health and wellbeing. With a PhD from Leeds Beckett University and the UK Sports Institute, Meghan's research delves into the dietary behaviour of elite athletes, utilising behaviour change skills and motivational interviewing to optimise health, wellbeing and performance. Join us as Dr Meghan Bentley shares her wealth of experience and passion for applied behavioural science at our conference.

Introducing Dr Meghan Brown, who leads the MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition course at Leeds Beckett University. With an extensive academic background, Meghan has lectured at several institutions including the University of Gloucestershire and Birmingham City University. Her interest in dance led her to pursue a PhD at Northumbria University, where she explored exercise-induced muscle damage following dance and the impact of nutritional interventions on recovery. At our conference, Meghan will share her applied research insights from her work with the Northern Ballet.

Introducing Daniel Carney who is currently completing an applied PhD with Liverpool John Moores University and Manchester City Academy, where he has served as the lead nutritionist for over three seasons. With prior experience at Everton FC's academy and women's team, as well as Stoke City's academy, Daniel brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his research. His work includes the first nationwide audit of sports nutrition services in English soccer academies and a qualitative investigation into nutrition's impact on academy soccer player development and performance. He shares practical insights derived from his research to support your practice.

Introducing Dr Nessan Costello, who completed his applied PhD at Leeds Beckett University in collaboration with Leeds Rhinos Rugby League academy, focusing on the energy costs of training, match-play, and collisions. Currently serving as a senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, Nessan has provided sport nutrition consultancy to elite football clubs including Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Newcastle United, and Chelsea. Nessan will share his research findings on the energy and fluid requirements of elite female netball players, offering practical insights to support players.

Introducing Andrew Jenkinson, a seasoned practitioner who has extensive experience in elite rugby and football, including both the English Football League Championship and Premier League with Leeds United and West Ham Football Clubs. Currently pursuing his Ph.D., Andy's research centres on investigating the dietary intake and energy expenditure of professional football players. Join us at the conference as Andy shares applied findings from his research, specifically focusing on the nutritional considerations during the pre-season period in football.

Introducing Wee Lun Foo, the first team sport nutritionist at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. With prior roles at West Ham United academy and women's team, Wee brings a wealth of experience to his current position. Holding degrees from Birmingham City University and Liverpool John Moores University, he has also served as a research assistant coordinating nutrition provision for clinical research trials. Today, Wee will present the initial findings from his PhD, which investigates nutrition culture in the English Premier League.

Introducing Nigel Mitchell, a renowned sport dietitian with over 25 years of experience in clinical nutrition and elite sports, specialising in cycling and endurance sports. Nigel has worked with World Tour Cyclists for over 15 years and currently supports elite athletes such as the triathlon legends Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, British Athletics, Olympic Sailing, and the GB Cross Country Ski Team. His achievements include leading the nutrition strategy for Team Sky in 2009 and providing support for Bradley Wiggins' historic Tour de France win in 2012, during his career he has supported over 30 Olympic and Paralympic medallists. Nigel's research philosophy involves taking the unexplained phenomena he sees in elite sport and investigates them using academic processes. Nigel emphasises health and performance-focused diets and values the contribution of innovation and research to sports nutrition. Join us as Nigel Mitchell shares his wealth of experience and insights of applied sport nutrition at our conference.

Introducing Colin Oakley, Executive Head Chef at Huddersfield Town Association Football Club for the past six years. With extensive experience catering for elite athletes, Colin has collaborated closely with renowned applied sport nutrition practitioners such as Professor Mayur Ranchordas and Dr Scott Robinson. Formerly Head Chef at the John Smith Football Stadium, Colin brings a wealth of expertise in providing top-tier culinary offerings for athletes. Join us at the conference to savour Colin's culinary mastery first-hand as he curates an exceptional lunch menu and provides a performance snack culinary experience for attendees to enjoy.

Introducing Stephanie Roe, currently completing an applied PhD at Leeds Beckett University in collaboration with Huddersfield Town Football Club Academy. Steph's research focuses on fostering positive dietary behaviours in academy male football players. With extensive applied experience, she has spearheaded the academy nutrition strategy at Huddersfield for the past four seasons, contributing to their recent promotion to Category 3 status within the EPPP framework. At our conference, Stephanie will share insights from her research, focusing on optimising the dietary behaviours of academy male footballers.

Introducing Dr Joshua Rowe, a pioneering researcher who completed his Ph.D. at Leeds Beckett University, focusing on novel hydrogel technology, acclaimed internationally. Joshua also served as a Senior Sport Science Learning Support Officer during his Ph.D., contributing to innovative endurance research. With expertise in mobile app development and software engineering, Joshua transitioned to a performance science role at Maurten, supporting elite athletes globally. Notably, he played a key role in Nike's "Breaking2" project. Today, Joshua shares insights on sports nutrition innovation, offering valuable perspectives on enhancing athletic performance.

Introducing Dr Debbie Smith, a senior lecturer in Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University. With a prestigious consultancy portfolio, Debbie has provided nutrition support for elite teams including Leeds Rhinos, Yorkshire Carnegie, and Bradford City Football Club, while also serving as a National Trainer for UK Anti-Doping. With a PhD focusing on the dietary requirements of adolescent rugby players, Debbie's research interests include evaluating sports nutrition guidelines and exploring supplement use. Today, Debbie will share insights into the nutritional considerations for female cricket players, based on the MRes research of Dillan Potts, who she co-supervises.

Introducing Reuben Stables, current lead sport nutritionist for Chelsea Football Club academy, following a successful tenure in the same role at Aston Villa for over three years. Reuben is in the final stages of completing his applied PhD at Liverpool John Moores University, in collaboration with Aston Villa Football Club. His research focuses on investigating the dietary practices and requirements of academy male football players. Rueben will share valuable insights gained from his work over the last three years.

Introducing Dr Emma Tester, who is currently the Head of Nutrition at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Emma has previous experience as an academy nutritionist at Leicester City Football Club and more recently five seasons as Lead Performance Nutritionist at Munster Rugby Club in Ireland. Emma studied her undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Leeds Metropolitan University, her Master's degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition at Leeds Beckett University, her PhD research explored the impact of training load and nutritional intake on immune function.

Introducing Lara Wilson, a seasoned practitioner with seven years of applied experience supporting various sports, including wheelchair basketball, para badminton, British diving, and the Scottish Women's International Rugby Team for the past four years. Currently completing her applied PhD at Leeds Beckett University, Lara's research focuses on the nutritional needs of female rugby players. Her PhD has involved determining the energy and fluid requirements of senior female players during the Six Nations Championship, conducting an international audit of sport nutrition services for male and female players, and investigating the barriers and enablers to appropriate dietary behaviours in this cohort. In her talk today, Lara will share key insights into the nutritional considerations for female rugby players, drawing from her wealth of experience and research findings.