science in sport phd nutrition

Request Information

Kinesiology doctorate, edd & phd in sports nutrition.

Enroll for July 2024. Become an expert in your field with a doctorate in kinesiology.

Student-Centered Approach to Online Education

Application Deadline: June 17, 2024 Classes Start: July 1, 2024

Earn your degree in kinesiology or sport management.

Generous Transfer Credit

100% online, no gre/gmat, no comp exam, why choose phd in sports nutrition.

Our PhD in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise and Sport Nutrition degree program is designed to prepare students for a career in academia or research. Graduates will be prepared to publish their own work and collaborate with other researchers, as well as teach nutritional sciences at the post-secondary level.

The PhD program features additional courses beyond those of the EdD program since there is a stronger focus on research. Our PhD program features 55 hours of coursework and 12 hours of dissertation.

Why Choose EdD in Sports Nutrition?

Our EdD in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise and Sport Nutrition degree program is designed to help you apply research to solve real-world problems. Graduates will be prepared to pursue leadership roles within corporate wellness, higher education, professional sports organizations, and more, in addition to teaching at the post-secondary level. Those pursuing an EdD typically work firsthand with clients, rather than working primarily with other scholars.

Our EdD program features 49 credit hours of coursework and 12 hours of dissertation.

The Value of an EdD or PhD in Sports Nutrition from CSP Global

If you are interested in pursuing a sports nutrition degree, CSP Global is a top university that offers doctoral degree programs 100% online. Our program offers easily transferable credits from past educational institutions, 100% online learning, no required GRE/GMAT or comprehensive exam, and opens up the door to many career opportunities in sports nutrition.

Graduates can expect to complete the program, having gained not only textbook knowledge but real-world experience to set them up for their future careers. CSP Global’s unique dissertation process sets students up for success by giving them a head start from the beginning with engaging and stimulating project opportunities. With an EdD or PhD in Sports Nutrition from CSP Global , graduates can engage in real-world research, become dietitians, work in public health, and more.

Program Outcomes for Sports Nutrition PhD & EdD

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge in nutritional concepts including digestion and absorption of macro- and micronutrients, nutrient deficiencies and toxicities, and sources of nutrients.
• Conduct and interpret dietary, biochemical, and anthropometric assessments in athletic and special populations.
• Apply nutritional knowledge, skills, and theory to professional practice, education, and research.
• Develop and implement appropriate strategies to prompt motivation and behavioral skills for healthy lifestyles.
• Educate diverse populations on the role of nutrition in health promotion, disease prevention, and exercise performance.
• Communicate nutritional assessment results, nutrient needs, and dietary plans effectively through written and oral communication techniques.
• Evaluate ethical dilemmas, make informed decisions, and demonstrate a commitment to behavior in professional practice.
• Critically evaluate, create, and advance new trends and issues as leaders in the sports dietetics industry.

For PhD students, you will:

• Develop expertise in a variety of research methods, including experimental design, data analysis, and statistical techniques, while also critically evaluating existing research and designing and implementing original research projects that make significant contributions to the field of kinesiology.

For EdD students, you will:

• Develop advanced research skills, including the ability to design and implement rigorous, practical research projects that address real-world problems in kinesiology.

Career Outlook

A Doctorate in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise and Sport Nutrition from CSP Global can open many doors for professional experience. Graduates may pursue career advancement in education, research, and health and wellness, often in leadership roles. Please note some positions may require additional education, experience, or certification.

• Dietician or nutritionist
• Health educator
• Exercise physiologist
• Health, research or sports scientist
• Post-secondary biometrics
• Exercise science teacher
• Nutrition teacher
• Public health professional

Our Unique Dissertation Process

CSP Global has adopted a unique dissertation process for our Doctorate in Kinesiology that follows the Carnegie Model for applied research. This approach will allow you to complete your dissertation process faster while engaging in industry-relevant projects.

You won’t have to complete all coursework before you begin your dissertation. We embed the dissertation process early in coursework through four seminar courses:

• KHS7900 Seminar 1: Drafting the Dissertation Introduction
• KHS7901 Seminar 2: Drafting the Dissertation Literature Review
• KHS7902 Seminar 3: Drafting the Dissertation Methodology
• KHS7903 Seminar 4: Finalizing the Written Dissertation Prospectus

These one-credit courses get you thinking about and working on your dissertation topic from the beginning of your educational journey at CSP Global .

By the time you complete all coursework and enroll in dissertation courses (KHS7950 for the EdD and KHD8000 for the PhD), you’ll be well on your way to completing your dissertation and earning your doctorate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can i do with a phd in sports nutrition.

A PhD in Sports Nutrition can open up a variety of career paths in academia, research, and industry. Here are some potential career options for someone with a PhD in Sports Nutrition:

University Professor/Researcher: With a PhD in Sports Nutrition, you can pursue a career as a university professor or researcher. This would involve teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in nutrition, conducting research on sports nutrition, and publishing academic papers.

Sports Nutrition Researcher: You could work in a research position at a university, research institution, or company. In this role, you would design and conduct studies related to sports nutrition and use your findings to develop new nutrition products or improve existing ones.

Sports Nutrition Consultant: As a sports nutrition consultant, you would provide nutrition advice and guidance to athletes, coaches, and sports teams. You would develop nutrition plans tailored to each athlete’s specific needs and goals.

Product Development Scientist: You could work for a nutrition or supplement company as a product development scientist. In this role, you would design and develop new sports nutrition products, conduct research on ingredient efficacy, and collaborate with marketing teams to promote the products.

Nutrition Policy and Advocacy: You could work in the public sector as a policy analyst or advocate for sports nutrition. In this role, you would work to shape public policy around nutrition and health, with a focus on sports nutrition and its impact on athletic performance.

These are just a few examples of the many career paths available with a PhD in Sports Nutrition. The specific opportunities available will depend on your skills, interests, and professional goals.

How much can I make with a PhD in Sports Nutrition?

The expected salary for someone with a PhD in Sports Nutrition can vary based on the role they pursue. According to Nutritionjobs.com, professionals with this level of education often charge $75 to $275 an hour for their services and expertise.

What’s the difference between a sports nutritionist and a dietitian?

While sports nutritionists and dietitians share similarities in their knowledge of nutrition, there are some key differences between the two professions.

One of the main differences is their focus. Dietitians typically work with individuals to manage medical conditions and help them achieve overall health goals. They often work in hospitals, clinics, or private practices and may provide medical nutrition therapy for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Sports nutritionists, on the other hand, specialize in providing nutrition advice and support for athletes and active individuals. They focus on how nutrition can affect athletic performance and may work with individuals or teams to improve their performance, prevent injuries, and support recovery.

Why do individuals and teams need a sports nutritionist?

Individuals and teams need a sports nutritionist for several reasons. First, a sports nutritionist can help improve athletic performance by providing tailored nutrition plans to help athletes optimize their performance, endurance, and recovery. With proper nutrition, athletes can improve their speed, strength, and stamina, allowing them to train harder and perform better during competitions.

Second, nutrition plays a crucial role in injury prevention and recovery. A sports nutritionist can advise athletes on foods and supplements that can help strengthen bones, joints, and muscles, as well as promote tissue repair and reduce inflammation.

Next, every athlete has unique nutritional needs based on their training schedule, sport, and individual goals. A sports nutritionist can develop customized meal plans that provide the right balance of macronutrients and micronutrients to support an athlete’s specific needs.

Additionally, for athletes who need to maintain a certain weight or body composition for their sport, a sports nutritionist can provide guidance on how to achieve their weight goals while still meeting their nutritional needs.

Last, proper nutrition is essential for overall health and well-being. A sports nutritionist can help athletes establish healthy eating habits, promote good gut health, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with poor nutrition.

What does a typical day as a sports nutritionist look like?

A typical day as a sports nutritionist can vary depending on the setting, client base, and specific job responsibilities. However, here is a general overview of what a day in the life of a sports nutritionist might look like:

• Assessing Clients: A sports nutritionist may begin their day by assessing clients to determine their specific nutrition needs, including their dietary preferences, goals, and any medical conditions or food allergies they may have.
• Creating Customized Meal Plans: Based on the client’s needs and goals, a sports nutritionist will then develop customized meal plans that incorporate healthy, nutrient-dense foods that will support their athletic performance and overall health.
• Consulting with Athletes: Sports nutritionists may work with individual athletes or teams to provide nutritional guidance and support before, during, and after competitions or training sessions. They may advise athletes on hydration, nutrient timing, and recovery strategies.
• Conducting Research: A sports nutritionist may also spend time conducting research on the latest nutritional trends, supplements, and best practices for athletic performance.
• Education and Outreach: A sports nutritionist may conduct educational outreach to groups of athletes or coaches to promote healthy eating habits and provide resources for proper nutrition.
• Administrative Tasks: Sports nutritionists may also spend time on administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, billing clients, and maintaining records of client progress.

Overall, a sports nutritionist’s day can be busy and varied, with a focus on assessing clients’ needs, creating customized meal plans, providing guidance and support, conducting research, and educating athletes and coaches.

How long does it take to complete an EdD PhD in sports nutrition?

Degree requirements are as follows: 61 credits for the EdD in Kinesiology and 67 credits for the PhD in Kinesiology. Students can graduate in as little as 3 years with most graduating in 4 years. Time to graduation depends on transfer of credit and class schedules.

Is the economy needing more sports nutrition degrees?

Yes, there is an increased demand for dietitians and nutritionists in the United States. The BLS reported that growth in this profession is projected at 7% from 2021 to 2031, with approximately 5,600 expected job openings each year. Getting a sports nutrition degree is a solid investment in your career.

Important Dates

Application Deadline: June 17, 2024 Next Start Date: July 1, 2024

Core (10 credits)

KHS7000 Issues and Trends in Kinesiology (3) KHS7030 Professional Ethics and Program Management in Kinesiology (3) KHS7900 Seminar 1: Drafting the Dissertation Introduction (1) KHS7901 Seminar 2: Drafting the Dissertation Literature Review (1) KHS7902 Seminar 3: Drafting the Dissertation Methodology (1) KHS7903 Seminar 4: Finalizing the Written Dissertation Prospectus (1)

Exercise and Sport Nutrition Emphasis (27 Credits)

KHS7010 Medical Aspects of Exercise and Disease Prevention (3) KHS7020 Exercise and Health Behavior Change (3) KHS7120 Advanced Exercise and Sport Nutrition (3) KHS7210 Advanced Exercise Physiology (3) KHS7501 Nutrition for the General Population (3) KHS7511 Vitamins and Minerals (3) KHS7521 Nutrition Assessment and Analysis (3) KHS7531 Nutrition and Weight Management (3) KHS7541 Dietary Trends and Special Populations (3)

Research Methods and Statistics (12-18 Credits)

For the PhD (18 Credits) KHS7820 Research Methods in Kinesiology (3) KHS7830 Advanced Research Seminar in Kinesiology (3) KHS7550 Qualitative Research in Kinesiology (3) KHS7600 Quantitative Research in Kinesiology (3) KHS7650 Mixed Methods in Research in Kinesiology (3) KHS7700 Statistics in Kinesiology (3)

For the EdD (12 Credits) KHS7800 Action Research in Kinesiology (3) KHS7810 Applied Measurement and Evaluation Techniques in Kinesiology (3) KHS7820 Research Methods in Kinesiology (3) KHS7830 Advanced Research Seminar in Kinesiology (3)

Dissertation (12 Credits)

For the PhD KHS8000 Dissertation (12)

For the EdD KHS7950 Dissertation (12)

Total Credits for EdD = 61 Total Credits for PhD = 67

Additional Program Information

Edd course descriptions.

KHS7010: Medical Aspects of Exercise and Disease Prevention : This course utilizes an epidemiological approach to examine the relationship between physical activity and health and/or disease outcomes. Emphasis is on the role of exercise in preventative medicine. Topics include the impact of exercise on various diseases, and the effect of various medical conditions on the ability to participate in vigorous exercise and competitive sports.

KHS7020: Exercise and Health Behavior Change: Advanced analysis of theoretical health behavior models and their application to physical activity behavior. Includes practical techniques, tools and interventions (e.g., counseling skills, motivational interviewing) to enhance exercise adherence and motivation across the lifespan.

KHS7030: Professional Ethics and Program Management in Kinesiology: This course examines ethical and socio-cultural issues that kinesiology students will face during their training and professional practice emphasizing conceptual frameworks needed to articulate concerns and engage in meaningful dialogue with others. Topics include the application of ethical program management, financial management, legal issues, and evaluation and planning.

KHS7120: Advanced Exercise & Sport Nutrition: This course examines the role of nutrient selection, metabolism, and timing play in supporting and improving health and human performance. Topics include nutrient bioenergetics, optimizing nutrient timing, micronutrients and macronutrients, ergogenic aids, thermoregulation, fluid balance, and weight management.

KHS7210: Advanced Exercise Physiology : The physiological responses to exercise performance and the effects of physical activity on the body’s functions are examined in theory and application.

KHS7501: Nutrition for the General Population: This course will introduce students to the biochemical, physiological, and microbiological basics of general human nutrition. Students will gain an understanding of the relationship between nutrition and health by reviewing topics such as the nutritional needs of special populations, sociocultural influences of nutrition, community nutritional applications, and major public health concerns related to nutrition. Students will learn how to evaluate nutritional information or misinformation to create goals and apply publicly available guidelines or tools to dietary plans.

KHS7511: Vitamins and Minerals: This explores the metabolism of vitamins and minerals essential for health throughout the lifespan. Specific topics will include nutrient bioavailability, absorption, and proper micronutrient intake. The health effects of inadequate or excessive micronutrient intake will be covered along with methods to estimate nutrient requirements and upper limit levels.

KHS7521: Nutrition Assessments and Analysis: In this course, students will gain an understanding of the methods and approaches to conducting nutrition assessments of individuals throughout a lifecycle. Students will learn best practices and applications in evidence-based dietary, biochemical, and anthropometric assessments. An in-depth overview of the rationale of use, advantages, disadvantages, and validity of each assessment will be completed.

KHS7531: Nutrition for Weight Management: This course will review current evidence-based strategies to manage overweight and underweight individuals. The genetic, metabolic, and psychological factors affecting weight management will be covered. Students will gain knowledge and skills in assessment techniques, treatment options, and prevention strategies.

KHS7541: Dietary Trends and Special Populations: This course will provide students with an understanding of the ever-changing aspects of nutrition science, including emerging diets and controversies such as fad diets and supplementation. Additionally, students will learn about nutrition applications for special populations such as athletes and those with infectious or chronic diseases. Students will develop skills in the evaluation and interpretation of nutrition-related claims in both popular media and scientific studies.

KHS7800: Action Research in Kinesiology: This course is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to design, conduct, and evaluate action research projects within the field of kinesiology. This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of action research and its use in promoting change and improvement in a variety of settings, including physical activity and exercise programs, sport organizations, and health promotion initiatives.

KHS7810: Applied Measurement and Evaluation Techniques in Kinesiology: This course develops skills for the selection, development, and implementation of various types of instruments and techniques for measuring and evaluating health and human performance interventions. Evaluation of these interventions includes general health behaviors, health related fitness, nutritional and dietary intake, body composition, and other areas related to an individual’s quality of life.

KHS7820: Research Methods in Kinesiology: This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the research process in the field of kinesiology. Emphasis will be placed on real-world examples of how research is effectively accessed, interpreted, and used in professional kinesiology settings.

KHS7830: Advanced Research Seminar in Kinesiology: This course builds on the previous course, but with an intentional focus on the dissertation topic of interest for each student.  In-depth research strategies, data reliability and credibility, and the IRB process are discussed and completed during this course. Students schedule the dissertation proposal during this course.

KHS7900: Seminar 1-Drafting the Dissertation Introduction: This course provides students the opportunity to make progress on their dissertation in collaboration with a faculty mentor. Special focus on selecting the dissertation topic, forming the committee. and drafting an introduction.

KHS7901: Seminar 2-Drafting the Dissertation Literature Review: This course provides students the opportunity to make progress on their dissertation in collaboration with a dissertation advisor and advisory committee. Special focus on an annotate bibliography drafting the literature review.

KHS7902: Seminar 3-Drafting the Dissertation Methodology: This course provides students the opportunity to make progress on their dissertation in collaboration with a dissertation advisor and advisory committee. Special focus on drafting the methodology.

KHS7903: Seminar 4-Finalizing the Written Dissertation Prospectus: This course provides students the opportunity to make progress on their dissertation in collaboration with a dissertation advisor and advisory committee. Special focus on drafting a dissertation prospectus.

KHS7950: Ed.D. Dissertation: The dissertation is an independent, scholarly work of research completed by the doctoral candidate, under the guidance of a dissertation committee. A dissertation demonstrates a candidate’s ability to undertake scholarship in his or her field through intellectual endeavor and the application of research skills. The completion of a dissertation requires a scholarly mindset involving ongoing evaluation, analysis, and synthesis of previous, relevant research as well as one’s own work. A dissertation involves exploring an important problem that warrants investigation due to its centrality to issues of practice and application.

PhD Course Descriptions

KHS7000: Current Issues and Trends in Kinesiology : This course prepares students to analyze current problems, issues, and trends impacting kinesiology professions. The emphasis is on selecting and discussing emerging and controversial topics from research and everyday experiences that lead to action. Leadership principles will be examined as students develop and identify leadership strategies, tools and applications to successfully implement a personal mission and vision statement.

KHS7550: Qualitative Research in Kinesiology: This course provides an in-depth examination of qualitative research, including research designs, data collection strategies, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation methods.

KHS7600: Quantitative Research in Kinesiology: This course provides an overview of quantitative research, including research designs, data collection strategies, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation methods.

KHS7650: Mixed Methods Research in Kinesiology: This course provides  students with an in-depth understanding of the advantages and limitations of different research methods in kinesiology, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. This course will cover the principles of research design and data analysis, with a focus on the development and implementation of mixed methods research studies.

KHS7700: Statistics in Kinesiology: This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of statistical analysis techniques and their application in the field of kinesiology. This course will cover a range of topics, including descriptive statistics, probability, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and non-parametric methods. Students will learn how to apply these techniques to analyze data from various kinesiology studies, including studies of physical activity, exercise, and sport performance. They will also gain experience using statistical software to perform data analysis and interpret results. Throughout the course, students will work on real-world data sets and case studies, and will engage in interactive discussions and group projects that encourage critical thinking and problem solving.

KHS8000 Ph.D. Dissertation: The dissertation is an independent, scholarly work of research completed by the doctoral candidate, under the guidance of a dissertation committee. The dissertation will create knowledge and/or test a theory through the demonstration of scientific inquiry, investigative skills, methodological and analysis skills, scientific writing and presentation skills, and ethical behavior.

Accreditation

Concordia University, St. Paul is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) , a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

No Comprehensive Exam

As part of our doctoral program, you will not have to take a comprehensive exam.

No GRE/GMAT Testing Requirement

There is no testing requirement to apply for our doctorate in kinesiology program. We consider your past performance as the best indicator of your future success. We’ll look at your prior college transcripts and request a writing sample showing that you can complete college-level writing.

Tuition & Financial Aid

CSP Global offers a variety of sources to help you pay for your education, including state and federal loans, payment plans, and scholarships for those who qualify. Many students also receive tuition reimbursement from their employers.

Application Requirements

1. online application.

• Create an account and submit our online application. Once submitted, you can follow your application process through the application portal.

2. Official College Transcripts

• Submit official transcripts from an accreditor recognized by the US Department of Education stating the conferral of a Master’s degree or higher with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 system.
• To be considered official, transcripts must be received in a sealed envelope from the institution or through secured electronic delivery.

3. Writing Sample

• Those seeking admission into the Doctorate in Kinesiology program should submit a Master’s-level scholarly work that includes APA in-text citations and references. A sample of work from a previous Master’s program and/or professional doctorate will be acceptable.

4. Letters of Recommendation

• Students seeking admission to the Doctorate in Kinesiology program should arrange to have two letters of recommendation completed by professionals who can speak to their greatest strengths and successes. It is recommended that these letters speak specifically to the applicant’s work ethic, disposition and academic ability.

5. Current Resume and Professional Goal Statement

• Provide a copy of your resume and a brief statement detailing your motivation for pursuing a doctorate in kinesiology and your persistence toward achieving long-term goals.

Navigating Enrollment: Your Journey to a Doctorate in Kinesiology

In this recorded session, our supportive specialists share invaluable insights and tips with aspiring candidates like yourself. You will benefit from hearing expert guidance on the enrollment process provided by experienced staff members. Navigating the enrollment process can be confusing, but with their extensive knowledge, they can help you make informed decisions about your academic and career goals.

Core Program Faculty

Dr. matthew buns.

Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Health Science Director of the Doctorate in Kinesiology

Dr. Buns’s research examines the mechanisms of expertise in sport and the psychological and cognitive factors associated with motor skills. Dr. Buns has published more than 25 scholarly articles in sport and exercise science and is the founding editor of the Track and Cross Country Journal . Learn more about Dr. Buns here .

Dr. Katie Fischer

Associate VP for Academic Affairs and Strategic Program Development

Dr. Fischer’s background in higher education includes administration of in-class and online programs, development of new programs, and collaborative programming. Her academic focus includes public health, epidemiology, leadership, and program administration. Learn more about Dr. Fischer here .

Dr. Lana Huberty

Dean of the College of Kinesiology, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences

Dr. Huberty brings with her a wealth of industry practice in both private and public sport and recreation settings. Research interests and publications focus on sport marketing and sponsorship, gender diversity within sport management, and sport leadership. Learn more about Dr. Huberty here .

• Skip to main navigation
• Skip to page content

Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences

• Faculty and Staff
• ND Extension Food and Nutrition
• General Education
• Nutrition Science
• Exercise Science
• Sport Management
• Athletic Training (Professional)
• Dietetics (online)
• Exercise/Nutrition Science (Blended Learning)
• Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Nutrition (Blended Learning)
• Graduate Assistantship
• Healthy Aging North Dakota

Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Nutrition

The HNES Department offers a Ph.D. program in Exercise Science and Nutrition. For more information and details regarding the program, please contact the graduate coordinator, Dr. Kyle Hackney, at [email protected]  .

Graduate Faculty eligible to mentor Ph.D. students :   Dr. Bryan Christensen , Dr. Shannon David , Dr. Matt Derscher ,  Dr. Nathan Dicks,   Dr. Marty Douglas ,  Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson , Dr. Kyle Hackney , Dr. Elizabeth Hilliard , Dr. Seugmin Kang ,  Dr. Ryan McGrath ,  Dr. Yeong Rhee ,  Dr. Kelsey Slater ,  Dr. Sherri Stastny , Dr. Brad Strand ,   Dr. Joel White  and Dr. Joshua Wooldridge.

Gerontology Ph.D. (Dual-Major) :  Exercise Science and Nutrition offer a dual-major Ph.D. with Gerontology.

Click on the rooms below to see a 360 tour of each lab area!

Admission Requirements

Admissions Of the qualified Ph.D. applicants we receive, we expect to admit up to five students per year, based on the capacity of our current faculty.  In addition to the core faculty members in HNES who will advise students and participate in this program, there are faculty inside and outside of the department whose research interests mesh well with the program.

Admission    requirement for the students with a Master's degree

• Completion of a Master's degree from an accredited university in field closely related to Nutrition, Health, Dietetics, Kinesiology, or Exercise Science.
• Cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher.
• The GRE is required. Applicants who score in the upper 50th percentile in the verbal, quantitative, and writing portions will be given preference in admission to the program.
• At least one graduate course in statistics and one course in research methods, with grades of B or higher in each.
• A completed thesis or research paper.
• For international students, a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 79 (Internet-based). The minimum IELTS score required is 6.5. We are accepting the Duolingo for 2021. Our minimum score is 100.
• Agreement to be advised by current HNES graduate faculty member.

Admission  requirements for students without an earned Master's degree

• Completion of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in field closely related to Nutrition, Health, Dietetics, Kinesiology, or Exercise Science.
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• At least one statistics course or research methods course with grades of B or higher.
• For international students, a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 79 (Intranet-based). The minimum IELTS score required is 6.5. 

Ph.D. Program Application Information and Requirements

The application process is online through the Graduate School Homepage .  Applications that are received and complete by March 15th will be given priority for fall semester. Applications that are received and complete after March 15th will be reviewed through August 1st for consideration for fall semester.  

For information PhD in Exercise and Nutrition program requirements, curriculum, HNES course rotations, and information on comprehensive examinations, dissertation proposals, dissertation defenses, and the final dissertation document please explore the PhD Exercise and Nutrition Handbook below:

PhD Exercise and Nutrition Handbook

Graduate Bulletin

 Need more information?  Please fill out our graduate interest form link below.

NDSU Graduate School Information Request

• Explore Nutritional Sciences
• College Initiatives
• Mission and Values
• Department Plan
• College Plan
• Discover Nutritional Sciences
• Current Faculty Openings
• Visit and Apply
• Minor in Nutritional Sciences
• Minor in Nutrition Studies
• Honors Study
• Mission and Goals
• Nutrition and Dietetics Option
• Behavioral Nutrition and Public Health Option
• Nutritional Physiology and Biochemistry Option
• Accelerated Master's Programs
• First-Year Advising
• Nutritional Sciences Advising
• Resources for Students
• Scholarships and Financial Aid
• Student Organizations
• Meet with Your Adviser
• Research Opportunities
• Experience Student Life Through Instagram
• Nutrition and Dietetics Alumni Society
• What can my degree do?
• Student Profiles
• News and Events
• Master's Degree
• Online Master's of Professional Studies
• Ph.D. Program
• Faculty and Research
• Career Opportunities
• Research Areas, Labs, and Affiliates
• Student Research
• HHD Graduate Student Council
• Get Involved
• Join the Nutrition and Dietetics Alumni Society
• Info for Prospective Students
• Admission Process
• Graduate Admissions
• Metabolic Disorders
• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
• Human Development and Life Cycle
• Diet Assessment Center
• Metabolic Kitchen and Children's Eating Behavior Lab
• Cardiometabolic Nutrition Research Lab
• Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior
• Micronutrients and Preganancy Lab
• Opportunities for Students
• Funding Information
• Center for Childhood Obesity Research
• Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
• Clinical and Translational Science Institute
• Social, Life, and Engineering Sciences Imaging Center
• HHD Research
• Join the Alumni Association
• Benefits of Membership
• Connect with Alumni in Nutritional Sciences
• Update Your Contact Information
• Join the HHD Alumni Society
• Attend an Alumni Event
• Discovery, the HHD Magazine
• Nutrition Stars Spotlight
• HHD Alumni Society Awards
• Alumni Career Services
• LionLink Career Connections
• Young Alumni Ambassadors
• Parents and Family Association
• Ways to Get Involved
• Support Nutritional Sciences
• Make a Difference in Student Need
• Administration
• Faculty and Staff
• Undergraduate Program
• Graduate Program
• Affiliate, Emeritus, and Courtesy Faculty
• Student Advising and Engagement
• Development and Alumni Relations
• Social Media
• Biobehavioral Health
• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Health Policy and Administration
• Hospitality Management
• Human Development and Family Studies
• Kinesiology
• Nutritional Sciences
• Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management
• Center for Health Care and Policy Research
• Center for Healthy Aging
• Center for Safe and Healthy Children
• Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center
• Dean's Office
• Center for Student Advising and Engagement
• Communications and Marketing
• Finance and Accounting
• Human Resources
• Information Systems and Services (ISS)
• Online Education and Outreach
• Research and Graduate Education
• Faculty and Staff Resources
• Computing Support/IT Help
• HHD Digest - Submission and Archive
• Communications Training and Resources
• Powerpoint Templates
• Zoom Virtual Backgrounds
• Emergency Planning
• Contacts/Directory

Nutritional Sciences Ph.D. Program

By earning a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State, you will distinguish yourself as one of the true leaders in the field of nutrition.

Focusing on leadership, nutrition research, multidisciplinary training, and marked by the integration of resources and expertise across departments and colleges, the Penn State Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences (GPN) strives to address extremely complex and far-reaching issues that include:

Enhancing knowledge of requirements for nutrients necessary for optimal growth and well-being, including the interactions among nutrients, the environment, and disease

Advancing methods for assessing nutrient intake and nutritional status

Determining the impact of food, phytochemical, and nutrient intake, as well as dietary patterns on health promotion and disease prevention

Promoting knowledge of factors affecting food preferences, dietary intake patterns, and health habits, as well as developing various intervention strategies and evaluating their nutritional impact at the individual and population level

Developing techniques and behavioral strategies to guide consumers in selecting health-promoting foods and nutritionally adequate diets

Expanding knowledge of the mechanisms of metabolic regulation in humans and other animals, including cellular, molecular, and physiological aspects

Training the next generation of scientists and clinicians in childhood obesity prevention

The general requirements of this rigorous doctoral program include a candidacy examination, core requirements, courses in your chosen program of studies, a comprehensive examination, the proposal and production of your dissertation, and a final oral examination.  

The Definitive List of Sports Nutrition Graduate Programs

It’s March, which means three things: falling back in daylight savings time (this is the worst), green beer, and graduate school applications. This post is for future graduate students and RD2Bs. If you want to be a sports dietitian and are starting to look at sports nutrition graduate programs, I have got you covered.

Sports dietitians, sometimes called sports nutritionists, are nutrition professionals who use scientific research to work with athletes of all levels to leverage their nutrition habits to support optimal performance. The field of sports nutrition is growing fast, meaning this is an exciting time to get in, and job opportunities should be abundant!

Do Sports Dietitians need graduate degrees?

The required education to become a registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) takes three steps : an undergraduate degree (or other didactic program completion), a dietetic internship, and a dietetic registration exam. Effective in 2025, RDs will be required to have a graduate degree.

To be a sports dietitian, you need those three steps plus some related work experience. The good news is that you can carve out a specific educational path to gain relevant knowledge and experience to benefit your future career. I am a big proponent of getting work experience in your field while completing graduate school.

This post will cover advanced degrees that will not make you eligible for the RDN credential. If you are looking for ACEND-accredited programs for a bachelor’s degree or for coordinated programs or dietetic internships that will make you provide registration examination eligibility, click here for the Academy of Nutrition’s search tool.

Types of Graduate Programs for Sports Dietitians

Let’s jump into the list of schools offering degrees and programs that align with your career goals. I reviewed all the programs claiming to emphasize sports nutrition and looked at their coursework, professors’ research interests, and any hands-on experience they may offer. I did not focus on the application process or the length of the program, either in months to completion or credit hours. I have included a link to each program to allow you to gather further information to determine if the program is a feasible fit for you. Let’s get started!

A common misconception among nutrition students is that your master’s degree needs to be in the field of nutrition. But the truth is that if your undergraduate degree was an accredited program with all the necessary didactic coursework that allowed you to meet the eligibility requirements for a dietetic internship, your master’s degree can be in whatever you are interested. If your career goals involve sports nutrition, obtaining a master’s in exercise science, exercise physiology, sports nutrition, human nutrition, nutritional sciences, or related fields is most applicable. The options are endless: from education to a foreign language or business.

Master’s Degree in Sports Nutrition

I defined a program that garners a degree specifically in sports nutrition as one in which its core courses are directly related to sports and nutrition, rather than having a concentration or specialization in sports nutrition as part of a more general degree.

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs – Colorado Springs, CO MS, Sport Nutrition

Logan University – Chesterfield, MO MS, Nutrition and Human Performance  *This program is offered 100% online*

University of Central Missouri – Warrensburg, MO MS, Nutrition – Sport Nutrition 

Marywood University – Scranton, PA MS, Sports & Human Performance Nutrition 

Lamar University – Beaumont, TX MS, Nutrition Sport Nutrition *This program is offered 100% online*

Master’s Degree in Nutrition with a Sports Nutrition Concentration

Programs specifically in sports nutrition are few and far. The next best thing is a nutrition program with a specialization in sports nutrition. These programs typically consist of a generic nutrition curriculum and then allow students to choose electives that allow for an emphasis on the desired area of study, which in this case would be sports nutrition. For example, Auburn University operates like this and offers the following electives for sports nutrition: NTRI 6620 Sports Nutrition (3) KINE 7680 Advanced Physiology of Exercise I (3) KINE 7700 Advanced Physiology of Exercise II (3) KINE 7500 Exercise Technology I: Principles of Exercise Testing and Interpretation (4) KINE 7550 Exercise Techology II: Applied Exercise Testing and Interpretation (4) KINE 6400 Exercise Prescription for Normal and Special Populations (3) KINE 7750 Advanced Sports Pyschology (3)

Keep in mind that not all classes will be offered in all semesters, and some classes might not be available during the duration of your degree. Some other programs that offer this concentration are as follows.

Auburn University – Auburn, AL MS, in Nutrition – option for an Emphasis on Sports Nutrition (online option available) 

Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, CA MS, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Emphasis 

Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL MS, Exercise Physiology with major in Sports Nutrition MS, Exercise Physiology with major in Sports Nutrition and Dietetic Internship

Miami University – Miami, FL MSEd, Applied Physiology – Clinical Nutrition for Performance track

University of Georgia – Athens, GA MS, Foods and Nutrition Sports Nutrition Emphasis PhD, Foods and Nutrition with Sports Nutrition Emphasis

Life University – Marietta, GA MS, Science in Sport Health Science – Specialty tracks in Exercise and Sport Science, Nutrition and Sport Science, or Sport Coaching

Brigham Young University Hawaii – Laie, HI MS, Nutritional Science Note: This is one of six schools that accepts the successful completion of the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition as fulfilling part of the requirements for its MS degree, allowing for a self-specialized pathway in sports nutrition.

Graceland University – Lamoni, IA MS, Nutrition and Human Performance (Sport Nutrition and Performance Concentration) 

University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY MS, Nutritional Sciences (emphasis area: Wellness/Sports Nutrition)

Merrimack College – North Andover, Massachusetts  MS, Nutrition and Human Performance Note: This program is known as a Future Education Model. “Future Education Model degree programs are competency-based education programs that integrate classroom learning with hands-on supervised experiential learning activities. The program’s curriculum is guided by competencies and their respective performance indicators, thus it fosters work readiness.” This is essentially a combination MS/DI program, making you eligible to sit for the RD exam after completion of it.

University of Mississippi – Oxford, MS PhD, Nutrition and Hospitality Management with a concentration in Sport Nutrition 

Saint Louis University – St. Louis, MO MS, Nutrition and Dietetics , Concentration Nutrition and Physical Performance Note: This is a combined MS/DI program, making you eligible to sit for the RD exam after completion of it.

College of Saint Elizabeth – Morristown, NJ MS, Nutrition (Certificate Program in Sports Nutrition & Wellness is available)

Texas Woman’s University – Denton, TX MS, Exercise and Sports Nutrition

University of Utah – Salt Lake City, UT MS, Nutrition Science with an emphasis in Sports Nutrition MS, Nutrition with Integrative Physiology Emphasis  Coordinated Master’s Program – Sports Nutrition Concentration Note: This is a combined MS/DI program, making you eligible to sit for the RD exam after completion of it.

International Programs

Ulster University – Ireland  MS, Sport and Exercise Nutrition 

Loughborough University – UK  MSc, Physiology and Nutrition of Sport and Exercise

St. Mary‘s University – London, UK  MSc, Applied Sports Nutrition

University of the Sunshine Coast – Queensland, Australia  MS, Sports Nutrition by Research

Oxford Brookes University – Oxford, UK MS, Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition

Coventry University – Coventry, UK MSc, Sports and Exercise Nutrition 

University of Huddersfield – Huddersfield, UK MSc, Sport and Exercise Nutrition 

Liverpool John Moores University – Liverpool, England MSc, Sport Nutrition 

University of Central Lancashire – Lancashire, UK MSc, Nutrition & Exercise Sciences

Manchester Metropolitan University – Manchester, UK MSc, Sport Nutrition 

Middlesex University – London, UK  MSc, Sport and Exercise Nutrition 

University of Chichester  MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition

What’s Next?

Topics that will be covered in the next few weeks: programs in exercise science that specialize in nutrition, graduate programs in sport science, graduate assistantships, and how to decide what postgraduate program is right for you.

This series of blog posts has been a labor of love. It is what I wish I had when I was looking at postgraduate schools. I will aim to keep this post updated. If you see a program that is missing, please reach out to me so I can add it.If you found this post helpful, please consider supporting me by sharing the link to this post with classmates, colleagues, and friends, by joining my email list , or by checking out my RD2RD store .

About The Author

Hillary ake ms, rd, cssd, leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Current Students
• News & Press
• Research Excellence
• Teaching & Student Experience
• Graduate Employability
• UK Rankings
• World Rankings
• Single Topic Rankings
• Research Excellence Framework
• Higher Education Awards
• Ageing and Health
• Cities and Place
• Culture and Creative Arts
• Social Justice
• Discover Festival
• Engagement and Place Awards 2024
• Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering
• Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
• Faculty of Medical Sciences
• Central and South Asia
• Latin America
• Middle East and North Africa
• North America
• Small Island Developing States
• South East Asia and Oceania
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Transparency
• Office for Students Transparency Data
• Access & Participation
• Support for our Community
• UN Sustainable Development Goals
• https://www.ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/equality/race-equality/black-history-month/
• Faith, Religion & Belief
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
• Let Us Know
• Workplace Adjustments
• Useful Resources
• Equality Analysis
• Social Justice Stories
• Voluntary & Community Groups
• Santander Universities
• Regional Partnerships
• Widening Participation
• Newcastle Helix
• Art on Campus
• History of Newcastle University
• Education Strategy
• Find a Degree
• Subject Areas
• Step-by-Step Guide for UK Students
• Step-by-Step Guide for International and EU Students
• Applying through UCAS
• A and AS Levels
• Application Decisions
• Access Schemes and Pathway Programmes
• Policies and Procedures
• Applicants with Disabilities
• Mature Applicants
• Deferred Entry
• Undergraduate Application Advice
• Subject Scholarships
• Sports Scholarships
• Opportunity Scholarships
• VC's Excellence Scholarships
• VC's Global Scholarships
• VC's International Scholarships
• International Foundation Scholarships
• St Nicholas’ Educational Trust Scholarship
• NU Sanctuary Scholarships
• Undergraduate Norway Scholarship
• International Family Discounts
• VC’s EU Scholarships – Undergraduate
• VC's Excellence Scholarships - Europe
• VC's Business Excellence Scholarships - Europe
• Additional Costs
• Student Loans
• International Student Finance
• Sign up and Discover
• School and College Outreach
• Information for Parents and Supporters
• Why Choose Newcastle?
• Your Study Options
• Qualifications Explained
• Postgraduate Research Programmes
• Search for Funding
• Guide to Funding
• Postgraduate Tuition Fees
• Application Help
• Advice & Resources
• Your Offer Guide
• Postgraduate Open Days
• Postgraduate Virtual Open Day
• Doctoral College
• Distance Learning
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Study Support
• Campus Tours
• Life in Newcastle
• Get Involved
• Cost of Living
• Health & Wellbeing
• Mature Students
• Childcare Support
• Care Leavers
• Asylum Seekers
• Teaching & Learning
• Student Blog - Belong
• Types of Rooms
• Accessibility and Individual Requirements
• Castle Leazes
• Bedrooms we offer
• Accommodation Guides
• New Student Guarantee
• Advanced Booking
• Submit an Application
• Part Year Student Accommodation
• What Happens Next?
• Safety and Security
• Returning Next Year
• Extending Your Stay
• Room Changes
• Parking & Bicycle Storage
• Post and Parcels
• Guest Visitors and Going Away
• Energy & Recycling
• ResLife Find a Flatmate
• Your ResLife Team
• Student Support
• Payment Methods
• Payment Schedules
• Managed Partnerships
• Rent Adjustments
• Student Village Receptions
• Your Accommodation Team
• Report a Fault
• Feedback and Complaints
• Internet Connection
• Work Placements
• About the Careers Service
• Careers Service News
• Careers Service Events
• Work for Yourself
• Career Planning
• Careers Modules
• Making Applications
• Interviews, Tests & Assessment Centres
• Internships, Placements & Shadowing
• Finding Jobs
• Handling Job Offers
• Researching Employers
• Making Contacts
• Further Study
• Awards, Competitions & Project Funding
• Volunteering
• Boost Your CV
• Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS)
• Getting Here
• Self-Guided Campus Tours
• Undergraduate Offer Holder Days
• Postgraduate Schools & Supervisors
• Undergraduate Open Days
• Tier 4 Visa from Inside UK
• Tier 4 Visa from Outside UK
• Short-Term Visa from Outside UK
• International Study Blog
• Our Pathway Courses
• English Language Courses
• Fees, Costs and Scholarships
• INTO Newcastle University
• Student Exchange and Study Abroad
• Request a Prospectus
• Chat to a Student
• Your Academic Experience
• Research Impact
• Research Strengths
• Centres of Research Excellence
• Research Culture Action Plan
• Working Together on Research Culture
• Policy Notes
• Global Partnerships
• Let's Work Together
• Sustainable Water
• Food Security
• Sustainable Livelihoods
• Global Impact
• Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
• Code of Good Practice in Research
• University Research Committee
• Animal Research Policy
• Declaration on Openness on Animal Research
• Animal Procedures
• Helping Human Health
• Animal Research News
• Ethics at Newcastle
• Research Data and Open Access
• Research Strategy & Development
• Policy and Information Team
• Grants & Contracts (HaSS and SAgE)
• NJRO (inc Grants & Contracts FMS)
• Research Funding Development
• Biomedical Facilities
• Chemistry Facilities
• Clinical Facilities
• Engineering Facilities
• Marine & Agricultural Facilities
• More Facilities
• Facilities A to Z
• Research Funding
• Research News
• Case Studies
• CPD Courses
• Collaborative Research
• Company Creation
• Consultancy
• Corporate Partnerships
• DA Power Engineering
• DA MSc Digital Technology Solutions
• DA Executive Education Snr. Leader Apprenticeships
• Facilities and Equipment
• Intensive Industrial Innovation Programme
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
• Technology Transfer and Licensing
• Clinical Trials & Research
• Working with Newcastle
• Tender Opportunities
• Submitting an Invoice
• Sustainable Procurement
• Code of Conduct & Terms and Conditions
• Health & Social Challenges
• Creative Collaborations
• Connect with alumni
• Develop your career
• Discover lifelong learning opportunities
• Support future generations

Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences PhD

Explore cutting-edge health science research across biomedical, nutritional, and sport science disciplines with our MPhil and PhD

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2023
• January 2024

Newcastle University produces world-leading research in health sciences. The School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences comprises highly skilled researchers from a range of disciplines and areas of expertise. We work together to form a vibrant interdisciplinary academic community, with the ultimate goal of improving human health and wellbeing.

We take diverse approaches to understanding and improving health, from molecular biology to population health research. Our research often crosses disciplines and involves working with non-academic partners from industry, healthcare, and charity sectors.

Key areas of research include:

• interventions to help prevent or manage different chronic diseases
• understanding the biology underpinning health behaviours
• food and nutrition sustainability
• using computer technology to interpret biological data

Find out more about our research .

You will be based in one of our Research Institutes within the Faculty of Medical Science:

• Biosciences Institute
• Translational and Clinical Research Institute
• Population Health Sciences Institute

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

Qualifications explained.

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

Your development

Faculty of medical sciences (fms) researcher development programme .

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact
• Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements
• Your programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the FMS researcher development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:

• Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
• Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits:

• they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
• you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
• they’re often interdisciplinary
• your PhD may be funded

Find out more about doctoral training and partnerships

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

• Newcastle Liverpool Durham BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership
• Discovery Medicine North - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Molecular Sciences for Medicine (MoSMed)

Your future

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website .

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year).

We are unable to give an exact fee, this is why the fee is shown as a range. This fee range takes into account your research topic and resource requirements.

Your research topic is unique so it will have unique resource requirements. Resources could include specialist equipment, such as laboratory/workshop access, or technical staff.

If your research involves accessing specialist resources then you're likely to pay a higher fee. You'll discuss the exact nature of your research project with your supervisor(s). You'll find out the fee in your offer letter.

Home fees for research degree students

For 2024-25 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . The standard fee was confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI.

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

• Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Medical Sciences Graduate School Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 7002 Fax: +44 (0)191 208 7038 Email: [email protected]

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

Keep updated

We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.

Receive regular updates by email

Chat to a student

Chat online with current students with our Unibuddy platform.

Social media

Get involved with the Medical Sciences Graduate School social media. 

• How to apply
• Open days & events

• Search Search Vai Close
• Directories Directories People Structures Vai Close
• AlmaRM - International mobility
• Certificates
• Document and library services
• EOL - Esami online
• Job vacancy
• Language courses
• Studenti Online - Manage your studies
• Tesi Online - Archive
• Tirocini Online - Internships offers
• UnibooK - Open knowledge
• Virtual Helpdesks - Online offices
• Virtuale - Teaching materials
• AlmaRegistri
• Cedolini web
• Incarichi extraistituzionali
• Internships
• IRIS - Institutional research archive
• Presenze web
• U-Web Reporting – Projects accounting
• University Intranet
• My e-mail for students
• My e-mail for staff

• Organisation and Campuses
• International outreach
• Contracting and sales
• Work with us
• Quality Assurance
• Guide to choosing your programme
• First and Single Cycle Degree
• Second Cycle Degree
• Course units, transferable skills, MOOCs
• PhDs and Professional Masters programmes, Specialisations and advanced training
• Study grants and subsidies
• Enrolment, fees and other procedures
• Incoming and outgoing international mobility
• Towards the job market
• Life at university and in the city
• The latest news from Alma Mater research
• Research in numbers
• Research areas and projects
• NRRP – Opportunities, expectations and results
• Research organisation and infrastructure
• Networking for research
• Open Science
• Research at Unibo
• Research for society and businesses
• People and the community
• Business and nonprofit
• Bodies and institutions
• Development cooperation
• Continuing education
• Sustainability
• Events and news
• Prospective bachelor's students
• Enrolled students
• Organizations and companies

PhD in Sport, Health and Well-being

• Admission Board
• Training and research

Application deadline: Dec 14, 2022 at 11:59 PM (Expired)

2nd NRRP Call for Applications - Further PhD positions

• Call for applications
• PhD Programme Table

Enrolment: From Feb 02, 2023 to Feb 12, 2023 - On www.studenti.unibo.it, PhD candidates awarding NRRP positions should use NRRP forms only

Doctoral programme start date: Mar 01, 2023

Application deadline: Aug 02, 2022 at 11:59 PM (Expired)

NRRP Call for Applications

Enrolment: From Sep 26, 2022 to Oct 05, 2022 - On www.studenti.unibo.it download NRRP forms only

Doctoral programme start date: Nov 01, 2022

Application deadline: Jun 09, 2022 at 11:59 PM (Expired)

Call for Applications

Enrolment: From Jul 14, 2022 to Jul 25, 2022

The PhD Programme’s distinctive topic is the relationship between sport, health and well-being in its unitary complexity. Such relationship defines a research field with both a strongly cohesive content and an intrinsic openness to multi-and inter-disciplinary approaches. This general theme is articulated in the following three areas:

• Physical activity, nutrition and drugs for well-being promotion and health protection : determinants and benefits of a healthy lifestyle; exercise for special populations; research and development of drugs for health protection; biomarkers’ analysis for monitoring the well-being status; metabolism and nutrition.
• Sport performance : multi- and inter-disciplinary investigation of the factors determining human performance in sport and other activities that push humans to the limits of their physical and mental capacity; analysis, development and learning of sports techniques; monitoring and optimization of the training process; preparation for sports competitions.
• Sport as a means to education and sustainable development : analysis of the values conveyed by sport to promote social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and global citizenship; teaching and learning of culture in childhood, in relation to movement and the human body; good practices for starting and practicing grassroot sports; education to the factors of individual and social well-being in the current reality; role of the context in promoting human development.

The various research topics will be developed by stressing those “soft-skills” components that allow to locate rigorous disciplinary investigations exactly into the horizon where, today, extremely useful answers for the promotion of sport, health, and well-being can emerge.

NRPP Call Admission Board and NRRP Call - Further PhD Positions Appointed by RD 1103/2022 Prot. n. 0162873 of 17/07/2022 Confirmed by RD 952/2022 Prot. n. 0357333 of 02/12/2022

* The following shall take part in the work of the Examination Board as expert members for positions linked to specific research topics for the NRRP Call:

• Costantino Corradini - Associazione Culturale Sportiva La Vita In Movimento
• Carlo Bottari - Fondazione Carlo Rizzoli
• Daniela Pinto - Giuliani SpA
• Paolo Aiello - Bologna FC

Call for Application Admission Board Appointed by RD 830/2022 Prot. n. 0127511 of 30/05/2022

To develop a solid research training in the field of health and sport sciences through the progress of knowledge and methodologies in the following areas: integrated strategies for health promotion; research and development of drugs and natural and synthetic compounds for health protection; physical activity and sports science; outdoor educational activities. The PhD program, within a multi- and inter-disciplinary perspective, intends to promote collaborations with national and international research groups and organizations operating in the field of health, physical activity, sports science, and outdoor education. Our educational goals are to increase knowledge, skills and experience in the aforementioned areas; provide in-depth knowledge of the phenomena related to sport, physical activity, and health protection of individuals and populations; train students to plan and accomplish original projects inspired by the principles of the hypothesis-driven and evidence-based research

PhD students are expected to carry out activities at different levels. These mandatory activities principally consist of a scientific part devoted to research, and of an educational part. The core action is to develop autonomously a research project selected within the topics provided by the Doctoral Program, under the supervision of a tutor and the support of the Doctorate Council. All this will promote the candidate’s organizational skills and the ability to develop empirical and/or theoretical research. Since the Doctoral Program is designed to afford a trans-disciplinary exploration of the nexus among sport, health, and well-being, the didactical part will consist of courses designed for all doctoral candidates (mainly focused on “soft skills” – strategic for the PhD theme – such as relational skills, team working and problem solving, that will be the subject of multi-disciplinary seminars), of seminars and of courses both specialized and common to each macro-area. These will become highly optional and with a more specific disciplinary feature (according to each candidate profile) starting from the second year, when a research period abroad will be compulsory. PhD students will periodically present the state of the art of their research during regular meetings with the Doctorate Council, which can then assess the work done. Moreover, PhD students will be allowed to carry out a limited integrative teaching activity in official courses of the University of Bologna.

At the beginning of the course, to each PhD student will be assigned a research project consistent with his/her corresponding discipline and topic. The doctoral training activities will hence offer Doctoral candidates: - basic activities (to which all candidates are expected to attend) focused on cross-methodological topics (academic writing workshops, bibliographical research seminars, seminars on knowledge transfer valorization); - specific activities for the chosen disciplinary field aimed at acquiring skills and rigorous knowledge on research methodologies which are needed for the development of each research project. In addition, PhD students will attend lectures and seminars held by prominent national and international scholars; where needed, courses chosen between those offered in University Degree Programs or Second-level University Masters may also be attended. During the third year, the PhD student will focus on the preparation of a final, written dissertation, while supervised by his/her own tutor, who will constantly be part of the research training process. The PhD student will learn how to deal with informatics tools which are useful for the development of his/her own research; how to perform bibliographic and data base research, data analysis; how to develop laboratory techniques and methodologies, critical and interpretive attitude, papers and research projects. In order to increasingly acquire extensive abilities and skills and keep abreast of their specific research subjects, PhD students will attend each side activity that the Doctorate Council deems relevant to their specific methodological training on the Doctoral Program’s topics. Moreover, PhD students are expected to participate to symposia that are consistent with the Doctoral Program’s topics, where they can present and discuss their work both in national and international frameworks.

An official memorandum was stipulated with the University of Lleida (Spain), which agrees on the possibility of a joint PhD degree. Numerous international collaborations and Erasmus exchange Programs, which connote the Doctorate Council’s activity already, ensure PhD students the opportunity to be hosted in foreign institutions and hence to develop their theses in cotutelle with the latter. It is mandatory for PhD students to spend at least a trimester in foreign universities or research institutes, with the Doctorate Council’s authorization. Hosting institutions will be first of all those with which the members of the Council have already established international collaborations and which represent an increasingly developing network. During the research period abroad, the PhD students will have the opportunity to learn innovative methodologies of research. In the framework of international agreements (i.e., Erasmus Mundus), foreign PhD students will have the opportunity to spend a research period in the laboratories of the Department for Life Quality Studies in collaboration with its Academic Staff. Thanks to the originality of its trans-disciplinary feature, the Program is likely to attract foreign students, who may be funded with scholarships by their own country or in the framework of international or European exchange Programs. The collaboration of foreign students may also promote international research networks on a larger scale, by pursuing further relationships with different institutions. In order to develop the Program’s international profile, research paths that involve exchange and cotutelles with foreign institutions will be encouraged. To this end, agreements with European and Extra-European universities will be incentivized.

The Doctoral Program is an expression of the different disciplines and skills that connote the Department of Quality Life Studies - University of Bologna. For this reason, the result of the research activity, also oriented in terms of interdisciplinary activities, train the PhD students to the production of original studies to be published both in international scientific journals and as books, papers and Conference Proceedings (national and international) in order to integrate PhD students within the community of their specific disciplines. Finally, it is desirable, for some research fields, the development of patents.

Carmela Fimognari

Dipartimento di Scienze per la Qualità della Vita - QUVI

Corso D'Augusto 237 Rimini (RN)

[email protected]

Exercise, Nutrition and Health

PhD Exercise, Nutrition and Health

A PhD in Exercise, Nutrition and Health equips students with the skills and experience to apply research methods and the tools to critically examine some of the most pressing contemporary issues and problems being experienced in physical activity and/or nutrition research, practice and/or policy.

Students are encouraged to develop a topic of interest that directly relates to their own background or practice experiences, or is of wider interest and relevance to the science underpinning the promotion and maintenance of health of populations, via physical activity and/or nutrition, either in UK nations or overseas.

Students will be supported to develop research questions and design a study that enables them to rigorously research their topic of interest and make an original contribution to the knowledge base of physical activity and/or nutrition in relation to public health. Topics may directly explore policy or practice issues, or contribute more broadly to physical activity and nutrition knowledge, working with specific population groups and communities, addressing systems of inequality and social disadvantage. Where appropriate, students are encouraged to work in collaboration with relevant organisations and/or user and interest groups to ensure their research outputs and key findings can directly inform policy, professional development, practice and service delivery.

Supervisors in Exercise, Nutrition and Health bring diverse interests across epidemiology (for example, associations between physical activity/diet and a range of chronic diseases across population groups); physical activity and dietary assessment (for example, development of indices to assess adherence to dietary patterns); the development and evaluation of physical activity and dietary interventions and/or services (for example, community programmes, school settings); and behaviour change (including the wider determinants of physical activity and diet and the psychological underpinnings of physical activity, nutrition and health).

Supervisors also have diverse expertise in research methods, such as qualitative methods (for example, informing and evaluating the development of interventions or service delivery); secondary data analysis (for example, using nationally representative population surveys and large prospective studies/big data); and scoping and systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the evidence base in physical activity and nutrition.

The school is an exciting environment for graduate studies, and PhD students become an integral part of our research community; we welcome graduate students from the UK and abroad to join our diverse and highly-rated research team.

World-leading research

The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK ( Times Higher Education ).

94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry requirements

An upper second-class honours degree and a pass at MSc/MA level (or equivalent experience/qualification).

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.

Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.

If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our  profile level C.

Further information about  English language requirements and profile levels .

Fees and funding

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.

More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support .

Alumni discount

University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study.  Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.

Funding for 2024/25

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Law has an allocation of 1+3 and +3 ESRC SWDTP scholarships . Applicants may also be interested in applying for funding from the University of Bristol scholarship fund and alumni PhD scholarship fund.

Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.

Career prospects

The PhD in Exercise, Nutrition and Health establishes a sound research training base and provides practical experience, preparing you for different types of employment, including research, policy and intervention implementation.

Many of our students have continued with academic careers, either as post-doctoral researchers or as research associates in UK and international universities. Other students have been successful in a range of fields, including government policy and health promotion at a local, national and international level.

Meet our supervisors

The following list shows potential supervisors for this programme. Visit their profiles for details of their research and expertise.

Research groups

Staff in the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences conduct research that focuses on physical activity and nutrition, and their associations with health across the lifespan. The primary areas of focus include biomedical, psychosocial and socio-environmental aspects of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and nutrition.

How to apply

Apply via our online application system. For further information, please see the guidance for how to apply on our webpages.

We welcome applications at any time of year; early application is advised.

For China Scholarship Commission funding, the programme application deadline is 4 December 2023.

For SWDTP funding, the programme application deadline is 4 December 2023.

For University of Bristol studentship funding, the programme application deadline is 19 February 2024.

Postgraduate Senior Admissions Administrator

Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

School for Policy Studies

Explore more

Find out about the bristol doctoral college.

Florida State University

FSU | College of Health and Human Sciences

Site Navigation

Global navigation.

College of Health and Human Sciences

Sports Nutrition

M.s. in exercise physiology major: sports nutrition.

Sports nutrition is a growing area of interest and a great fit for those who want to learn about clinical nutrition in multifaceted environments.

The sports nutrition major integrates coursework from exercise physiology and nutrition science disciplines. Having a dual focus allows for students to gain a better understanding of how both nutrition and exercise impact human performance, health and disease.

All admitted students are assigned to the non-thesis track. To apply for the thesis track, students must be in good academic standing and have the support of graduate faculty after the first semester.

A  dietetic internship  may be available to those who have completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) before enrolling in our graduate program.

Sports Nutrition Curriculum

Sports Nutrition + DI Curriculum

Admission Requirements

Application process.

If you meet the below requirements, we encourage you to apply to the program.

1. An upper-division undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The same scale applies for graduate-level work.

2. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited university. Questions about degree equivalency should be directed to [email protected] .

3. The GRE general test requirement is waived for MS applicants to our departmental programs through the fall 2026 admission cycle. Master’s applicants may choose to take the Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE) and submit scores. We recommend a score of above the 50th percentile (approximately 150) in both verbal and quantitative sections with a 4.0 or higher on the writing section. Please note that it can take up to ten (10) days after sitting for the GRE for an official score report to be sent to the university.

4. International students: Applicants must submit an English Proficiency Score Report. A TOEFL iBT  score of at least 80 (iBT) or 550 (paper-delivered) or an IELTST  Academic score of at least 6.5 is required. Our department does not accept other English proficiency examinations.

Attainment of these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Admission decisions are based on assessments of all aspects of the student’s application materials. The department reserves the right to increase standards if warranted by enrollment limitations and by the number and quality of applicants. Financial aid is a separate process from the admission to a graduate program.

Before you submit your online application and pay the application fee, please carefully review the required documentation on the Application Process tab.

In order to be successful in the major, background knowledge in related sciences should be obtained. Students have the option to take the undergraduate courses prior to the start graduate program or as leveling courses during their graduate program. If electing to take these courses while in the graduate program (leveling courses), it may take additional time to complete the other degree requirements due to sequencing of classes.

Undergraduate courses recommended for the Master’s in Sports Nutrition program are:

• Exercise Physiology with Lab, upper-division course (C or better)
• Science of Nutrition or equivalent (B- or better)
• Nutrition and Sports (C or better)
• Anatomy & Physiology I + Lab (C+ or better)
• Survey of Biochemistry + Lab (C or better)
• Metabolism of Nutrients (C or better)

You must apply directly to the Sports Nutrition major.

All items below must be on file, and the fee paid, before an application is considered complete and ready for review. We encourage you to submit and complete your application early. The graduate admissions committee reviews completed applications throughout the open application period, which allows you to receive an admissions decision more quickly.

• Apply Online , submit the admissions application and pay the application fee.
• Upload a  Statement of Purpose  outlining your career goals. We want to know how your background and prior training make you the right candidate and why Florida State University is a good fit for you .   If interested in research, we strongly encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with the research interests of the  HNFS faculty .  For those that will meet DPD requirements prior to enrollment in our master’s degree program, clearly state whether you intend to separately apply to the dietetic internship .
• Upload a  resume or vita  (information should be current).
• Enter contact information for  two recommenders . The system will directly contact your recommender and provide them with a link to upload their letter. Letters must be received by the posted deadline. Academic recommendations are preferred, but relevant professional recommendations will be accepted. Please list a work/business email address for each recommender. The recommenders should be professionals you have worked for who are familiar with your academic performance and can speak directly about your qualification for this degree. No personal recommendations or letters from peers will be accepted.
• The GRE general test requirement is waived for MS applicants to the Sports Nutrition major through the fall 2026 admission cycle. Master’s applicants may choose to submit GRE test scores to the FSU Office of Graduate Admissions. The school reporting code for test scores is 5219; no department code is required.
• Submit transcripts to the FSU Office of Graduate Admissions. Even if courses are posted to another institution’s transcript, we require transcripts from EVERY post-secondary institution you attended. Please have transcripts sent directly from your institution to the FSU Office of Graduate Admissions. If you are a domestic student that attended an institution outside of the U.S., you will be required to provide a credential evaluation for that transcript (please see below regarding credentialing).
• Send electronic transcripts to: [email protected]
• Send paper transcripts to: Florida State University Office of Graduate Admissions 222 S. Copeland St., 314 Westcott Bldg. Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410

International Students:

1. Submit an English Proficiency Score Report:

• TOEFL test scores electronically from ETS.org to the FSU Office of Graduate Admissions. The university’s reporting code for test scores is 5219; no department code is required.
• Florida State University Office of Graduate Admissions 222 S. Copeland St., 314 Westcott Bldg. Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410

2. Florida State University (FSU) requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants who have taken courses at non-U.S. institutions. International and domestic applicants must submit their official transcripts from international institutions through a NACES-approved evaluator. SpanTran has created a custom application for FSU that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. This link is found in the application checklist. Please also see the “Transcript Requirement” section on the Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions , for detailed information on university transcript requirements for graduate students.

Please allow the Office of Graduate Admissions time to process your incoming materials.

For questions about the application process:

CEHHS Office of Academic Services and Intern Support – HNFS Grad Admissions [email protected] 850-644-1117

This program admits in the fall and spring semesters only. All application materials must be received by the deadline posted and only complete applications will be reviewed.

Additionally, admission to the graduate program is term specific. If you decide to apply for a different semester or major, you will need to start a new application. If you are unable to attend the semester for which you were admitted, you will need to reapply for a future term.

Only students in qualifying FSU master’s degree programs may apply to the DI, which starts in the fall semester.

• All admissions application materials for the master’s degree program must be received by December 15 of the preceding year.
• Current students in this master’s degree program may also be eligible to apply to the DI starting the next fall.

All students interested in the DI must also 1) have a DPD statement and 2) apply to the Dietetic Internship. Please see DI application details here .

Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences PhDs

By undertaking a PhD at Loughborough, you will be joining the number 1 ranked university in the world for sport related subjects (QS World University Rankings 2017-2023).

The quality of research across the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences has seen Loughborough University ranked 1st in the UK for research power (GPA x volume) in Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

Our internationally renowned academic staff have expertise in a wide variety of areas, ensuring our diverse research portfolio covers: biomechanics, cellular and molecular biology, coaching, economics, medicine, nutrition, pedagogy, physiology, psychology, sociology, sport management, and more.  

Our current PhD opportunities

Our current PhD opportunities are listed below, these projects already have a specified topic and allocated supervisor. Discover more about the project, funding and how to apply by clicking on the opportunity that sparks your interest.

PhD Building psychosocial and physical resilience using self-management skills for offshore workers

Department(s): Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

Study mode: Full-time Part-time

Start date: October 2024

Funding status Funded

Application deadline: 16 May 2024

PhD Diagnosis and retraining of Breathing Pattern Disorder based on optical measurement of breathing patterns

Campus: Loughborough

Start date: October 2024, January 2025

Funding status Self-funded

Application deadline: 16 June 2024

PhD Enhancing adherence to exercise rehabilitation programmes for musculoskeletal conditions

Study mode: Full-time

Start date: October 2024, January 2025, April 2025

Application deadline: 30 June 2024

PhD Establishing important physical and performance characteristics of elite junior tennis

Phd exploring the experiences of fear of movement in pregnant population as a barrier to exercise uptake.

Department(s): Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering

PhD Hydration, metabolic health and physical function across adulthood

Application deadline: 30 May 2024

PhD Motivational dynamics during endurance performance

Application deadline: 7 July 2024

PhD Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation as a countermeasure to sarcopenia due to ageing and/or disease

Study mode:

Application deadline: 19 May 2024

PhD Advancing Physical Activity Policies and Strategies in the Global South

Application deadline: 17 June 2024

PhD Physiological and perceived effects of the menstrual cycle on sport and exercise performance

Phd sport and physical activity as tools to promote a healthy menopause transition.

Application deadline: 15 June 2024

PhD SSEHS Fee Waiver Studentship 2024/25

Phd studentship opportunity for uk students identifying as bame in sport, exercise and health sciences.

Application deadline: 2 June 2024

PhD The impact of digital decarbonisation on physical and mental health: what role does stress-associated climate change play?

Phd undertaking and activating transfer of non-technical skills safety training to workers in the offshore windfarm sector, phd the identification, classification and implementation of tactical strategies using ai and tracking data in elite football.

Application deadline: 23 June 2024

Can't find what you're looking for? Register for email alerts and we'll notify you when opportunities become available in your chosen research area.

Why study a research degree with us

Excellent facilities.

Benefit from more than 50 dedicated research and teaching laboratories for the study of exercise physiology, DNA analysis, muscle function, disability sport, nutrition, sleep and recovery, and more.

Your personal development

Receive support from at least two academic supervisors with different, but related, research expertise, and work with a range of academic staff and students through research forums, seminars and involvement in research groups.

Access to the experts

Benefit from expertise at: the Leicester Biomedical Research Centre; the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine; the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport; and The Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behaviour.

A vibrant community

Join our thriving PhD population of around 220 full-time and part-time UK and international research students, and be surrounded by elite athletes, sports organisations and national governing bodies on campus.

Meet our supervisors and researchers

Postgraduate research opportunities at the World No.1 University for Sport-related subjects

Meet Professor Stacy Clemes

Stacy Clemes, Professor of Active Living & Public Health in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences talks about her research, which centres around encouraging people to sit less and move more.

Doctoral research graduate

I hope the research I am involved in helps to improve health and wellbeing for the benefit of all by increasing understanding of the role of physical activity in facilitating healthy weight control and the prevention of chronic disease.

Loughborough University has helped me to become an independent researcher and enabled me to make my transition from sports biomechanics to public health research.

Further information

For further information about funding and writing your research proposal, please see our dedicated web pages below.

Your journey into research

Funding your research

Create your own research proposal

PhD in Exercise and Sport Science Peak Performance Awaits: Climb to Success

Credit Hours

View Courses

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Pursue Your Passion for Human Performance with Liberty’s PhD in Health Sciences – Exercise and Sport Science Degree Online

Are you an allied health professional seeking a terminal degree? Do you want to further your career in research, academia, sports science, occupational performance, or exercise physiology? If so, Liberty’s online Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Sciences – Exercise and Sport Science can help. Through this program, you can enrich your knowledge of human performance and pursue new opportunities as a professor, scientist, scholar, or industry leader.

Maybe you enjoy working in clinical settings, or perhaps you are passionate about sharing your love of exercise science with the next generation of college students. Either way, our sport science degree online can help you pursue leadership roles in a variety of health-related settings. In addition to exploring advanced health sciences topics, you’ll learn about important aspects of sports performance so you can help athletes achieve peak performance. The knowledge you gain in this program can also help you work with a wide range of clients — not just athletes — who want to accomplish certain fitness and wellness goals.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment in healthcare professions will grow 15% from 2019 to 2029, which is much faster than the average for all industries.* With our health sciences PhD, you can become equipped to address challenges in this rapidly growing field. Partner with us and earn a degree that can help you thrive in a variety of career paths.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Healthcare Occupations (viewed online April 26, 2021). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s PhD in Health Sciences – Sport and Exercise Science Degree Online?

At Liberty, your success is our success. We want to help you become an ethical, skilled professional who can make a difference in the healthcare field. Whether you’re passionate about working directly with patients and clients or passing on your knowledge to the next generation of allied health professionals, our doctoral degree in sports science can help you pursue rewarding job opportunities.

Liberty’s degree in exercise science is offered 100% online, so you can earn your degree from the comfort of home. You can easily access your course materials whenever you need them and achieve your academic goals without putting your life on hold. Most importantly, you can stay invested in the things that matter — like your family, job, and community — while taking the next step in your academic journey.

Throughout this program, you’ll study under professors who are experts in sports science, strength training, kinesiology, and other related fields. With their guidance, you can strengthen your skill set and prepare to help meet the need for allied health personnel and faculty. Our courses integrate ethical principles with industry best practices, so you can learn how to lead with integrity in your chosen career path.

What Will You Study in Our PhD in Health Sciences – Exercise and Sport Science Degree Online?

This program is broken down into 4 main parts: core courses, research and statistics, a dissertation, and the exercise and sport science specialization. Throughout the core courses, you’ll study healthcare delivery systems, leadership, risk management, and evidence-based practice as they relate to the field of health sciences. You’ll also explore effective methods for teaching and evaluation, so you can prepare to teach at the college level.

Our research courses cover important qualitative and quantitative research methods that are frequently used in the health sciences discipline. The dissertation process provides an opportunity for you to conduct original research and contribute to the base of knowledge in your field. Completing a dissertation can also help you prepare to disseminate research in a variety of human performance-related settings.

Within the exercise and sport science specialization, you can strengthen your effectiveness as a strength training and conditioning coach, military performance specialist, emergency services and occupational performance specialist, sports scientist, or exercise physiologist. You’ll explore a variety of relevant topics, including sports performance and conditioning, occupational and environmental physiology, assessment and programming, the effects of performance-enhancing substances, and biomechanics. Throughout the program, you can enhance your skill set and learn how to help athletes and other clients achieve their fitness goals.

Potential Career Opportunities

Depending on your previously obtained certifications and licenses, some of the roles you could pursue after earning this degree include:

• Exercise physiologist
• Human performance specialist
• Nutritional consultant
• Sports scientist
• Strength training and conditioning coach

Featured Courses

• EXSC 665 – Physiology of Sport Performance and Conditioning
• EXSC 670 – Physiological Interactions of Performance Enhancing Substances
• EXSC 680 – Occupational and Environmental Physiology
• EXSC 750 – Advanced Sport Biomechanics

Degree Information

• This program falls under the School of Health Sciences .
• View the Graduate Health Sciences Course Guides (login required) .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for Liberty’s Doctorate in Exercise Science

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
• Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official college transcript policy.

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any networking opportunities in this degree.

You’ll have the opportunity to network with leaders in sports science and human performance from across the country while pursuing your online degree in exercise science.

What resources will be available to me in this program?

As an online Liberty student, you can access a wealth of resources through our top-notch research portal.

Inner Navigation

• Why Choose Liberty?
• What Will You Study?
• Admission Information

Have questions?

Are you ready to change your future?

Apply FREE This Week*

Request Information

*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

Request Information About a Program

Request info about liberty university online, what program are you interested in, choose a program level.

Choose a program level

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Certificate

Select a Field of Study

Select a field of study

Select a Program

Select a program

Next: Contact Info

Legal full name.

Enter legal full name

Legal Last Name

Enter legal last name

Enter an email address

Enter a phone number

Full Address

Enter an address

Apt., P.O. Box, or can’t find your address? Enter it manually instead .

Select a Country

Street Address

Enter Street Address

Enter State

ZIP/Postal Code

Enter Zip Code

Back to automated address search

Start my application now for FREE

• Faculty and Staff
• Faculty Directory
• School of Sport Sciences
• Eloise Elliott

Eloise Elliott, PhD

Ware Distinguished Professor

Professional Highlights

• Ware Distinguished Professor in the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences since 2009
• Co-Author of the book, Teaching Children and Adolescents Physical Education (Graham, Elliott, Palmer, 2016) 
• Recent Honors: Research Fellow, Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) America (2017), Outstanding WVU CPASS Grantsperson Award (2019), Chair, U.S. President’s Council for Fitness, Sport, and Nutrition Science Board (2017) 
• PhD, Curriculum and Instruction, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• MA, Physical Education, Salem-Teikyo University
• BS, Elementary Education, Concord College
• Ware Distinguished Professor, 2009-present
• Research Fellow, Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) America, 2017
• Outstanding WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Grantsperson Award, 2019
• Chair, U.S. President’s Council for Fitness, Sport and Nutrition Science Board, 2017

Research Interests

• Physical activity and children/families
• School-based physical activity/physical education practices and interventions
• Population health promotion in communities
• Childhood obesity
• Primary Focus: Development, implementation and evaluation of interventional strategies to change behaviors related to physical activity and healthful living

Biographical Sketch

In the role as the Ware Distinguished Professor in the College of Applied Human Sciences (CAHS) at West Virginia University, Dr. Eloise Elliotts's primary focus is on outreach and research that will improve the health and well-being of the citizens of West Virginia, with a particular interest in children and their families. Noted leadership roles include the development and implementation of population-based interventions, including the first WV Physical Activity Plan ( wvphysicalactivity.org ), two statewide Physical Activity Symposiums to improve physical activity participation and healthy living in children, adolescents and families in school and community settings.

Elliott has developed and currently maintains Active Academics ( activeacademics.org ), a nationally-recognized web-based resource for K-8 classroom teachers to integrate physical activity throughout the school day. She serves as the co-director of the WV CARDIAC Project, a statewide children’s health surveillance and intervention initiative, in collaboration with the WVU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. Most recently, she co-chaired the Center for Active WV, to provide an effective statewide physical activity framework to promote population sector input and collaboration, facilitate physical activity research among multidisciplinary teams and guide state and local policy and practice.

She has had many opportunities to serve on state and national committees, including serving as a member to a 3-year term on the U.S. President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Science Board. Elliott currently teaches doctoral level courses in the Coaching and Teaching Studies Program in CAHS: Curriculum and Evaluation and Dissertation Seminar.

At PhD, we believe in maximising the things you can do, instead of punishing yourself for what you can’t. Whether it’s an extra rep, sleeping a little better or building some lean muscle, we know that small choices drive big impact.

That’s why we’ve spent years optimising our range, scrutinising the science behind every product, giving you products that work smarter and taste better, to help you get more out of each day. So, from your morning boost to your evening refuel, we make it easier for you to upgrade your everyday.

Our History

PhD was born from science with innovation and entrepreneurialism at the core of what we do. We are always striving to launch credible, science-based products to move the category forwards & help more people like you progress. From Diet Whey to our great tasting Smart Bars, we’ll always fuel your performance in the right way.

Our Science

At PhD, we know nutrition inside out and our quality isn’t just a claim. It’s driven by science, which is part of our DNA​ and we know this because we’re…

BORN FROM SCIENCE​ ​

It’s in our name and nature. ​We do this because we care about the quality of our products and aim to ensure they’re the best they can be.​​ We invest in research and development to progress the category and to bring science-based innovation to consumers worldwide.

Led by Professor James Morton, we have a team of internationally renowned nutritionists and scientists dedicated to providing ground-breaking research, innovation and product.

In 2022, Science in Sport PLC’s Blackburn facility will become the new home of the Science team. The site will extensively build upon its existing world-leading sport science laboratories accessed via our long-standing partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, to increase our capacity for bespoke research trials and product innovation with our roster of elite partners.

TRANSPARENT, INSIDE AND OUT

​PhD is born to be the antithesis of other brands, that promise the earth but deliver little. Through membership of the Informed Choice and Informed Protein schemes, the PhD range is tested and verified regularly for banned substances and validation of protein content levels.

Our Products

We believe in maximising your training and fuelling you through science. This means understanding the reason behind every ingredient to make our products work smarter and taste better. No matter your goal, whether this is building strength, getting leaner, or everyday wellness PhD has the right range to help you.

PhD was born from science with innovation and entrepreneurialism at the core of what we do. We are always striving to launch credible, science-based products to move the category forwards and help more people like you progress. From Diet Whey to our great tasting Smart Bars, we’ll always fuel your performance in the right way.

PERFORMANCE

Check out our Retail Range

SiS (Science in Sport®) PLC is a leading sports nutrition business that develops, manufactures and markets science-led nutrition products for professional athletes, sports and fitness enthusiasts and the active lifestyle community. SiS (Science in Sport®) PLC (company number 08535116) was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in London, EC1N. Our manufacturing facility is in Blackburn, and all our products are thoroughly tested and certified through the Informed-Sport programme

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

• Skip to main content
• Skip to navigation
• hot-topics In Focus
• Deposit Return Schemes
• KVI price tracker
• Cost of Living Crisis

• Back to parent navigation item
• Buying & Supplying
• Confectionery
• Crisps, Nuts & Snacks
• Plant-based
• Soft Drinks
• New Product Development
• FMCG Prices & Promotions
• Commodities
• Food Safety
• Top Products
• Suppliers & Products Guide
• A to Z of All Subjects
• Store design
• Ranging and merchandising
• Supply chain
• Service and availability
• Consumer trends
• Property & planning
• The Grocer 33
• Supermarkets
• Marks & Spencer
• Sainsbury's
• The Co-operative Group
• Discounters
• Convenience
• Wholesalers
• High Street
• Specialist Retailers
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Fundraising
• OC&C Global 50
• Restructures & Receiverships
• Big Interview
• Hiring & Firing
• Entrepreneurs
• Brexit & The Workforce
• Career Advice
• My Food Job
• My Alternative CV
• Category Reports
• The Dairywomen 2023
• Britain's Biggest Brands
• Britain's Biggest Alcohol Brands
• The Grocer Vision
• Promotional Features
• Whitepapers
• Lumina Intelligence: UK Food & Drink Reports
• The Grocer Gold Awards
• LIVE: Retail Week x The Grocer
• The Grocer New Product & Packaging Awards
• The Convenience Awards
• The Convenience Conference
• Rethinking Materials
• Food & Drink Expo
• Farm Shop & Deli Product Awards
• Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Awards
• Subscribe now

• Digital Edition

• More from navigation items

Science in Sport to acquire PHD Nutrition for £32m

By Henry Saker-Clark 2018-11-14T09:10:00+00:00

• No comments

Listed sports nutrition supplier Science in Sport ( SIS ) is set to acquire protein brand PHD Nutrition in a £32m deal.

The acquisition will double the size of the UK health brand, which also sells direct-to-consumer, it said in a trading update on Wednesday.

The Grocer revealed in August that PHD Nutrition was one of a pair of sports nutrition brand set for an autumn auction by pharmacy group owners Walgreen Boots Alliance.

The pharmacy group purchased PHD via its short-lived B&B Investments venture capital arm in 2014, before purchasing The Protein Works a year later.

SiS confirmed the deal would be funded by £28.5m in cash, as well as a £3.5m in shares.

It announced it planned to raise around £29.0m by issuing new shares in the company at 60p each, representing a 14.3% discount to their closing price on Tuesday.

PHD has listings at the big four and Ocado, with recent sales boosted by the release of its Smart-branded range of high-protein, low-sugar bars, snacks and drinks last year.

For the year ended 31 August 2018, PhD generated revenue of £20.8 million and adjusted EBITDA of £2.8 million. This represents a sales jump of 13.6% over the past year, from £18.3m sales in 2017.

“The acquisition of PhD is highly complementary, doubles the size of our business and accelerates our ambition to become a global leader in premium performance nutrition,” commented Stephen Moon, chief executive of SiS.

“It is a compelling combination that will deliver a wider product offering, including premium protein, provide broader consumer reach and greater international presence, and dovetails our respective strengths in retail and e-commerce channels.

“Operating in a rapidly developing market, we see this transaction as an important step towards winning on the global stage. With the clear synergies and growth prospects of the combined group we anticipate delivering strong returns.”

Shares have plunged 11% to 62.2p this morning following the announcement.

Morning update

It has been a fairly quiet morning with little else of note so far today in the sector.

The market will be keen to see if the UK’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the past month has continued to fall, when it is announced after 9am.

September’s annual inflation rate eased back to 2.4%, down from 2.7% in the previous month, as price increases from food, transport and leisure activities slowed.

Analysts have suggested that many investors will want to see the CPI rate heading even closer to the Bank of England’s target rate of 2%, easing the pressure on shoppers’ wallets.

The FTSE 100 plunged in early trading, dropping 0.9% to 6,989pts, following weakness in the US yesterday.

Early risers this morning include Stobart Group (STOB), up 2.3% to 198.6p, Cranswick ( CWK ), up 1.8% to 2,894p, and Premier Foods ( PFD ), up 1.6% to 39.2p.

This morning’s fallers include Ocado Group ( OCDO ), down 2.6% to 782.6p, Restaurant Group (RTN), down 2.4% to 221.2p and AG Barr ( BAG ), down 1.9% to 778p.

Yesterday in the city

Despite a day of rumours over Brexit plans, the FTSE 100 remained unaffected, staying flat at 7,053pts at the end of yesterday’s trading.

Arguably yesterday’s biggest story in the sector was the departure of Gavin Darby as CEO of Premier Foods (PFD), announcing plans to lead the supplier in January, months after withstanding intense shareholder pressure.

The announcement came as Premier also revealed it has had discussions over the potential sale of third biggest brand Ambrosia. Despite a mixed initial response, the market reacted well, increasing 1.4% to 38.6p, as it also a 1.3% sales jump to £358m for the six months to September 2018.

Other risers included McColls ( MCLS ), up 4.4% to 135.7p, Fevertree Drinks ( FEVR ), up 3.7% to 2,900p, and Purecircle Limited (PURE), up 3.1% to 319.5p.

Elsewhere, B&M Bargains owner B&M European Value Retail ( BME ) plunged 7.6% to 374.4p, after its like-for-like sales growth of 0.9% fell behind estimates.

Tobacco giant BAT ( BATS ) continued to tumble following weekend reports over a US clampdown on menthol cigarettes. Its shares slumped 4.2% to 2,836p, following double figure decline on Monday.

Yesterday’s other fallers included Real Good Food ( RGD ), down 8.1% to 6.2p, Restaurant Group (RTN), down 4.8% to 226.6p, and Majestic Wine (WINE), down 4.1% to 383p.

• Mergers and acquisitions

No comments yet

Sign in to comment on this article

Not logged in before? Register for FREE guest access today.

You will be able to:

• Read more stories
• Receive daily newsletters
• Comment on stories

Register Now

Related articles

City snapshot: Science in Sport launches strategic review amid consumer slowdown

Coronavirus outbreak hits first half sales at Science in Sport

Performance nutrition brand ProFoods turns to the crowd for US launch

City Snapshot: Science in Sport raises annual sales forecast as PhD growth doubles

Losses deepen at Science in Sport despite sales surge

US-based Lineage Logistics acquires Yearsley Group

More from mergers and acquisitions.

Rare & Pasture and Tempus Foods merge to power up charcuterie brands

General Mills acquires premium petfood brand Edgard & Cooper

PZ Cussons flogging St Tropez in bid to simplify the group

Jacksons of Yorkshire acquires craft bakery Lottie Shaw’s

Arla Food Ingredients swoops for Volac’s whey nutrition business

Samworth Brothers expands food-to-go operation with Real Wrap Co deal

• Download the app
• A to Z of all subjects
• Subscriptions
• Features list
• Previous Issues
• Apply to reuse our content
• Corrections & Clarifications
• Related websites
• Retail Week
• Convenience Store
• Forecourt Trader
• Lumina Intelligence
• Other William Reed Brands

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

• SUBSCRIBE & SAVE UP TO 25% OFF EVERY ORDER
• FREE 20 PACK BETA FUEL CHEWS ON ORDERS OVER £55
• THE WORLD LEADER IN ENDURANCE NUTRITION

• Compare Products

Order within

for next day delivery

ENERGY GELS

Truly isotonic formulation with no need for added water

Shop by sport

Shop running, shop cycling, shop triathlon, shop football, fuelling the giro d'italia, the science behind beta fuel, best sellers.

BECOME A SIS+ MEMBER

Running nutrition for all abilities, rego recovery range, login and registration form, join our team, sign up to sis..

Receive exclusive training tips, special offers and new product updates. View our Privacy policy

• Forgot Your Password?

Florida State University

FSU | College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Main navigation Pulldown

College of education, health, and human sciences.

Please provide feedback to help us improve our website by taking a brief survey.    

Dietetic Internship

To become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

For a student to become a credentialed RDN, they must:

• Earn a bachelor’s degree with coursework or satisfactorily complete a  Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)  program accredited by the  Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
• Complete an ACEND accredited post-baccalaureate dietetic internship (DI).
• Pass the  national registration examination for Dietitians.
• A license to practice dietetics in the State of Florida is required by law  and is regulated by the Division of Medical Quality Assurance of the Florida State Department of Health.

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will  require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing  exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) . In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR’s website: cdrnet.org/graduatedegree In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited MSDI program at FSU are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become a RDN.

Withdrawal from Program

For withdrawal and refund of tuition and fees information, please refer to the FSU policy:  financialaid.fsu.edu/resources/financial-aid-processes/title-iv-withdrawal

Mission Statement

The mission of the Florida State University’s Dietetic Internship (DI), which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), is to provide a post-baccalaureate route for students to complete the experiential requirements needed to write the national registry examination for certification as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs). The program is designed for the preparation of entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) through supervised practice in medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition, and food service systems management to enhance their understanding of, and ability to apply principles of nutrition science and dietetics beyond the baccalaureate or DPD level.

The mission of the Dietetic Internship (DI) is consistent with the mission of the University, which is to serve as a center for advanced graduate and professional studies. It is also consistent with the mission of the Department of Integrative Physiology, which is to enhance the well being of individuals and families through educational activities focused on research, health, the environment, and technology. The philosophy of the program is to prepare graduate students who desire advanced academic and professional training to meet the need for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and to become professionals who can seek innovative solutions to the challenges of contemporary society.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Graduates will become successful, competent registered dietitians in a timely manner.

• Objective 1: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) is least 80%.
• Objective 2: At least 90% of employers/supervisors who responded to the survey will express satisfaction with the performance of the FSU DI program graduates.
• Objective 3: At least 80% of program dietetic interns complete the program/degree requirements within thirty-six months (150% of the program length).
• Objective 4: Objective 4: At least 80% of the program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) within 12 months of the program completion.
• Objective 5: At least 80% of program dietetic interns will agree that their Dietetic Internship (DI) experiences provided opportunities to practice core competencies expected of the entry level registered dietitian.

Goal 2: Graduates will advance the dietetics profession through professional participation.

• Objective 1: Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
• Objective 2: Of graduates in the dietetics profession, at least 80% will participate in a professional organization at the local, state, or national level.

Outcome data available upon request to the director of the dietetic internship.

Accreditation

The Florida State University DI Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190 Chicago, IL 60606-6995

1-800-877-1600 (ext. 5500) eatrightpro.org/acend

The Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences offers a graduate Dietetic Internship (DI) program. The Dietetic Internship (DI) can be completed with the M.S. in Exercise Physiology (sports nutrition major) or M.S. in Nutrition and Food Science (clinical nutrition major). Specializations are available in either sports nutrition or clinical nutrition, depending on the respective degree which is sought.

Successfully completing an accredited Dietetic Internship (DI) is required in order to take the examination for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential with the Commission for Dietetics Registration.

FSU does not participate in DICAS. However, we continue to participate in the  D&D Digital  matching program.

An option to consider:

Apply for admission to the graduate program  first . Then, as a current graduate student, apply for the dietetic internship the following year.

How to Apply

1. apply to fsu graduate program.

Deadline: December 15

In order for your dietetic internship application to be considered, you must first be admitted to one of the eligible graduate programs offered by the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences at Florida State University:

• Master’s of Science in Food and Nutrition
• Master’s of Science in Exercise Physiology, major in Sports Nutrition

You can apply online through  admissions.fsu.edu/gradapp .

Only complete applications will be reviewed. These programs admit in the fall  (April 1 application deadline)  and spring  (October 1 application deadline)  semesters.  All application materials must be received by the deadlines posted.

In order to be considered for an assistantship, admissions applications should be completed earlier (February 1 for fall and July 1 for spring).

If applying for the Dietetic Internship to start in the fall semester, all admissions application materials must be received for the master’s program by December 15 in the preceding year.

2. Apply to the Dietetic Internship Program

Deadline: February 1st

The deadline is February 1st (of the spring semester that falls in the same calendar year as the first fall semester you intend to begin dietetics internship program).

Areas of Concentration

Clinical nutrition.

Eight (8) weeks in specialized clinical facilities

Facilities include: Metabolic Centers, Cancer Centers, Pediatric Hospitals, Eating Disorder Clinics, Dialysis Centers

Sports Nutrition

Eight (8) weeks specialized experience at a sports nutrition facility and an additional two (2) weeks of sports community nutrition.

Facilities include: Professional Teams, Collegiate Teams, and Training Centers

Please note:

Students may not participate in more than one concentration. Weeks are based on a 40 hour work week, if less than 40 hours are completed per week, additional days will be necessary to complete the required number of hours.

Students are also expected to participate in other professionally related activities during the academic year and are encouraged to participate in local, state, and national dietetic association activities. Service activities are highly recommended. Student membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is required.

Clinical and Food Service Management rotations are conducted in several facilities:

Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Capital Regional Medical Center, and Archbold Hospital are within a 50-mile radius of Tallahassee. Many other practice sites are located around the state of Florida including Ft. Walton Beach, Panama City, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa.

Sports Nutrition Rotations are conducted at multiple facilities across the United States.

Completion Requirements

The following are required for graduation and completion of the internship:

• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
• Minimum grade of B- in core nutrition courses
• Grade of C or better in all other required courses and courses applied towards graduation
• Completion of HUN 8945 – Supervised Practice with a grade of “S”
• Attendance at all internship meetings
• Completion of all other degree requirements

Failure to complete supervised practice experiences satisfactorily and/or class courses as evaluated by the course instructors, DI director, and appropriate preceptor(s) during the assigned time frames could result in the removal of a student from the internship.

Selection Process

Applicants are selected by a committee composed of the Internship Director, the Didactic Program in Dietetics Director, and faculty members who are registered dietitians (RD). Selection is based on the committee’s assessment of some or all of the following criteria, GPA, a letter of intent, previous work experience and letters of reference (as well as the possibility of phone or face-to-face interviews) are used by the committee to assess each applicant. This selection process also follows the rules governing the computer matching process used by AND in cooperation with D & D Digital Systems.

Note : Admission to the graduate program in the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences does  not  grant a student admission to the Dietetic Internship. Internship applications are reviewed by a department selection committee  after  admission to the graduate program in NIP. Internship appointments are awarded on a competitive basis through computer matching process used by AND in co-operation with D&D Digital Systems, Ames, IA annually during the Spring match.

Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway

An ISPP is an alternate ACEND-accredited pathway designed for students nationwide who did not receive a DI placement. Upon completion of the ISPP, students will be qualified to sit for the national board registration examination. Students in an ISPP are required to contact their own preceptors to set up their supervised practice experience. Therefore, they are able to customize their hours towards their individual needs. This also gives students the opportunity to count their previous dietetics-related work experience towards the ISPP. ISPPs may be able to be completed concurrently with a part-time time, allowing students to count paid work hours towards ISPP hours as well.

Apply to the ISPP Internship Program

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis year-round until all spots are filled.

Assessment of Prior Learning and Credit toward Program Requirements

Coursework older than six years will not be accepted for transfer credit. The university’s policy for acceptance of prior coursework is followed. Requests are reviewed on a case to case basis. Accepting prior experiences as it relates to supervised practice such as employment in areas such as WIC or Research is considered on a case to case basis depending on the intern’s job description and formal written acknowledgement from the work supervisor. Thus, work history is considered on an individual basis.

Application of Prior Leaning must be filled out in entirety to be evaluated by the DI Director.

• Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis annually until the allotted amount of seven (7) spots are filled
• GPA, a letter of intent, previous work experience and letters of reference (as well as the possibility of phone or face-to-face interview)
• No Match Form from D&D Digital or Transcripts of Nutrition related Doctoral Degree
• Applicants can apply for Prior Learning Credit towards Program Requirements

“Florida State ISPP program gave me the opportunity to continue my path towards becoming an RD in a completely individualized dietetic internship while still having the guidance and resources that FSU offers. It allowed me to really focus on the areas of nutrition I am interested in while still gaining well rounded experiences” -Erika Collette, Class of 2021

• Future Students
• Incoming Freshmen
• Graduate Students
• Transfer Students
• International Students
• Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
• Department of Educational Psychology & Learning Systems
• Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences
• Department of Human Development and Family Science
• Department of Sport Management
• School of Teacher Education
• Centers & Institutes
• Faculty & Staff
• Tallahassee
• Student Resources
• Academic Services (OASIS)  
• Scholarships & Aid
• Learning Resource Center
• Career Services
• Student Learning & Licensure (Via)
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Latest Initiatives
• Research Centers
• Office of Research
• Degrees & Programs
• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Certificate Programs
• Online Programs
• Study Abroad
• Faculty & Staff Resources
• Office of Information and Instructional Technologies
• News & Media
• College News
• Alumni & Friends
• The TORCH Magazine
• Make a Donation
• Distinguished Alumni

Stone Building · 1114 W. Call Street · Tallahassee, Florida · 32306-4450

850.644.6885

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• My Account Login
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Open access
• Published: 08 May 2024

Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomized controlled trial

• Kate M. Bermingham 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Inbar Linenberg 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Lorenzo Polidori 2 ,
• Francesco Asnicar   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3732-1468 3 ,
• Alberto Arrè 2 ,
• Jonathan Wolf   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0530-2257 2 ,
• Fatema Badri 2 ,
• Hannah Bernard 2 ,
• Joan Capdevila   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1658-1076 2 ,
• William J. Bulsiewicz   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0005-8752-3422 2 , 4 ,
• Christopher D. Gardner   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7596-1530 5 ,
• Jose M. Ordovas   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7581-5680 6 , 7 , 8 ,
• Richard Davies   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2050-3994 2 ,
• George Hadjigeorgiou   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7647-8471 2 ,
• Wendy L. Hall 1 ,
• Linda M. Delahanty 9 ,
• Ana M. Valdes   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1141-4471 10 , 11 ,
• Nicola Segata   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1583-5794 3   na2 ,
• Tim D. Spector   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9795-0365 1 , 12   na2 &
• Sarah E. Berry   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5819-5109 1   na2  

Nature Medicine ( 2024 ) Cite this article

16k Accesses

271 Altmetric

Metrics details

• Disease prevention

Machine learning

Large variability exists in people’s responses to foods. However, the efficacy of personalized dietary advice for health remains understudied. We compared a personalized dietary program (PDP) versus general advice (control) on cardiometabolic health using a randomized clinical trial. The PDP used food characteristics, individual postprandial glucose and triglyceride (TG) responses to foods, microbiomes and health history, to produce personalized food scores in an 18-week app-based program. The control group received standard care dietary advice (US Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025) using online resources, check-ins, video lessons and a leaflet. Primary outcomes were serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and TG concentrations at baseline and at 18 weeks. Participants ( n  = 347), aged 41–70 years and generally representative of the average US population, were randomized to the PDP ( n  = 177) or control ( n  = 170). Intention-to-treat analysis ( n  = 347) between groups showed significant reduction in TGs (mean difference = −0.13 mmol l −1 ; log-transformed 95% confidence interval = −0.07 to −0.01, P  = 0.016). Changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were not significant. There were improvements in secondary outcomes, including body weight, waist circumference, HbA1c, diet quality and microbiome (beta-diversity) ( P  < 0.05), particularly in highly adherent PDP participants. However, blood pressure, insulin, glucose, C-peptide, apolipoprotein A1 and B, and postprandial TGs did not differ between groups. No serious intervention-related adverse events were reported. Following a personalized diet led to some improvements in cardiometabolic health compared to standard dietary advice. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05273268 .

Similar content being viewed by others

Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 5 trial

Fasting-mimicking diet causes hepatic and blood markers changes indicating reduced biological age and disease risk

Associations of dietary patterns with brain health from behavioral, neuroimaging, biochemical and genetic analyses

Chronic diseases underpinned by diet and lifestyle exposures are among the leading causes of death globally. Diet and lifestyle strategies can be an effective approach to reduce risk for many chronic diseases 1 , 2 . However, despite evidence for the effectiveness of such approaches, rates of diet-related diseases continue to increase. This may in part be due to poor adherence to population guidelines and because of the large variability in how people respond to foods 3 , 4 , such that a single dietary approach is not the most effective for everyone. Indeed, in the United States, adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is well below the recommended levels for health 5 ; less than 1% of UK individuals follow all core nine dietary recommendations 6 . Furthermore, we now know the large intraindividual and interindividual variability observed in individual health responses to food are associated with multiple factors 3 . Therefore, personalized nutrition programs that are based on biological, phenotypic and lifestyle advice offer promise to improve both adherence and efficacy.

Observational research supports the application of personalized nutrition 7 , 8 but there are few randomized controlled trials designed to test the efficacy of personalized nutrition programs compared to standard dietary advice on health outcomes. Overall, dietary quality is improved by personalized nutrition programs tailored on baseline dietary information, phenotypic, genotypic or lifestyle factors, compared to nonpersonalized advice 9 . Personalization of dietary advice can assist and motivate individuals to follow a healthier diet and lifestyle 10 . Furthermore, a personalized diet integrating glycemic response, blood parameters, dietary habits, anthropometrics, physical activity and gut microbiota, resulted in greater improvements in markers of glycemic and lipemic control compared to a Mediterranean diet 11 . Personalized nutrition approaches and corresponding studies typically use a single axis of personalization but reported low correlations between biomarkers, for example, triglycerides (TGs) and glucose, suggesting that a prediction algorithm using a multilevel approach to personalization may yield superior results.

Therefore, we hypothesized that a multilevel approach to personalization encompassing multiple factors contributing to intraindividual and interindividual variability in nutritional responses to diet will improve the efficacy of advice to elicit a meaningful impact on health outcomes. This 18-week randomized controlled trial (the ZOE Measuring Efficacy THrough Outcomes of Diet (METHOD) study) assessed a personalized dietary program (PDP) underpinned by multiple biological inputs (glucose, TGs, microbiome and health history) and overlaid with generalized dietary and lifestyle advice (Fig. 1 ) versus the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommended diet (control) on cardiometabolic risk and microbiome composition in a generally representative adult US population.

n  = 177 participants were allocated to the PDP intervention group and n  = 170 participants were allocated to the control group. DBS, dried blood spot finger-prick test. CGM, continuous glucose monitor. A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), accompanied by a dietary behavior survey, was administered. Anthropometry measures included waist circumference, hip circumference, height and body weight.

Study participant disposition

Between 1 March 2022 and 10 August 2022, 3,709 participants were screened for enrollment; 347 participants were randomly assigned to the PDP ( n  = 177) or control ( n  = 170) group and were included in the full analysis set (all randomized participants according to the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle). Of the 347 participants, n  = 225 were included in the per-protocol analysis. Recruitment, randomization and follow-up numbers are summarized in the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) diagram in Fig. 2 .

CONSORT, Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials.

Participant characteristics are shown in Table 1 and were similar between groups at baseline. In total, 86% of participants were female and had a mean ± s.d. age of 52 ± 7.5 years, body mass index (BMI) of 34 ± 5.8 kg m − 2 , fasting serum glucose of 5.32 mmol l −1 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.25 to 5.40), fasting total cholesterol of 5.41 mmol l −1 (95% CI = 5.32 to 5.49), TG concentrations of 1.35 mmol l −1 (95% CI = 1.29 to 1.41) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations of 3.37 mmol l −1 (95% CI = 3.30 to 3.44). Compared to a US representative population (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2018), ZOE METHOD study participants had a similar waist circumference (104 cm versus 101 cm); in similarly aged individuals (40.0–69.9 years) they had a slightly higher BMI (BMI > 30 kg m − 2 ; 52% versus 41%) 12 .

Dietary intake

The composition of the participants’ habitual diets at baseline is shown in Supplementary Table 1 . Participants in both groups had a mean (95% CI) change in energy intake from baseline, with the PDP group reducing energy intake versus the control group (mean difference in change between groups 162 kcal per day (95% CI = 22.0 to 302), P  < 0.001 for the interaction between diet group and time, adjusted for age and sex). In the PDP versus control diet, the mean 18-week macronutrient distributions were 39% versus 41% for carbohydrates, 46% versus 44% for fat and 16% versus 16% for protein. There were significant between-group differences at week 18 (all P  ≤ 0.05) for the percentage of energy from carbohydrates, fat, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber and energy density (Supplementary Table 1 ). The PDP was a lower energy density diet compared to the control at week 18 (mean ± s.d., 1.67 ± 0.38 versus 1.87 ± 0.38 kcal g −1 , P  < 0.001) (Fig. 3a ).

a , Mean energy density (kcal g −1 ) of the diet at the study endpoint for the control group (red) ( n  = 120 participants with dietary data available) and PDP group (blue) ( n  = 111 participants with dietary data available). An unpaired, two-sided, between-group t -test was used ( P  < 0.001). Data presented include the first quartile, median and third quartile. b – f , Individual change in energy and nutrient intake before and after the intervention for energy intake (kcal) ( b ), carbohydrate (% EI) ( c ), fat (% EI) ( d ), protein (% EI) ( e ) and fiber (g) ( f ) intake across the control (red) and PDP (blue) groups.

To demonstrate interindividual variability in dietary intake achieved through personalized and general advice, we assessed the variability in nutrient and food intake. The individual changes in energy and nutrient intake before and after intervention were highly variable between participants following both interventions (Fig. 3b–f ). There was also large variability for individual foods and food groups at the study endpoint, as measured using the coefficient of variation (CV), following the control (mean CV = 262%) and PDP (mean CV = 248%).

Adherence to the advice

Participants in both interventions were asked to self-report adherence to the dietary advice using a questionnaire; 30% more participants reported high or very high subjective adherence (scores ≥ 8, respectively, on a 0–10 scale) to the dietary advice in the PDP versus control group. Participants in both the PDP and control groups with the greatest achieved improvement in overall diet quality (top 30th percentile of the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score) increased diet quality by 12.9% (mean ± s.d.; 8.41 ± 8.47) and 6.15% (4.0 ± 6.59), respectively. In the PDP group, adherence to the program was also assessed through logging metrics and personalized day scores derived from logged diet data (Supplementary Table 2 ).

Primary outcomes

In the ITT cohort ( n  = 347), there was a larger decrease in TGs after the PDP compared to controls at 18 weeks; the mean difference in changes between the groups was −0.13 mmol l −1 (log-transformed, 95% CI = −0.07 to −0.01, P  = 0.016 for the interaction between diet group, time-adjusted for age and sex (unadjusted model P  = 0.018)). The mean change from baseline after the PDP was −0.21 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.33 to −0.10); after the control diet, it was −0.07 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.15 to 0.02). Differences in LDL-C concentrations between groups were not significant: −0.04 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.16 to 0.08, P  = 0.521 for the interaction between diet group and time, adjusted for age and sex (unadjusted model P  = 0.504)). The mean change in LDL-C from baseline after the PDP diet was −0.01 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.08 to 0.09) and 0.04 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.05 to 0.13) for the control (Supplementary Tables 3 and 5 ). The changes in primary outcomes and weight and waist circumference over time are shown in Fig. 4a–d .

a – d , Mean ± s.e.m. changes from baseline values in TG (mmol l −1 ) ( P  = 0.016) ( a ), LDL-C (mmol l −1 ) ( b ), weight (%) ( P  < 0.001) ( c ) and waist circumference (%) ( P  = 0.008) ( d ), in participants allocated to the PDP (blue line) ( n  = 177) or control (red line) ( n  = 172) group. Repeated measures model between groups. e , Proportion (%) of participants in the PDP and control groups with subjective improvements in energy level, sleep quality, mood, and hunger levels. f , Changes in weight (kg), apolipoprotein B (mg dl −1 ) and total cholesterol (mmol l −1 ) for highly adherent PDP ( n  = 35) and controls ( n  = 39) (mean and s.e.m. shown). * P  < 0.05, ** P  < 0.01, *** P  < 0.001.

Secondary outcomes

Changes in secondary outcomes at the 18-week endpoint in the ITT cohort are shown in Fig. 4c,d (weight and waist circumference). Reductions in body weight, waist circumference and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and increases in diet quality (HEI score), were significantly greater after the PDP than with the control diet; differences between treatments were as follows: body weight: −2.46 kg (95% CI = −3.67 to −1.25); waist circumference: −2.35 cm (95% CI = −4.07 to −0.63); HbA1c: −0.05% (95% CI = −0.01 to −0.001); and diet quality (HEI score): 7.08 (95% CI = 5.02 to 9.15). Hip circumference, blood pressure, insulin, glucose, C-peptide, apolipoproteins A1 and B, and postprandial TGs did not differ between the groups (Supplementary Table 3 ).

Within-group analysis of changes in PDP versus control were as follows: weight: −2.17 kg (95% CI = −3.03 to −1.31) versus 0.30 kg (95% CI = −0.56 to 1.15); waist circumference: −2.94 cm (95% CI = −4.17 to −1.71) versus −0.59 cm (95% CI = −1.81 to 0.63); HbA1c: −0.02% (95% CI = −0.05 to 0.01) versus 0.03% (95% CI = −0.01 to 0.07); and diet quality (HEI score): 7.01 (95% CI = 5.51 to 8.51) versus −0.08 (95% CI = −1.35 to 1.50) in the PDP and control group, respectively. Changes were not different for hip circumference, blood pressure, insulin, glucose, C-peptide, apolipoproteins A1 and B, and postprandial TGs.

Changes in total protein, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor alpha and full blood count were also compared between groups at 18 weeks. None of these blood measures differed between groups, apart from mean platelet volume and absolute lymphocyte concentrations (Supplementary Table 4 ).

Impact of dietary intervention on the gut microbiome

The Bray–Curtis dissimilarity index (beta-diversity) was used to assess the impact of the dietary interventions on the whole microbial composition in the two groups. Bray–Curtis dissimilarities were computed in individuals with longitudinal microbiome samples available. At week 12, individuals from both control and PDP groups showed higher beta-diversity with respect to their baseline microbiome composition (Fig. 5a , Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Wp < 0.01). This suggests that regardless of the assigned intervention group, a change in diet composition with respect to the individuals’ habitual diet impacted the whole microbiome composition (Table 1 and Fig. 3 ). Moreover, beta-diversity comparisons in the same individuals at weeks 12 and 18 suggested an increasing trend in the PDP group but not in the control group (Fig. 5a ); the median fold change of beta-diversity was greater at both weeks 12 and 18 in the PDP group than in the control group (Supplementary Table 5 ). Comparing beta-diversity dissimilarities across the control and PDP groups at week 18 showed a statistically significant difference (Kolmogorov–Smirnov stochasticity parameter, KSp = 0.04). In summary, the PDP intervention group showed a greater effect on the whole microbiome composition of different individuals, who were diverging more over time than the control group.

a , Bray–Curtis dissimilarity at baseline, week 12 and week 18, for the control (red) ( n  = 118) and PDP (blue) ( n  = 112) groups. Data presented include the first quartile, median and third quartile. KSp between treatment groups ( P  = 0.04). *** P  < 0.001 determined using a paired, one-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test for within-individual change in Bray–Curtis dissimilarity. b , c , Relative abundance of favorable microbial species at baseline (blue), week 12 (green) and week 18 (red) for PDP ( n  = 112) ( b ) and control ( n = 118) ( c ) groups (minimum to maximum shown).

To evaluate the impact of the dietary interventions on the whole microbiome composition, we used machine learning to assess the level of associations between changes at the species level with changes in the measured health markers at the endpoint ( Methods ). For this analysis, we used the same machine learning framework that we developed in our previous work 13 . The results showed that variations in the relative abundance of microbiome species effectively discriminated individuals based on their changes in weight and hip circumference in the PDP intervention group, but not in the control group (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.65 and 0.59 in PDP for weight and hip circumference, respectively, and 0.49 for both in control) (Supplementary Table 6 ).

Finally, we examined differences in terms of relative abundances for the 30 microbial species we previously identified associated with either ‘favorable’ or ‘unfavorable’ cardiometabolic health 13 between the two intervention groups. Notably, among the 15 favorable species, we found eight species in the PDP group showing an increase in terms of relative abundance at the endpoint (difference from baseline greater than 0); conversely, in the control group, none of the 15 favorable species showed an increased relative abundance at the endpoint (summed abundance change: 0.48 ± 9.05 versus −0.73 ± 8.63) (Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test, MWWp = 0.015) (Supplementary Table 7 ). For each of the 15 favorable species, we calculated the average fold change. We observed that 11 of the 15 favorable species showed a positive fold change in the PDP intervention group, while only four in the control group (Fig. 5b,c and Supplementary Table 7 ). In contrast, of the 15 previously identified unfavorable species, participants in the PDP or control intervention group did not exhibit differences in terms of changes in relative abundances (summed abundance change; 0.01 ± 3.67 versus 0.50 ± 3.43; Extended Data Fig. 1 and Supplementary Table 7 ). We also found that five of the 15 unfavorable species showed a decrease in fold change between the endpoint and baseline in the PDP group and four in the control group. As basic gut microbiome information, we calculated both species richness and Shannon alpha diversity measures and did not observe significant differences in the ITT group compared to the control group at week 18 (Supplementary Tables 3 ); because of increased taxonomic resolution availability, the value of these measures when interpreting the impact of a dietary modification or for host health is now unclear 14 .

Adverse events were reported to the study coordinator; they were reviewed by the principal investigator and medical director. All adverse events were documented in line with institutional review board (IRB) guidelines. There were four adverse events during the study. None were classified as severe. There were no withdrawals resulting from injury. There was one withdrawal due to an undisclosed food allergy (nut allergy) that precluded further participation in the study. After consuming the test muffin, the participant experienced mild itching of the tongue and throat, nausea and an upset stomach that resolved with oral diphenhydramine. Tree nuts are not an ingredient in the test muffins but they are produced in a facility that handles tree nuts. Symptoms were graded Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Toxicity grade 1 and attributed as a probable allergic reaction to the muffin. The participant had to withdraw because they were unable to complete the test meals due to their undisclosed food allergy. The other three adverse events were bruising after a blood draw (toxicity grade 1), light-headedness at the time of blood draw (toxicity grade 1) and mild bleeding from the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) (toxicity grade 2) that quickly resolved on its own.

Energy, sleep quality, mood and hunger

As well as showing differences in clinical markers of cardiometabolic health, participants reported subjective changes in energy level, sleep quality, mood and hunger. On average, a greater proportion of PDP participants reported improvements in energy level (43% versus 11%), sleep quality (35% versus 9%), general mood (33% versus 15%) and reduced hunger levels (22% versus 14%) compared with controls ( P  < 0.01 for all) (Fig. 4e ).

Post-hoc analyses

Per-protocol analysis revealed a larger change in TGs after the PDP intervention ( n  = 108) compared to controls ( n  = 117) at 18 weeks; the mean difference in changes between groups was −0.17 mmol l −1 (log-transformed 95% CI = −0.07 to −0.01; P  = 0.032 for the interaction between diet group and time, adjusted for age and sex (unadjusted model P  = 0.032)). The mean change in TGs from baseline after the PDP intervention was −0.23 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.33 to −0.12); after the control diet, it was −0.06 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.16 to 0.05). Differences in LDL-C concentration between groups remained nonsignificant at 0.05 mmol l −1 (95% CI = −0.08 to 0.19; P  = 0.430 for the interaction between diet group and time, adjusted for age and sex (unadjusted model P  = 0.43)). For the secondary outcomes, there was a greater difference in change between diet groups in the PDP cohort. Further reductions were observed in the PDP cohort for body weight −2.51 kg (95% CI = −3.79 to −1.23) as well as increases in diet quality (HEI score = 7.32 (95% CI = 5.08 to 9.55)) (Supplementary Table 8 ).

We performed subgroup analysis based on dietary adherence to determine whether highly adherent participants differed across treatment. We identified adherent control participants (top 30th percentile of participants based on the HEI score, a measure of adherence to USDA dietary guidelines) and compared them to adherent PDP participants (top 30th percentile of participants based on a personalized diet quality score). Greater changes in outcomes were observed in adherent PDP versus adherent control groups for weight (−4.09 ± 4.51 versus −0.44 ± 3.27 kg, P  = 0.002), apolipoprotein B (−7.94 ± 13.7 versus −1.14 ± 12.8 mg dl −1 , P  = 0.025) and total cholesterol (−0.40 ± 0.51 versus −0.13 ± 0.63 mmol l −1 , P  = 0.047) (Supplementary Table 9 and Fig. 4f ). We also identified participants with low versus high baseline diet quality (HEI-derived top 30th percentile). When we compared changes in outcomes between these two groups, we saw no difference in any outcomes in the PDP group (high versus low baseline diet quality) or in the control group (high versus low baseline diet quality).

Given the variability in adherence, we also compared PDP participants across tertiles of adherence based on their average personalized diet quality scores throughout the intervention period. Higher adherence to the PDP was associated with greater change in several health outcomes versus low adherence to the PDP (Supplementary Table 9 ); greater reductions in LDL-C (−0.20 ± 0.48 versus 0.07 ± 0.56 mmol l −1 , P  = 0.019), waist circumference (−6.31 ± 5.35 versus −1.42 ± 5.95 cm, P  = 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (−4.08 ± 8.56 versus 2.71 ± 9.23 mmHg), HbA1c (−0.06 ± 0.20 versus 0.02 ± 0.12%, P  = 0.024), total cholesterol (−0.4 ± 0.51 versus −0.01 ± 0.58 mmol l −1 , P  = 0.002) and apolipoprotein A1 (−12.74 ± 26.2 versus 3.39 ± 15.6 mg dl −1 , P  = 0.001) were observed between highly adherent ( n  = 35) and low adherent ( n  = 33) participants. The proportion of participants reporting improvements in subjective hunger levels (88.6% versus 66.7%, P  = 0.015) was also greater in highly adherent PDP participants versus low adherent participants. Highly adherent PDP participants had an average weight loss of 4.7% versus 2.4% compared to low adherent participants ( P  > 0.05). When PDP participants were stratified based on their baseline LDL-C concentration (unhealthy, 3.4 mmol l −1 or greater; healthy, less than 3.4 mmol l −1 ), those with unhealthy baseline levels showed decreasing trends in LDL-C across both adherence groups (low, −0.07 ± 0.18; high, −0.07 ± 0.13 mmol l −1 , P = 0.866), whereas in those with healthy baseline levels, only highly adherent participants had a significantly greater mean decrease (high, −0.03 ± 0.15 mmol l −1 , P = 0.008).

In this randomized, controlled trial of an 18-week dietary intervention in adults, when compared with US standard care dietary advice, a PDP intervention resulted in greater improvements in diet quality, which also resulted in greater reductions in TG concentration, weight, waist circumference and HbA1c, but not LDL-C. It also favorably shifted the gut microbiome composition, as well as subjective feelings of hunger, energy and mood, demonstrating another potential benefit of a PDP in improving overall health and well-being. Overall, these findings suggest that a dietary program focused on personalized advice is more effective in reducing central adiposity and TG concentrations than standard dietary advice in generally healthy individuals.

The PDP led to greater reductions in TG levels versus a control diet. While TGs improved, LDL-C did not differ between the groups at 18 weeks, similar to previous personalized nutrition evidence 11 . However, LDL-C was reduced in highly adherent PDP participants. When participants were further stratified based on their baseline LDL-C, those with unhealthy baseline levels (3.4 mmol l −1 or greater) showed decreasing trends in LDL-C across all adherence groups. While in participants with healthy baseline levels (less than 3.4 mmol l −1 ), only highly adherent participants had a significantly greater mean decrease. These findings suggest that high adherence to a PDP may reduce LDL-C in most participants; clearer effects may have been observed if conducted in participants with hyperlipidemia. These findings are not surprising as recent evidence showed that TG levels are more sensitive to nutritional intervention; additionally, LDL-C levels may not change with weight loss induced by dietary modification 4 , 15 . Livingstone et al. 16 demonstrated the efficacy of personalized nutrition in modifying dietary intakes depending on the clustering of adherence to dietary recommendations. Individuals with the poorest diets benefited the most from a personalized nutrition intervention. Conversely, in this study, we did not observe greater health improvements in participants with lower baseline diet quality. Additionally, we saw greater improvements in adherent PDP versus control participants, which may further support the effect of a personalized nutrition-based treatment independent of adherence and baseline diet.

Our findings support the application of this PDP over generalized guidance for the purpose of improving body weight and waist circumference, despite favorable dietary changes including increased fiber intake in the control group. Previous personalized approaches have not reported greater improvements in body weight on a personalized diet versus control. For example, the Food4Me European study of personalized nutrition 10 showed improved dietary behaviors (that is, HEI), but no significant differences in body weight at 6 months when compared with a nonpersonalized diet group. In addition, Ben-Yacov et al. 11 showed no differences in body weight between a postprandial targeting diet and a Mediterranean diet at 6 months, although both groups experienced weight loss. The Personal Diet Study 17 leveraged the predictive machine learning algorithm developed by Zeevi et al. 18 ; when compared to a standardized low-fat diet, they did not report differences for weight. The PREVENTOMICS study demonstrated no additional benefit of personalizing dietary plans based on metabolic clusters, over a control group, on the change in fat mass or body weight 19 . In our multilevel approach to personalization, the weight loss observed was moderate and below proposed clinically meaningful thresholds (5%) 20 ; however, moderate weight loss of this magnitude has been reported to improve health outcomes 21 . Additionally, evidence shows that the rate of weight loss observed, despite no calorie restriction advice, is likely to be sustained and meaningfully contribute to long-term health 22 . Furthermore, in highly adherent PDP participants weight loss was greater and closer to clinically meaningful levels (4.7%). Our waist circumference reduction was consistent with a magnitude associated with a reduction in cardiometabolic risk factors 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 . The small but statistically significant positive effect on body weight and waist circumference may reflect the impact of reducing multiple postprandial responses personalized to an individual and the greater satiating capacity reported by participants or lower energy density of the diet 28 .

The gut microbiome has a central role in human health and disease, specifically cardiometabolic health 29 , 30 . A bidirectional relationship exists between the microbiome and diet, whereby the gut microbiome affects host metabolism and response to foods 31 , and diet affects gut microbiome composition and functionality, which in turn exerts downstream effects on human health 32 . We demonstrated that the PDP diet had a greater and more sustained impact in shaping the whole gut microbiome composition. This change in microbiome composition was consistent with the greater change in diet quality (HEI) in the PDP group compared with controls. More specifically, we showed that the PDP diet induced favorable changes in species previously associated with favorable cardiometabolic health and diet 13 compared to controls. At the same time, it did not impact the contribution in the microbiome of previously reported unfavorable species that were instead increased in the control group. In agreement with previous evidence 33 , we showed that changes in microbiome composition of participants after the PDP were more predictive of weight loss and hip circumference than controls. We did not see clear differences in changes of measured gut richness; however, with the increased taxonomic resolution available from MetaPhlAn 3.0, previous research questioned whether this is a valid measure of host health 14 , 34 .

One criticism of personalized advice is that the resulting variance in nutrient intake is low and the advice pushes all individuals toward the same dietary pattern and similar changes in nutrient intake. For example, the study by Ben-Yacov et al. 11 , in adults with prediabetes, demonstrated that a personalized diet resulted in most participants adopting lower carbohydrate and higher protein and fat intakes compared with those randomized to a Mediterranean diet. In the PDP group, while we observed small average decreases in carbohydrate intake and increases in healthy fat (polyunsaturated fats) intake, we saw a large variation in nutrient intake and individual foods, which is not captured by the mean cohort intake. Because this PDP was developed using multiple inputs, including postprandial fat and glucose as well as the microbiome, it does not push all participants toward a low carbohydrate diet. However, we also acknowledge that the composition of foods is more nuanced than their nutrient composition, such that the matrix 35 , 36 and processing level of foods 37 can have major effects on health.

This study tested the first version of a prediction algorithm, developed in 2022, which could be further advanced by personalizing the generalized lifestyle and dietary habit advice that complement personalized diet scores. Evidence showed that health is affected by interlinked factors, including dietary intake, underlying physiological status and the interaction between diet and behaviors such as lifestyle, meal context, time of day, exercise and sleep. For example, we showed that poor sleep efficiency, later bedtimes (midpoint) and deviation from habitual sleep patterns are associated with poorer postprandial glycemic control 38 . Time of day or eating window duration also has implications for dietary responses 39 , 40 , 41 , such that eating later induces nocturnal glucose intolerance and reduces fatty acid oxidation and mobilization, independently of sleep 39 . Food and meal order, including consuming carbohydrates before protein and vegetables in a meal, contributes to elevated glycemic variability 42 . The protective effects of physical activity on responses are well established 43 , with evening exercise eliciting lower lipemic responses to high-sugar breakfasts the next day in postmenopausal females 44 . All of these factors present modifiable behavioral strategies and show the interaction between diet and behaviors. This suggests that a future PDP based on a more representative cohort (more than 100,000 participants) with personalization on lifestyle (for example, physical activity, sleep) and dietary behaviors might deliver even greater improvements in outcomes.

The strengths of this study include it being conducted in generally healthy middle-aged and older males and females broadly representative of the US population, not young healthy individuals. Although the average BMI for this cohort was 34 kg m − 2 , central obesity (using sex and ethnicity-specific waist circumference cutoffs) was representative of the average US population and participants were not receiving lipid-lowering or blood glucose-lowering medications (that is, statins and antidiabetic medications), which is a strength because evidence is lacking for prevention in populations without diabetes. The study was run remotely and participants were free-living, so the result is more reflective of real-world settings than a traditional clinical trial design approach.

Limitations include that we could not accurately capture changes in physical activity status. Furthermore, although reflective of how the advice is delivered in real life, the USDA recommended diet was delivered via leaflet and video, and was intentionally not matched for contact or intensity with the PDP group. These differences between treatments should be considered when interpreting the results. Future studies would benefit from assessing the impact of a personalized program versus personalized food scores. However, the control group slightly improved fiber intake and reduced fat consumption, and were aware that they were in a trial, which we know influences behavior. Although the PDP was well received by participants, and study participants were recruited from the general population, a larger study is required to capture more diverse ethnicities and for better gender representation. This study is also not applicable to children or old adults.

In conclusion, a personalized nutrition program that addresses metabolic heterogeneity is effective in improving cardiometabolic health in generally healthy individuals. The results demonstrates that a PDP underpinned by multiple biological inputs (glucose, TGs, microbiome, cardiovascular disease risk and health history) and overlaid with generalized dietary and lifestyle advice improves TG concentrations substantially more than a standard USDA diet and may contribute to the overall reduction in risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

Study design

The ZOE METHOD study was an 18-week parallel-design, randomized controlled trial. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05273268 ) and listed as the ZOE METHOD Study: Comparing Personalized versus Generalized Nutrition Guidelines. The remote trial carried out in the US compared standard care dietary advice (control) versus a PDP in a cohort generally representative of the US adult population. Standard care dietary advice (United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025) was delivered in the form of an USDA dietary recommendations digital leaflet, a short video lesson, access to online resources and regular check-ins. The PDP provided dietary advice using the ZOE 2022 algorithm, incorporating food characteristics, individuals’ glucose control and postprandial TG concentrations 3 , individuals’ microbiomes 13 , atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk and health history, to produce personalized food scores delivered during an 18-week program alongside more generalized nutrition and lifestyle education through a remote mobile phone application (the ZOE app). Ethical approval for the trial was obtained through the Advarra IRB (IRB no. 00000971; protocol no. 00044316). All participants provided written informed consent and the study was carried out in accordance with good clinical practice and the Declaration of Helsinki (2013). Outcome measurements were made at baseline and after randomization to their respective treatments.

Participant selection and randomization

Males and females reflective of the average US adult population (aged 40–70 years; waist circumference greater than ethnicity-specific and sex-specific 25th percentile values; fruit and vegetable intake below 450 g per day (to capture 75% of the population)) living in the US were recruited (1 March 2022 to 10 August 2022) by electronic advertisement (e-mail to the Stanford Nutrition Studies Research Cohort, the Empowered Gut newsletter and the ZOE Ltd mailing lists). Both sexes were eligible for recruitment and sex was determined using self-reported questionnaires with the following question: ‘What sex were you assigned at birth?’ Through the recruitment channels (e-mail and website), participants were invited to complete an online screening questionnaire and then invited to attend a primary baseline clinical visit (described in detail below) where all eligibility criteria were assessed. After this two-step screening process, participant eligibility was confirmed and a minimization-randomization program (MinimPy v.0.3, Python Package Index; pypi.org/project/MinimPy/ ) was used for treatment allocation. Participants were randomly and equally allocated to one of the two treatments based on the following minimization factors: (1) sex, male or female; (2) waist circumference, above or below their ethnicity-specific median; and (3) fruit and vegetable intake, above or below the median US adult intake of 234 g per day. Trained study coordinators enrolled, assigned and informed participants about their allocation to treatment via e-mail. Participants were informed of all study procedures before providing electronic consent. Participants were excluded from the study if any of the following criteria applied: had taken part in the ZOE product or any PREDICT study beforehand; were unable to read and write in English, as the ZOE app is only available in English; did not complete the first Quest visit successfully; had an iOS/Android device not compatible with the app; used medications affecting lipids (lipid-lowering drugs, for example, statins; antidiabetic medications, for example, metformin and insulin), and supplements including fish oil (unless willing to safely come off these for 4 weeks before the start of the study, and for the duration of study); had ongoing inflammatory disease, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyalgia and other connective tissue diseases; had cancer in the last 3 years, excluding skin cancer; had chronic gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease (gluten allergy), but not including irritable bowel syndrome; were taking the following daily medications: immunosuppressants, corticosteroids or antibiotics in the last 3 months, not including inhalers; were users of prescription proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole and pantoprazol, unless they were able to stop 2 weeks before the start of the study and remained off them for the entire duration of the study (provided their treating physician deemed it safe for them to do so); were currently suffering from acute clinically diagnosed depression or anxiety disorder; had a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or stroke in the last 6 months; were pregnant or planning pregnancy in next 12 months, or were breastfeeding; were vegan, had an eating disorder or were unwilling to take foods that were part of the study; had an allergy to adhesives, which would prevent proper attachment of the CGM.

Interventions and procedures

The study design is summarized in Fig. 1 .

Primary baseline testing (week −1)

Baseline clinical visit.

Participants attended a baseline clinical visit at the Quest Diagnostic Patient Service Center, where baseline measures were assessed, including a fasted venous blood draw, and anthropometric measurement of height, body weight, hip circumference, waist circumference and blood pressure. Participants who did not attend a clinic visit within 1 week of their visit date were withdrawn from the study.

Health questionnaire

Participants remotely completed two questionnaires administered through an online survey before randomization. These questionnaires included (1) a primary questionnaire capturing baseline health status and medical health history and (2) a secondary questionnaire capturing information on anthropometrics, sleep, energy level, mood, hunger, skin, female health (menopause) and current medication use.

Participant survey

A survey where participants confirmed completion of the primary baseline study tasks was administered at the end of week −1 to assess participant compliance.

Stool sample collection

Stool samples for microbiome analysis (required for the algorithm predictions) were collected by participants at home using the DNA/RNA SheildTM Fecal Collection Tube (Zymo Research) containing buffer (catalog no. R1101, Zymo Research). Once collected, the sample was stored at room temperature before being shipped to the analyzing laboratory inside a prepaid return kit.

Secondary baseline testing (week 0)

Baseline measures.

After allocation to treatment, both PDP and control groups completed a secondary set of baseline measurements, including fasted venous blood tests, questionnaires and stool collection as described in the primary baseline testing section. Approximately 1 week after their primary clinical visit, participants completed a secondary visit to the Quest center. Non-completion of this second visit within the required time period resulted in participant withdrawal from the study. In addition to this, participants completed an FFQ. The PREDICT FFQ, which captured information on 264 foods, food groups and beverages over the previous month was administered via an online survey 3 . For the control group, links to the FFQ were provided via e-mail. For the PDP group, links to the FFQ were provided via e-mail or via the ZOE app.

ZOE test kit

PDP participants were additionally asked to complete the ZOE test kit. This included (1) a CGM, (2) standardized test meals (three muffins) and (3) a DBS. Participants applied and wore a CGM (Freestyle Libre 2, Abbott) on their upper arm for up to 14 days. Two days after CGM application, participants completed 2 days of standardized meal intervention. Meals consisted of muffins with mixed macronutrient composition and were consumed for breakfast and lunch (day 1, as a sequential mixed meal intervention) and for breakfast only (day 2). Breakfast meals were consumed after an overnight fast of at least 8 h. Participants were asked to consume the entire portion of the meal provided within 15 min. The consumption of their meal was scanned in the app using the unique barcode labeled on each meal. The time participants started and completed eating their meal was recorded. They were asked to report any deviations from this protocol to study staff.

After the sequential test meal, a finger-prick DBS test was completed (6 h after breakfast to measure postprandial responses). Blood test cards were stored at room temperature until shipping to the analyzing laboratory via a prepaid return mailing kit. Finally, after completion of their test meals, participants were asked to log their habitual diet through the ZOE app. This app provided the functionality of a weighed food diary as well as a log of all the study tasks required of the participant during the ZOE test kit phase.

Dietary advice

Participants in the control group were e-mailed a PDF file containing a digital leaflet from the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020–2025) accompanied by a video verbalizing the dietary advice, in accordance with a typical general consultation. In addition, participants were provided with online resources. Study coaches were available by e-mail to answer questions and provide support. The USDA guidelines recommend daily or weekly amounts from different food groups to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Participants were advised to follow this dietary advice for the study duration (weeks 2–18). Each week they received an e-mail from a study nutrition coach to check in.

PDP participants received generalized nutrition and lifestyle advice through the ZOE app, which they followed for 4 weeks (weeks 2–6), while personalized results were being generated via the ZOE 2022 algorithm (see Fig. 1 for more details). Generalized advice was presented via the app in the form of interactive ‘lessons’ as part of a program of learning. The lessons covered basic nutritional and dietary health concepts, including dietary diversification, increasing plant food consumption, increasing fiber intake, replacing refined carbohydrates with wholegrains and consumption of fermented foods.

At week 6, PDP participants received a personalized ‘Insights’ study report, including a personalized blood sugar score, blood fat score, gut diversity score, gut microbiome score and presence or absence of several microbial species 2 . These reports also included results from the ZOE 2022 algorithm, specifically information about person-specific food scores.

The interventions were not matched for contact or intensity to test the efficacy of the PDP, which involves personalized diet scores overlaid with generalized dietary and lifestyle advice delivered as a set of program lessons.

Personalized food quality scores

A personalized ZOE food quality score was computed using the ZOE 2022 algorithm for each food item consumed by the PDP participants. Food quality scores were based on both the macronutrients of a food item and further food metadata, including glycemic load, fat quality, level of processing and food group (for example meat, fruit, vegetables and fermented foods). They were personalized to an individual’s glucose control, postprandial TG concentration, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, health history and microbiome composition (abundance of specific health-promoting and health-reducing microbial taxa and the associations of these taxa with food items). The ZOE 2022 algorithm was trained using expert input on appropriate food quality scores for different individual phenotypes for a small number of foundational foods, and was used to predict personalized food quality scores for all individual phenotypes and all food items, which were then further personalized for detailed microbiome composition.

The food quality scores ranged from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating more healthful meals. Based on this food quality score, personalized recommendations could be made, that is, consume foods with a quality score of 0–24 once in a while, enjoy in moderation foods with a score of 25–49, enjoy foods regularly with a score of 50–74 and enjoy foods freely with a score of 75–100. A participant’s personalized meal scores throughout the day were combined by further algorithms to generate personalized day scores also ranging from 0 to 100. Throughout the study, participants were instructed to consume a diet (and record it in the app) reaching a certain day score threshold, which increased throughout the study duration, to the best of their ability. These day scores were accessible to participants, aiming to motivate them and convey to them their compliance to their dietary advice. The diet did not involve calorie restriction or calorie counting.

From week 6, PDP participants received personalized food scores and meal recommendations within the ZOE app. PDP participants were asked to attend a single phone or video call with a study staff member to discuss their results and to make these results immediately accessible to and actionable by the participant. Following this, a set of program lessons was administered in the app for 12 weeks (termed the ‘action plan’) during which participants were taught how to engage with and adhere to their personalized plan. Contact with study coaches was available via the app.

Week 12 measures

PDP and control groups completed a set of measures at week 12, including fasted venous blood tests (Quest visit), questionnaires, stool collection and FFQ as described in the primary and secondary baseline testing sections above.

Endpoint measures (week 18)

Endpoint data collection was completed in the 19th week of the study, at which point both groups had been allocated to their respective treatments for 18 weeks. PDP and control groups completed a set of endpoint measures, including fasted venous blood tests (Quest visit), questionnaires, stool collection and FFQ as described in the primary and secondary baseline testing sections above.

PDP participants were provided a second ZOE test kit to retest their nutritional responses, including application of a second CGM, consumption of the standardized meal intervention and completion of DBS.

Additional follow-ups

PDP participants were followed up at 8 and 12 months with a clinical visit, including fasted venous blood tests, questionnaires, stool collection and FFQ as described in the primary and secondary baseline testing sections above. Control participants were given the option to join a nested cross-over arm on completion of the 18-week endpoint measures. These participants completed the PDP arm protocol and completed the 6-, 12- and 18-week measures. Alternatively, control participants were offered the ZOE nutrition commercial product.

Participants were recruited from March 2022 to August 2022. The core intervention period took place from April 2022 to February 2023, and follow-ups were completed by September 2023.

As part of the study design, participants in both arms were asked to self-report adherence (scale 0–10) to the dietary advice given by the questionnaire administered every 6 weeks (week 7, week 12 and week 18 for the control group; week 12 and week 18 for the PDP group) during the study period. As part of the PDP only, participants were asked to record their dietary intake in real time on a minimum of four consecutive days (including one weekend day and 1,200 kcal or more per day) per month using a designated smartphone app (ZOE app). Each food item was recorded along with weight or portion units by selecting the food from a database (the USDA compositional database and a commercial database) containing approximately 900,000 items. Adherence to the PDP was evaluated through logging metrics and self-recorded dietary intake in the logging app.

Specified primary outcomes were serum TG concentration and direct LDL-C concentration. The primary outcome was the 18-week change from baseline. Therefore, secondary outcomes were changes in weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, blood HbA1c, serum insulin, serum glucose, serum C-peptide, serum apolipoprotein A1, serum apolipoprotein B, fecal gut microbiome (species richness, Shannon diversity and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity), postprandial blood TG concentration, habitual diet quality (HEI) and self-reported energy level. Other outcomes included self-reported mood, hunger, total protein, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor alpha and full blood count.

DBS collection and processing

Postprandial TG (mmol l −1 ), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mmol l − 1 ) and cholesterol (mmol l −1 ) were quantified from finger-prick DBS (Clinical Reference Laboratory) tests completed by PDP participants in weeks 0 and 18 of the study (during completion of the ZOE test kit). DBS tests were completed 360 min after consuming the breakfast test meal. After washing their hands, participants pricked a finger with a sterile lancet and placed 3–4 drops of blood on their test card. Study staff assessed test validity using a photo and time point of testing logged by the participant in the app. Test cards not meeting the quality protocol (multiple small spots or inadequate coverage) were not included in the analysis. Participants were encouraged to complete the sequential test meal and DBS test again when either of these was inadequately completed. Each test card was stored in a foil pouch with a desiccant packet once completed and mailed to the analyzing laboratory in a prepaid kit within 24 h of completion.

Analysis was done at the Clinical Reference Laboratory. Advance Dx100 Technology DBS cards were analyzed for lipemic metabolites by the Clinical Reference Laboratory. Portions of test cards were taken from the sample, from which the dried blood was extracted and analyzed using standard quantification methods.

Fasted venous blood collection and processing

Fasted venous blood draws were performed at Quest Diagnostic Patient Service Centers and processed by Quest Diagnostics; 500 μl of venous blood was collected in serum separator tubes (SSTs). Then, 250 μl of venous blood was collected in EDTA tubes. SSTs and EDTA tubes were left at room temperature for 30 min (or up to 1 h) and centrifuged at 1,600 g for 15 min at 4 °C. Direct LDL-C, TG, glucose, insulin, C-peptide, apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B were quantified in serum (SST), and HbA1c was quantified in whole blood (EDTA). The full list of clinical blood chemistry measures quantified in this study are shown in Supplementary Table 10 .

Continuous glucose monitoring

Interstitial glucose was measured every minute and aggregated into 15-min readings, using the Freestyle Libre 14-day CGM (Abbott Diabetes Care). Participants randomized to the PDP group were instructed to apply the CGM two days before starting their standardized meal intervention, to the upper, nondominant arm and to cover the monitor with an adhesive patch (Sourceful) for improved durability. CGMs were worn for up to 14 days and participants were unblinded to the results. Given that the CGM device requires time to calibrate once applied, CGM data collected 12 h and onwards after activating the device was used for the analysis.

Fecal sampling and microbiome testing

Dna extraction and sequencing.

On receipt in the laboratory, samples were homogenized, aliquoted and stored at −80 °C in QIAGEN PowerBeads 1.5-ml tubes and used to extract bacterial DNA. All 815 stool samples were processed and analyzed using a Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing Service (Zymo Research). The DNA was first isolated using the ZymoBIOMICS 96 MagBead DNA Kit (Zymo Research). Then, the sequencing libraries were prepared using the Illumina DNA Library Prep Kit with up to 500 ng DNA input according to the manufacturer’s protocol, using unique dual-index 10-bp barcodes with Nextera adapters (Illumina). The libraries were pooled in equal abundance and the final pools were quantified using quantitative PCR and a TapeStation (Agilent Technologies). The final libraries were sequenced using the NovaSeq 6000 platform (Illumina) according to the manufacturer’s protocols, generating 150-bp paired-end reads. The NovaSeq control software NCS v.1.5 was used. Image analysis, base calling and quality checking were performed with the Illumina data analysis pipeline RTA3.3.5 and bcl2fastq v.2.20.

Metagenome quality control and preprocessing

All sequenced metagenomes were preprocessed using the pipeline implemented in github.com/SegataLab/preprocessing . Briefly, the pipeline consisted of three steps: the first step involved read-level quality control and removed low-quality reads ( Q  < 20), too-short reads (less than 75-bp long) and reads with more than two ambiguous nucleotides. The second step screened for contaminant DNA using Bowtie 2 (ref. 45 ) with the ‘--sensitive-local’ parameter, allowing confident removal of the phi X 174 Illumina spike-in and human-associated reads (hg19 reference human genome release). The last step consisted of splitting and sorting the cleaned reads to create standard forward, reverse and unpaired read output files for each metagenome (average: 35 ± 13 million reads per sample).

Microbiome taxonomic profiling

Species-level profiling of the 815 samples was performed with both MetaPhlAn 3.0 (ref. 34 ) and MetaPhlAn 4.0 (ref. 46 ). Default parameters were used for both versions of MetaPhlAn, while specific databases to each version were used, mpa_v30_CHOCOPhlAn_201901 and mpa_vJan21_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202103 for version 3 and 4, respectively. MetaPhlAn 3.0 taxonomic profiles were used to assess the presence and contribution of the previously identified 15 positively associated and 15 negatively associated species with dietary and cardiometabolic health markers 2 . MetaPhlAn 4.0 taxonomic profiles were analyzed to compare microbial compositions between participants and to determine alpha diversity indices, the number of detected species (observed richness). Microbiome taxonomic profiles were also analyzed to compare between-microbiome-sample dissimilarity (beta-diversity) using the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity measure.

We used the same machine learning framework developed by Asnicar et al. 13 to assess the link of the microbiome compositions with the different dietary and metabolomic outcomes. Briefly, the machine learning framework is based on the random forest classification and regression algorithms and a 100-fold cross-validation approach with a 80/20 random splitting of the dataset. As training data, we used the differences in relative abundance between the 18-week and baseline time points of only microbial species. The classification task was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, while the regression was evaluated by correlating the predicted values with the target values using the Spearman correlation coefficient.

Diet information

Participants completed the PREDICT FFQ online, at three separate time points throughout the study (0 weeks, 12 weeks and 18 weeks) to capture habitual dietary intake over the preceding month. The FFQ included 264 food and beverage items for which the participant selected frequency of consumption over the last month. Each survey item was accompanied by an USDA standard portion size, a textual description of the portion and a photograph of the item displayed on standard size tableware. The nutritional composition of each item was allocated according to the matching, or equivalent, item composition in the USDA database 47 ; US nutrient intake, including macronutrient and micronutrient data, was calculated per participant. Submitted FFQs were excluded if more than ten food items were left unanswered, or if the total energy intake estimate derived from the FFQ as a ratio of the individual’s estimated basal metabolic rate (determined using the Schofield et al.’s equation 48 ) was more than 2 s.d. outside the mean of this ratio (less than 0.15 or more than 2.04). Food energy density was calculated as the ratio between food energy (kcal) and food weight (g), excluding caloric (such as milk and juices) and noncaloric beverages 28 .

Adverse events were reported to the study coordinator, and were reviewed by the principal investigator and medical director. All adverse events were documented in line with IRB guidelines. The dietary intervention was anticipated to cause none to minimal discomfort. Some people may be affected by a small change in diet, for example, they may experience gas or bloating after eating the standardized test meals.

Sample size calculations

The study was powered on a sample size of 150 participants per group ( n  = 300) at 90% power and P  < 0.05, to detect a 0.21 mmol l −1 between-group difference in TG (endpoint change from baseline). An s.d. of 0.55 mmol l −1 was assumed on the basis of earlier data 49 . The same sample size was also powered to detect a 0.30 mmol l −1 change in LDL-C at 90% power and P  < 0.05, assuming an s.d. of 0.8 mmol l −1 (ref. 49 ). Given two primary outcomes, statistical significance was defined by P  < 0.025.

Statistical analysis

Analyses were carried out using v.4.0.2 of R and Python v.3.9.7. Pandas v.1.1.3, NumPy v.1.23.5 and SciPy v.1.11.1 were used to manage and preprocess data. Analyses of 18-week changes in primary and secondary outcomes were conducted based on an ITT ( n  = 347). We conducted a per-protocol analysis using the data collected from participants who returned to their endpoint visit as prespecified in the protocol (18 ± 2 weeks) ( n  = 225; 65% of the ITT cohort). An average of the two clinical blood chemistry baseline samples was used as the baseline measure for each participant. The primary outcome was the 18-week changes from baseline. The comparison between treatments in continuous variables over time was performed using repeated measures analysis ensuring that all ITT participants randomized with baseline information were included in the analysis and analyzed according to the original treatment assignment. The model evaluates the interaction between time (within-subject factor) and diet treatment (between-subject factor) with diet treatment, time, age and sex included as fixed effects along with a random effect for participants. The intervention effect was the coefficient for the interaction term in the model and the associated 95% CIs. The simple main effects of differences between the two diet groups were also assessed. For outcomes that were not normally distributed, outcomes were log 10 -transformed and tested for normality using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Given two primary outcomes, statistical significance was defined by P  < 0.025. The between-group analysis was performed by a blinded researcher. Group allocation was concealed by labeling the groups with nonidentifying terms.

We assessed gut microbiome composition using species-level taxonomic profiles of participants with longitudinal sampling available. The ITT cohort was restricted to 118 and 112 individuals for the control and PDP groups, respectively. For each individual, we calculated the within beta-diversity using the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity index between the longitudinal samples available. For the baselines (week −1 or week 0), when two samples were available for the same individual, we considered the one with the highest number of preprocessed reads. As reference beta-diversity variability for comparison with the week 12 and week 18 samples, we considered the values calculated in each individual with the two baseline samples available (both week −1 and week 0). Bray–Curtis dissimilarities of the longitudinal samples of the same individuals between control and PDP groups were tested using a paired, one-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test, while across-intervention groups were tested using a Kolmogorov–Smirnov stochasticity parameter (KSp). As we previously identified microbial bacterial species associated with favorable and unfavorable cardiometabolic risk markers 13 , we tested differences between the two intervention groups. We tested statistically significant differences in terms of relative abundance values for favorable and unfavorable species between groups using a Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test (MWWp) and reported the magnitude and direction of change using a log 2 fold change.

We performed a subgroup analysis based on dietary adherence to determine whether highly adherent participants differed across treatments. We identified adherent control participants (top 30% of participants based on the HEI score, a measure of adherence to USDA dietary guidelines) and compared them to adherent PDP participants (top 30% of participants based on a personalized diet quality score). Adherence to the ZOE program was classified based on a mean personalized diet score throughout the study duration. A minimum of 4 days of logged diet data meeting sex-specific caloric cutoffs (females, 500–5,000 kcal or more per day; males, 500–8,000 kcal or more per day) was required per month to ensure high quality and quantity logging. Low adherent participants were classified as the bottom 30th percentile of participants (mean personalized day score of 58 or lower); highly adherent participants were the top 30th percentile (mean personalized day scores of 67 or greater); moderately adherent participants fell in the middle (mean personalized day scores of 59–66). We also conducted a within-PDP analysis to investigate whether participants with good adherence (top 30%) to the PDP personalized dietary advice showed greater improvements in health outcomes compared to those with poor adherence (bottom 30%). Sex-based analysis was not performed because of small sample sizes. Excel v.16.82 and Microsoft Office were used for data and table formatting.

Reporting summary

Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.

Data availability

The study data can be released to bona fide researchers submitting a research proposal approved by a subpanel of our scientific advisory board. We have meetings once per month with independent members to assess proposals. The data will be anonymized and conform to UK General Data Protection Regulation standards. Access request proposals should be sent to [email protected]. The microbiome data will be uploaded onto the EBI website ( www.ebi.ac.uk/ ).

Code availability

The scripts for the statistical analysis are freely available upon request to ZOE Ltd. Application is via [email protected]. Code will be made available within 2 months of the request.

Micha, R. et al. Etiologic effects and optimal intakes of foods and nutrients for risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: systematic reviews and meta-analyses from the Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Expert Group (NutriCoDE). PLoS ONE 12 , e0175149 (2017).

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Murray, C. J. L. et al. Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet 396 , 1223–1249 (2020).

Article   Google Scholar  

Berry, S. E. et al. Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition. Nat. Med. 26 , 964–973 (2020).

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Gardner, C. D. et al. Effect of low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in overweight adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: the DIETFITS randomized clinical trial. JAMA 319 , 667–679 (2018).

What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017–2018) (National Center for Health Statistics, 2021); https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/1718/Key%20Points%20Using%20WWEIA%20NHANES%202017-2018.pdf

Scheelbeek, P. et al. Health impacts and environmental footprints of diets that meet the Eatwell Guide recommendations: analyses of multiple UK studies. BMJ Open 10 , e037554 (2020).

Ordovas, J.M., Ferguson, L. R., Tai, E. S. & Mathers, J. C. Personalised nutrition and health. BMJ 361 , bmj.k2173 (2018).

Betts, J. A. & Gonzalez, J. T. Personalised nutrition: what makes you so special? Nutr. Bull. 41 , 353–359 (2016).

Jinnette, R. et al. Does personalized nutrition advice improve dietary intake in healthy adults? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Adv. Nutr. 12 , 657–669 (2021).

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Celis-Morales, C., Lara, J. & Mathers, J. C. Personalising nutritional guidance for more effective behaviour change. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 74 , 130–138 (2015).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Ben-Yacov, O. et al. Personalized postprandial glucose response-targeting diet versus Mediterranean diet for glycemic control in prediabetes. Diabetes Care 44 , 1980–1991 (2021).

Li, M., Gong, W., Wang, S. & Li, Z. Trends in body mass index, overweight and obesity among adults in the USA, the NHANES from 2003 to 2018: a repeat cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open 12 , e065425 (2022).

Asnicar, F. et al. Microbiome connections with host metabolism and habitual diet from 1,098 deeply phenotyped individuals. Nat. Med. 27 , 321–332 (2021).

Thomas, A. M. et al. Metagenomic analysis of colorectal cancer datasets identifies cross-cohort microbial diagnostic signatures and a link with choline degradation. Nat. Med. 25 , 667–678 (2019).

Chawla, S., Tessarolo Silva, F., Amaral Medeiros, S., Mekary, R. A. & Radenkovic, D. The effect of low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets on weight loss and lipid levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients 12 , 3774 (2020).

Livingstone, K. M. et al. Clustering of adherence to personalised dietary recommendations and changes in healthy eating index within the Food4Me study. Public Health Nutr. 19 , 3296–3305 (2016).

Popp, C. J. et al. Effect of a personalized diet to reduce postprandial glycemic response vs a low-fat diet on weight loss in adults with abnormal glucose metabolism and obesity: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw. Open 5 , e2233760 (2022).

Zeevi, D. et al. Personalized nutrition by prediction of glycemic responses. Cell 163 , 1079–1094 (2015).

Aldubayan, M. A. et al. A double-blinded, randomized, parallel intervention to evaluate biomarker-based nutrition plans for weight loss: the PREVENTOMICS study. Clin. Nutr. 41 , 1834–1844 (2022).

Williamson, D. A., Bray, G. A. & Ryan, D. H. Is 5% weight loss a satisfactory criterion to define clinically significant weight loss? Obesity 23 , 2319–2320 (2015).

Macek, P. et al. A two-year follow-up cohort study-improved clinical control over CVD risk factors through weight loss in middle-aged and older adults. J. Clin. Med. 9 , 2904 (2020).

Jensen, M. D. et al. 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Obesity Society. Circulation 129 , S102–S138 (2014).

O’Donoghue, G., Blake, C., Cunningham, C., Lennon, O. & Perrotta, C. What exercise prescription is optimal to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults living with obesity? A network meta‐analysis. Obes. Rev. 22 , e13137 (2021).

Wewege, M., van den Berg, R., Ward, R. E. & Keech, A. The effects of high‐intensity interval training vs. moderate‐intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obes. Rev. 18 , 635–646 (2017).

Thorogood, A. et al. Isolated aerobic exercise and weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am. J. Med. 124 , 747–755 (2011).

Schwingshackl, L., Dias, S., Strasser, B. & Hoffmann, G. Impact of different training modalities on anthropometric and metabolic characteristics in overweight/obese subjects: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 8 , e82853 (2013).

Morze, J. et al. Impact of different training modalities on anthropometric outcomes in patients with obesity: a systematic review and network meta‐analysis. Obes. Rev. 22 , e13218 (2021).

Ello-Martin, J. A., Roe, L. S., Ledikwe, J. H., Beach, A. M. & Rolls, B. J. Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: a year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 85 , 1465–1477 (2007).

Cani, P. D. Human gut microbiome: hopes, threats and promises. Gut 67 , 1716–1725 (2018).

Talmor-Barkan, Y. et al. Metabolomic and microbiome profiling reveals personalized risk factors for coronary artery disease. Nat. Med. 28 , 295–302 (2022).

Sonnenburg, J. L. & Bäckhed, F. Diet–microbiota interactions as moderators of human metabolism. Nature 535 , 56–64 (2016).

David, L. A. et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature 505 , 559–563 (2014).

Ben-Yacov, O. et al. Gut microbiome modulates the effects of a personalised postprandial-targeting (PPT) diet on cardiometabolic markers: a diet intervention in pre-diabetes. Gut 72 , 1486–1496 (2023).

Beghini, F. et al. Integrating taxonomic, functional, and strain-level profiling of diverse microbial communities with bioBakery 3. eLife 10 , e65088 (2021).

Sanders, M. E. & Marco, M. L. Food formats for effective delivery of probiotics. Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol. 1 , 65–85 (2010).

Aguilera, J. M. The food matrix: implications in processing, nutrition and health. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 59 , 3612–3629 (2019).

Forde, C. G. & Bolhuis, D. Interrelations between food form, texture, and matrix influence energy intake and metabolic responses. Curr. Nutr. Rep. 11 , 124–132 (2022).

Tsereteli, N. et al. Impact of insufficient sleep on dysregulated blood glucose control under standardised meal conditions. Diabetologia 65 , 356–365 (2022).

Gu, C. et al. Metabolic effects of late dinner in healthy volunteers—a randomized crossover clinical trial. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 105 , 2789–2802 (2020).

Isherwood, C. M., van der Veen, D. R., Hassanin, H., Skene, D. J. & Johnston, J. D. Human glucose rhythms and subjective hunger anticipate meal timing. Curr. Biol. 33 , 1321–1326 (2023).

Hutchison, A. T. et al. Time‐restricted feeding improves glucose tolerance in men at risk for type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial. Obesity 27 , 724–732 (2019).

Shukla, A. P. et al. The impact of food order on postprandial glycaemic excursions in prediabetes. Diabetes Obes. Metab. 21 , 377–381 (2019).

Edinburgh, R. M., Betts, J. A., Burns, S. F. & Gonzalez, J. T. Concordant and divergent strategies to improve postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism. Nutr. Bull. 42 , 113–122 (2017).

Shah, M. et al. Effect of a late afternoon/early evening bout of aerobic exercise on postprandial lipid and lipoprotein particle responses to a high-sugar meal breakfast the following day in postmenopausal women: a randomized cross-over study. J. Sports Sci. 40 , 175–184 (2022).

Langmead, B. & Salzberg, S. L. Fast gapped-read alignment with Bowtie 2. Nat. Methods 9 , 357–359 (2012).

Blanco-Míguez, A. et al. Extending and improving metagenomic taxonomic profiling with uncharacterized species using MetaPhlAn 4. Nat. Biotechnol. 41 , 1633–1644 (2023).

Pehrsson P. et al. USDA Branded Food Products Database (USDA Agriculture Research Service, 2018). Accessed October 2022; https://data.nal.usda.gov/dataset/usda-branded-food-products-database

Schofield, W. N., Schofield, C. & James, W. P. T Basal Metabolic Rate: Review and Prediction, Together with an Annotated Bibliography of Source Material (J. Libbey, 1985) .

Reidlinger, D. P. et al. How effective are current dietary guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention in healthy middle-aged and older men and women? A randomized controlled trial. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 101 , 922–930 (2015).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the participants of the METHOD study. We also thank D. Sleeper, M. Reardon, A. Platts, A. Houston, C. Jennings and R. Donnellan for their valuable work on data collection. This research was funded by ZOE Ltd; the study funder contributed, as part of the scientific advisory board, to study design, data collection and analysis, and the writing of the manuscript.

Author information

These authors contributed equally: Kate M. Bermingham, Inbar Linenberg.

These authors jointly supervised this work: Nicola Segata, Tim D. Spector, Sarah E. Berry.

Authors and Affiliations

Department of Nutritional Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK

Kate M. Bermingham, Inbar Linenberg, Wendy L. Hall, Tim D. Spector & Sarah E. Berry

Zoe Ltd, London, UK

Kate M. Bermingham, Inbar Linenberg, Lorenzo Polidori, Alberto Arrè, Jonathan Wolf, Fatema Badri, Hannah Bernard, Joan Capdevila, William J. Bulsiewicz, Richard Davies & George Hadjigeorgiou

Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy

Francesco Asnicar & Nicola Segata

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

William J. Bulsiewicz

Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Christopher D. Gardner

Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

Jose M. Ordovas

IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain

Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid, Spain

Diabetes Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Linda M. Delahanty

School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

Ana M. Valdes

Nottingham National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, UK

Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, London, UK

Tim D. Spector

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

J.W., G.H. and T.D.S. obtained the funding. I.L., K.B., C.D.G., J.M.O., S.E.B., A.M.V., J.W., G.H., R.D., N.S. and T.D.S. contributed to study design and developed the study concept. S.E.B., I.L., H.B. and F.B. collected the data. K.M.B., L.P., F.A., A.A., R.D., J.C. and N.S. analyzed the data. S.E.B., W.J.B., T.D.S., G.H. and J.W. coordinated the study. K.M.B., S.E.B., A.M.V., J.W., J.C., I.L., J.M.O., C.D.G., W.L.H., L.M.D., N.S. and T.D.S. wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed and revised the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah E. Berry .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

T.D.S., J.W. and G.H. are co-founders of ZOE Ltd. F.A., L.M.D., A.M.V., W.L.H., N.S., T.D.S. and S.E.B. are consultants to ZOE Ltd. K.M.B., I.L., L.P., A.A., J.W., F.B., H.B., J.C., W.J.B., R.D. and G.H. are or have been employees of ZOE Ltd. K.M.B., I.L., L.P., A.A., J.W., F.B., H.B., J.C., W.J.B., R.D., G.H., L.M.D., A.M.V., N.S., T.D.S. and S.E.B. have received options in ZOE Ltd. A.M.V., C.D.G., L.M.D., J.M.O. and N.S. are members of the Scientific Advisory Board of ZOE Ltd.

Peer reviews

Peer review information.

Nature Medicine thanks Josef Neu and the other anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Ming Yang, in collaboration with the Nature Medicine team.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Extended data

Extended data fig. 1 relative abundance of microbial species..

Relative abundance of the 15 favourable and unfavourable microbial species at baseline (blue), week-12 (green) and week-18 (red) for A) PDP (favourable species), B) Control (favourable species), C) PDP (unfavourable species), D) Control (unfavourable species). PDP, n = 112 and Control, n = 118 (Min to Max presented).

Supplementary information

Supplementary information.

Supplementary Tables 1–10.

Reporting Summary

Rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Bermingham, K.M., Linenberg, I., Polidori, L. et al. Effects of a personalized nutrition program on cardiometabolic health: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02951-6

Download citation

Received : 18 October 2023

Accepted : 26 March 2024

Published : 08 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02951-6

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Graduate and undergraduate students to present research at Nutrition 2024 in Chicago.

Congratulations to Helena Ge (Sargent ’25, M.S./DPD/DI) and Sorochi Anyaibe (Sargent ’25, B.S. Health Science) whose abstract submissions on their research with Dr McCrory to Nutrition 2024 were accepted. The meeting takes place in June/July 2024.

Ms Ge will be presenting some results of her study on the safety, feasibility, and compliance with wearing the AIM-2 for assessing dietary intake in patients with chronic kidney disease. The study was a collaboration with Dr Vipul Chitalia at Boston Medical Center and Edward Sazonov from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Several Eating Patterns and Metabolism Lab members assisted with the study including Sorochi Anyaibe, Yunkeli Lin (Sargent ’24, B.S. Nutrition/Dietetics), Manan Patel (Sargent ’24, B.S. Human Physiology), and Tianran Ye (Sargent ’22, B.S. Nutrition/Dietetics; Sargent ’24, M.S./DPD) and coauthored the abstract. 

Ms Anyaibe will be presenting some results of her study investigating the timing of eating and energy intake in urban and rural households in Ghana which were assessed using images time stamps from the AIM-2, a wearable camera. That study was part of a larger research project funded by the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation and with research collaborators from the University of Georgia, the University of Alabama, the University of Pittsburgh, Baylor College of Medicine, University College London, and the University of Ghana.

View all posts

• Standard Colors A
• Black and White A
• Black and Yellow A
• Blue and Yellow A
• Standard Size A
• Large Size A
• Larger Size A
• Largest Size A

Top Searches Community Health (COVID-19) Class Schedules Records and Transcripts Faculty Directory IT Help Desk Tuition TruNorth Wellness Hub University Catalog Grade Change Request Form

TruNorth Wellness Hub Hours Orders available via phone, email, or through the website

In-store shopping: Mon – Weds 8:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thurs 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Fri 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m

Curbside Pickup: Mon – Fri: 9:00 a.m. – noon 2501 West 84th Street Door #1, Bloomington, MN 55431, enter near door #2 Email:  [email protected] Phone: 952-885-5416

Library Hours

Normal Trimester Hours Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mon – Thurs 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

All Library Hours by Date

• TruNorth Wellness Hub
• Outlook 365 Email
• Employee Portal
• Faculty CMS Sign On
• Colleague Self Service
• Early Alert
• Viewing Options
• University History
• Mission and Vision Statement
• Celebrating 80 Years
• NWHSU Race, Racism, and Integrative Care Conversation and Action
• President’s Cabinet
• Senior Leadership Team
• University Overview
• Annual Report
• Strategic Vision
• Board Committees
• Biographies
• Accreditation and Regulatory
• Faculty Directory
• Student Body and Outcomes Fact Sheet
• Student Consumer Information
• Directions and Accommodations
• Certificate Programs
• CE Calendar
• Chiropractic Homecoming
• Continuing Education FAQs
• In-Person Seminars
• Massage Therapy Symposium
• Online On Demand Courses
• Anxiety/Depression
• Ear Infections
• Pre/Post Natal
• Chiropractic Services
• Acupuncture Services
• Massage Therapy Services
• Health Coaching Services
• Telemedicine
• Clinical Laboratory
• Fees and Insurance
• Medicare Coverage for Chiropractic Care
• Directions to De Rusha Clinic
• Book Team Clinic Appointments — Human Performance Center
• Book Group Strength and Conditioning — Human Performance Center
• X-Ray Reading Services
• Activator Method
• Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Services
• Animal Chiropractic Services
• Chiropractic Care Services
• Chiropractic Functional Neurology Services
• Chiropractic NUCCA Technique Services
• Mental Aspects of Injury Recovery Services
• ZaRah Center
• Integrative Clinic of Minnesota at Oshun Center
• Herbal Dispensary
• Request Information
• Get your transcript
• Alumni Magazine
• Connect. Engage. Grow.
• Ways of Giving
• Donor Recognition Circles
• Planned Giving
• Closing Conservative Care Coverage Gaps in Medicare and Medicaid
• Integrative Care: Creating A Healthier, More Sustainable System
• Opioids, Chronic Pain, and the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Health Creation: Moving Beyond Disease Management
• Racial Inequities In Integrative Healthcare
• Wholistic Cross-Sector Workforce Leveraging Integrative Care Providers in Times of Crisis
• Recognizing Complementary and Integrative Providers in the Healthcare Workforce
• The Importance of Establishing Licensure for Massage Therapists in Minnesota
• Looking Beyond the Opioid Misuse Epidemic: The Role for Non-Pharmacologic Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain
• Publications
• Research Education
• Research Tools and Policies
• Institutional Review Board
• Recommendations to Utilize Settlement Funds
• Finding Information for Your Region
• Collaboration
• How to Apply for Opioid Settlement Funding
• NWHSU Integrative Grand Rounds
• Integrative Care and Community
• Campus Events
• Open Search

Tuition and Fees

• Tuition and Fees – Functional Sports Performance Nutrition

Graduate Certificate in Functional Sports and Performance Nutrition

Books and Supplies The cost of books and supplies may vary. Check with the  University Bookstore  Opens a new window  for current prices.

Contact Financial Aid

Room 114 [email protected] 952-222-0030

Contact Student Billing

Room 112 [email protected] 952-491-9375

Microsoft Start Health

Ask A Nutrition Professional: Is The Peel Of A Mango Good For You?

Posted: May 14, 2024 | Last updated: May 14, 2024

Expert opinion from Georgios Christos Bakolas

Master science in sport nutrition · 3 years of experience · uk.

The peel of mango is contained a wide variety of nutrients such as vitamins, fiber and antioxidants that act synergistically against different types of disease. However, it contains urushiol, a mixture of different compounds which have linked with allergic reactions. As a result, the consumption of a wide variety of other fruits can provide the same beneficial effects as eating the peel of a mango.

→ See more questions and expert answers related to Mango.

→ Love Mango? Get nutritional facts, tips from health experts, and more

Disclaimer: This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors or nutritionists and not to be considered as opinion of Microsoft. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Medical advice varies across region. Advice from professionals outside your region should be used at your own discretion. Or you should contact a local health professional.

Expert opinion from Leticia Lira

Nutritionist · 2 years of experience · brazil.

Yes, some studies show the mango peel contains a higher content of fiber, vitamin C, protein, carbohydrates, and pectin than the pulp itself! So eating it brings several benefits to the body.

Expert opinion from Elise Museles

Bachelor of arts, certified in plant based nutrition · 5 years of experience · canada.

Mango peels contain powerful antioxidants that may help prevent or fight cancers including lung, colon, brain and spinal cord. They also contain some minerals that can help fight diabetes.

Expert opinion from Carolina Castro

Phd candidate (health services), post graduate functional clinical nutrition, bachelor's degree nutrition and dietetics · 7 years of experience · australia.

Due to the high fiber content, mango peel is a good option for intestinal health, plus is rich in antioxidants as resveratrol, it can protect heat and brain against cellular damage, however, mango peel to be consumed should be correctly sanitized.

Expert opinion from Jodie Bennett

Bsc. food science and nutrition · 6 years of experience · uk.

Yes it most definitely is good for you as long as it's ripe and ready to eat. Mango peel is rich in fibre, vitamins A, C, E and B6 as well as copper and potassium. Mango peel also contain the antioxidants carotenoid and polyphenol. This is what makes the peel excellent for reducing the risk of developing various chronic diseases such as heart disease.

More for You

What will happen if Western countries send troops to Ukraine?

Scattered Russians bomb own village

Notable People who died in 2024

The greatest live albums of all time

California's wealthiest farming family threatens to destroy small town

The most overrated players in Premier League history

Georgia poised to adopt 'Russian law' despite mass protests

Special Ukranian operation on Russian soil

The best fish dishes from around the world

30 habits that can cause aging

China: Man Rescues Child From Rapids In Qujing, Yunnan

EPL: We won’t roll out red carpet for you – Postecoglou warns Guardiola, Man City

Ukraine updates: Russia making 'tactical' gains in Kharkiv

The most underrated cars ever made

Hundreds Of Dolphins Form Rare Superpod

30 simple ways to increase your intelligence

Fast facts about 'Top Gun'

Defections: APC displaces PDP as main opposition in Abia

EU slams Eurovision for banning its flag from song contest

In pictures: Kyiv before the war