About the Monash Nutrition & Exercise Clinic

The Monash Nutrition & Exercise Clinic provides a range of sports nutrition consulting and exercise testing services to help active people of all levels to achieve their goals. Services are provided by Accredited Sports Dietitians in our clinic and research laboratory.

The Monash Nutrition & Exercise Clinic Team:

• Dr Ricardo Costa (Senior Lecturer, SDA Advanced Sports Dietitian)
• Alan McCubbin (Lecturer, PhD Candidate, SDA Advanced Sports Dietitian)
• Stephanie Gaskell (SDA Advanced Sports Dietitian)
• Chris Rauch (SDA Provisional Accredited Sports Dietitian)

Services

Clinic Consultations

Our Accredited Sports Dietitians provide one-on-one sports nutrition consultations to assist athletes of all levels, from complete beginners to professional athletes. Whether it’s changing body composition, coming up with strategies to optimise health and performance in training and competition, or managing a medical condition at the same time, we have a service to suit your needs, with access to our laboratory testing services from the same person, in the same location.

Exercise Testing Services

The Monash Nutrition & Exercise Clinic provide the same exercise testing techniques used in our research studies, in the same laboratory and on the same equipment. This includes techniques that are unique to Monash University, as developed in our research program. 

Gut Assessment

Our clinic offers the only comprehensive gut assessment service for athletes in the world, based on our extensive research in the area of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. This detailed assessment, run on a treadmill or the athlete's own bike, allows athletes with gut symptoms to determine the cause of their problems and find practical solutions. It reduces the trial and error that athletes normally experience when trying to diagnose their problem. Completed by an Accredited Sports Dietitian.

VO2max test with energy contribution (running or cycling)

VO2max fitness test for athletes, conducted either running on a treadmill or on the athlete’s own bike attached to a Wahoo KICKR ergometer. Assessment includes a report outlining VO2max, VO2peak, and the contribution of carbohydrate and fat to energy production.

PLEASE NOTE: For safety reasons this test requires signed medical clearance from a GP or other suitable medical practitioner.

iDXA Body Composition Assessment 

Assessment of total body fat mass, fat free mass and bone mineral content using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), on our state-of-the-art GE Lunar iDXA scanner. Scans are performed by a qualified Radiographer with over 30 years experience in body composition scanning.

For more information click here

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) Assessment 

Assessment of metabolic rate using a state-of-the-art ventilated hood system, following the same protocols used for measurement in laboratory research.

Completed by an Accredited Sports Dietitian, the test allows for assessment of energy needs, and detection of RMR suppression due to over-training and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).

Ultra-Endurance, Adventure, and Expedition Nutrition Support Packages

As a world-leader in ultra-endurance sports nutrition research, Monash Nutrition & Exercise clinic provides comprehensive support packages to ultra athletes, and those undertaking adventures and expeditions in all environments. Our packages can be customised to the needs of the client, but include the following services to take the guesswork out of food and nutrition planning:

• Measurement of Resting Metabolic Rate and energy expenditure during exercise in simulated conditions

• Determination of carbohydrate and fat use (oxidation rates) during exercise in simulated conditions
• Gut tolerance assessment and gut training recommendations
• Individual dietary prescription and meal provisions with BASE Essentials ©.

BASE Essentials © 

BASE Essentials © are a range of pre-packaged dehydrated/freeze-dried meals, specifically formulated for athletes competing in ultra-endurance and adventure events or expeditions. Everything from the flavour profile to the nutrition content has been carefully considered and optimised for the ultra-endurance enthusiast. BASE Essentials © contain the nutritional composition required to support the research-based nutritional benchmarks for physical exertion on consecutive days. Just add hot water, stir, and wait 10 minutes!