Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)

The Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) is the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the U.S.

The CSSD is offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for registered dietitians (RDs) who have specialized experience in sports dietetics. Being Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics designates specific knowledge, skills, and expertise for competency in sports dietetics practice.

Total CSSD List by State. List of the names of all CSSDs certified by CDR.

Last 2010 CSSD exam window

July 12-July 30, 2010 (application postmark deadline: April 30, 2010)

Why Certification? The Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics credential is the way to advance your career in sports dietetics, gain a competitive edge in employment, and provide unique benefits to clients and employers, such as sports medical nutrition therapy for special populations. CSSDs apply sports nutrition science to fueling fitness, sport, and athletic performance. Specialty certification differentiates sports dietitians from those who are less qualified to provide sports nutrition services. Credibility, visibility, and marketability of sports dietitians is enhanced by specialty certification. Specialty certification facilitates networking and partnering with organizations that share common goals.

Where do CSSDs work? Employers are already requiring the CSSD for sports nutrition positions. Employment opportunities exist in these areas:

• Athletic performance companies
• Colleges and universities (athletics, student health, campus wellness, faculty and staff)
• Corporations (wellness, food industry)
• Health care organizations (hospitals, clinics, eating disorder treatment)
• Hospitals and clinics
• Military bases and affiliates
• Online nutrition coaching
• Professional sports organizations
• Private practice
• U.S. Olympic Committee and training facilities

Application Process: Application forms, eligibility criteria, exam content outline, reference list, and exam locations and dates are available on CDR's website:
http://www.cdrnet.org/certifications/spec/sports.htm

Cost: The cost of the specialty certification examination is $250.

CDR Sports Dietetics Self-Assessment: CDR has launched an online “Assess and Learn: Sports Dietetics: Nutrition for Athletic Performance” self-assessment module. The module has been approved for 5 CPEUs. Link to CDR’s website:
http://www.cdrnet.org/products/product007.htm

Eligibility: The requirements for successful completion of the eligibility application and the specialty certification examination are based on the education, skills, and practical experience needed for competency in sports dietetics practice. Eligibility requirements for the specialty exam include current RD status, maintenance of RD status for two years, and 1,500 hours of experience in specialty practice. Update: Through the July 2011 certification period, education will be allowed to substitute for a maximum of 1,200 hours of the required experience.

Specialty Exam: The CSSD exam is offered within a 3-week time period two times a year. During those periods the computer-based exam is available at about 100 locations in the United States. Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. administers the exam. Successful completion of the eligibility application and the CSSD exam earns the applicant a five-year CSSD certification and satisfies CDR's five-year CPEU requirement for Registered Dietitians.

History of the CSSD: In summer 2005 CDR appointed SCAN members to a Sports Dietetics Specialty Practice Analysis Workgroup (SPAW). SPAW members assisted CDR in developing a Sports Dietetics Practice Analysis Survey that was conducted in fall 2005. The survey data were used to develop a content outline and items for the CSSD specialty examination. SPAW also successfully completed the following:

• Identified knowledge, skills, and abilities for competency in sports dietetics practice 
  
• Developed a sports dietetics practitioner definition (see below)
  
• Assisted in developing eligibility requirements for sports dietetics specialty certification
  
• Identified sports nutrition resources applicable to sports dietetics practice
  
• Assisted in developing a CSSD specialty exam and a content outline for the exam

SPAW transitioned into the Sports Dietetics Specialty Examination Workgroup (SSEW) that assists CDR with the following:

• Write and review specialty exam items 
  
• Update the sports nutrition reference list

Original SSEW Members: Steven E. Black, Lt Col, USAF, BSC, PhD, RD, CSSD; Kim Crawford, PhD, RD, CSSD; Nancy DiMarco, PhD, RD, CSSD, LD; Christopher Halagarda, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS; Diane King, MS, ATC, RD, CSSD; Susie H. Langley, MS, RD, CSSD; Michele A. Macedonio, MS, RD, CSSD, LD; Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS: Ingrid Skoog, MS, RD, CSSD; and Patti Steinmuller, MS, RD, CSSD, LD.

Definition - Sports Dietetics Practitioner: Sports Dietitians are experienced registered dietitians who apply evidence-based nutrition knowledge in exercise and sports. They assess, educate, and counsel athletes and active individuals. They design, implement, and manage safe and effective nutrition strategies that enhance lifelong health, fitness, and optimal performance. 

Need More Information? Obtain updates from the CDR website, the SD-USA Score e-newsletter, and SCAN's PULSE.

Sign-up for SD-USA: If you have not already done so, consider signing up for SCAN's Sports Dietetics-USA subunit. SD-USA membership is a free SCAN member benefit. SD-USA members receive the SD-USA Score e-newsletter, published 4-6 times a year. Access the Member Login and sign-up for Sports Dietetics-USA at base of the Member Profile.

Contact Michele Macedonio, MS, RD, CSSD, SD-USA Director, with questions about Sports Dietetics-USA: m.macedonio@myns1.com

Contact CDR with questions regarding the CSSD credential:
www.cdrnet.org/certifications/spec/sports.htm

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