Johns Hopkins University Athletics

Registered Dietitian Hours: Monday 9:00am – 5:00pm
By appointment only

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Location: Athletic Training Room
Patient eligibility: All currently enrolled Johns Hopkins University Student Athletes
Service Charges: Free of charge for all eligible students
Contact: rnairn1@jh.edu
 
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The goal of the Sports Nutrition team is to ensure that all Blue Jays FEED (fuel effectively for everyday demands) themselves. Proper nutrition can be easily overlooked as a performance advantage for collegiate and elite athletes. Our Registered Dietitian (RD) here at JHU is dedicated to supporting the nutritional needs of our athletes with the primary goal of ensuring peak performance both on and off the field.

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Meet our Registered Dietitian: Rayven Nairn, MS, RDN, LDN
Rayven joined the JHU team in 2022. Rayven is most concerned about your health and performance and administers nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling to her students using a non-diet approach. Rayven, based on her formal training draws from various therapeutic approaches, but believes that success is rooted in behavior and lifestyle changes. Recommendations are provided on an individualized basis based on your sport, position, physical demands, and other biological factors.

Purpose
Our RD strives to support our athletes and meet them where they are regarding their knowledge of food and nutrition. Beyond genetics and training, what, when, and how often student athletes fuel (consuming food and beverage) themselves positively impacts performance. Our RD aims to build foundations of sound nutrition habits to help achieve athletic goals and to empower them to maintain healthy habits for a lifetime. Proper nutrition and hydration give athletes energy to train, compete, improve recovery from training and competition, and decrease down time due to illness and injury.

Services

1. Nutrition Education: to empower student athletes to use food to fuel their everyday lives and lifestyles
   1. Team talks & presentations: 45-minute interactive lessons
   2. Nest Nibbles: 10-15-minute drop-in sessions before/after practice to reinforce specific topics of interest
   3. Handouts: always provided during talks, or can be requested independently
   4. Grocery store tours: scheduled based on demand or as-needed
2. Individual Counseling: focuses on three aspects – fuel for today (pre-workout), fuel for tomorrow (post-workout recovery), and fuel for training everyday (prevention of illness and injury)
   1. Thorough nutrition assessment
   2. Individualized meal planning based on personal needs and requirements
   3. Food allergy and intolerance aid
   4. Supplement evaluation and recommendations
3. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
   1. Individualized rehab nutrition plans
   2. Vitamin and mineral assessment
   3. Supplement assessment
4. Off-Season Body Composition Modification Planning
   1. Major adjustments in body composition manipulation should only happen during the off-season as it requires the thoughtful coordination between the RD, athletic trainers, and strength coaches.

If there are concerns for disordered eating, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), and/or an eating disorder, athlete should make an appointment to see RD via the Student Health and Wellness Center (https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/student-health/appointments/).

How to Schedule an Appointment
Registered dietitian services are available by appointment only. Appointments can be requested as a referral by a medical provider, trainer, coach, or as a self-referral. Appointments can be requested via email, your coach, or athletic trainer.  
Our RD works closely with the sports medicine providers, counseling center staff, and athletic trainers to ensure consistency and quality of care.

Make an Appointment to Meet with Rayven

What to Expect at Your Appointment
Your initial visit will be scheduled for 45 minutes and is used to gather information. The RD will review your past nutrition, medical, surgical, and injury history. You’ll have time to ask specific nutrition-related questions. The RD will provide nutrition education and detailed recommendations according to your personal and athletic goals.  Follow up visits are 25 minutes and are decided upon at the end of your appointment, if deemed necessary.