Client experiences
CONSULTATIONS
How do I make an appointment?
Bookings and any further information about my services can be arranged by contacting me via email at erin.a.colebatch@gmail.com.
What do I need to do before my visit?
A pre-assessment form and further details regarding your appointment will be provided to you via email once your booking is confirmed. Please complete and return the form via email at least 24 hours prior to your initial visit.
What do I need to do between dietitian visits?
Between visits you have the opportunity to implement your nutrition plan. As part of this, you may be recommended to keep an ongoing food and/or training record, depending on your needs and preferences. For subsequent visits, we will monitor your progress and make adjustments to your plan as required.
What is the cost of my dietitian visits?
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Initial visit: $140 (75-90 minutes)
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Subsequent visits: $80 (45-60 minutes)
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Detailed meal plan (for training or competition): $50 – developed and emailed to you following your session
You may claim private health rebates, depending on your level of cover. Please check with your health insurance fund regarding rebates prior to your appointment.
CONSULTATIONS
How do I make an appointment?
Bookings can be made here. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, click the "Change/Cancel Appointment" link at the bottom of your appointment confirmation email. Please note, 48 hours notice is required for cancellation or changes to your appointment. If you have any questions, you can get in touch via the Contact Form at the bottom of my website home page.
What do I need to do before my consult?
A pre-assessment form and further details regarding your appointment will be provided to you via email once your booking is confirmed. Please complete and return the form via email at least 24 hours prior to your initial consult.
What formats are offered for my consult?
Consults are via Zoom (local and non-local clients). Face-to-face appointments can be arranged for body composition assessment and sweat sodium testing (local clients only). Consults are available between 9am-7pm on Mondays and Tuesdays (Australian Central Time). Alternative appointment times can be arranged on request.
What will we discuss during my consult?
During your initial consult we will assess your personal goals, lifestyle and daily routine, medical information, gastrointestinal function, diet, training schedule and/or race plans. This information will be used to define your goals, using a SMART approach (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound). You will be provided nutrition information and we will develop individualised strategies to assist you in achieving your goals.
During review consults, we will reflect on your progress, continue your nutrition learning and develop additional strategies to support you in achieving your goals.
A session summary and all handouts discussed will be emailed to you following your appointment. You are welcome to contact me with questions via email between sessions. Please allow up to 3 days for an email reply.
What do I need to do between consults?
Between consults you have the opportunity to implement your nutrition plan. As part of this, you may be recommended to keep an ongoing food and/or training record, depending on your needs and preferences. For subsequent consults, we will monitor your progress and make adjustments to your plan as required.
What type of services are offered?
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Initial consult (online via Zoom): $250 (90min)
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Review consult (online via Zoom): $180 (60min)
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Body composition assessment (skin folds – local clients only): $100 (30min)
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Sweat sodium testing (local clients only): $250 (2hrs)
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Detailed meal plan (for training or competition): $250. Developed and emailed to you following your consult. If race details change, assistance will be provided where possible in adjusting your race plan.
You may claim private health rebates, depending on your level of cover. Please check with your health insurance fund regarding rebates prior to your appointment.
The time allocated to your consult facilitates a strong working relationship, through a good understanding of your personal situation and goals, ensuring your understanding of the information provided and developing a plan that motivates and excites you.
MEAL PLANS
Weekly detailed training meal plans
Don’t leave it until the week before race day! If you’re looking for best performance at your next race or competition, the biggest gains will be from good sports nutrition to support your training!
Weekly training plans are periodised depending on your training phase and day-to-day training schedule. Periodisation of your nutrition involves strategic use of nutrition and exercise, or nutrition only, with the overall aim to maximise adaptations to optimise performance. This may include high carbohydrates on heavy training days and some days with lower carbohydrate, gut-training protocols, protein spacing to maximise muscle maintenance/gains and training with various supplements that may increase long-term training adaptations.
You can view a sample training meal plan here.
Competition nutrition and hydration plans
Competition plans are developed to maximise fuel stores and hydration prior to competition, fuel and hydrate adequately during competition and use supplements appropriately to support sports performance. These plans need to be practised and refined, hence it is recommended to develop your plan at least 3 months out from your event (ideally 6 months for key events). At least six consults will be required to ensure key nutrition and hydration concepts are discussed and practised adequately so you can be confident in your plan.
You can view a sample race plan here.
BODY COMPOSITION
Routine monitoring of body composition among athletes across state academies and institutes of sport in Australia is the measurement of skin folds.
The International Society of the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) has developed international standards for the anthropometric assessment and an international anthropometry accreditation scheme. For quality assurance, an ISAK-accredited anthropometrist (such as myself) should take your measurements. It is important to have your skinfolds taken by the same measurer, and ideally at the same time of day and without any heavy exercise in recent days.
You will need to be able to sit and stand in an upright position. The skinfolds sites will be located, which will involve using a tape measurer and feeling for certain bones. Marks will be made to designate the skinfolds sites using a pen. Skinfold measurement will be taken from 7 sites on your body, usually from the right-hand side. The tester pinches the skin at each site to raise a double layer of skin and the underlying fat tissue, but not the muscle. Callipers are then used to read the skin fold measurement. There is minimal physical discomfort associated with these tests.
What do I need to do before my body composition assessment?
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Ensure you have not done any heavy exercise in the previous day.
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It is recommended that you avoid large meals and excessive amounts of fluid for at least 8 hours prior to your skin folds measurements. It is also recommended to use the toilet prior to your skinfolds measurements.
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You will need to be in minimal clothing (underwear, crop top or bike shorts) for your tester to take your skinfolds. These garments can be worn under your regular clothes. Please do not use moisturizer prior to your assessment.
Whether skin folds assessment is appropriate for you will be discussed during your appointment. Body composition assessment can be combined with an initial consult/review appointment or done as a stand-alone.
SWEAT SODIUM TESTING
Ultra endurance sport is the only situation when a sweat sodium test and targeted sodium replacement may be helpful. It's not as simple as popping a salt capsule every hour, like some sports nutrition companies may claim. But getting it right could make a big difference to your performance and avoiding the medical tent!
If you are exercising for more than four hours, it is often necessary to replace a large percentage of fluid losses to avoid dehydration. If this is combined with high sweat sodium losses and inadequate sodium replacement, you are at risk of hyponatraemia (low blood sodium). The symptoms of hyponatraemia including nausea, fatigue, dizziness, headache and weakness can stop you from performing at your best. Understanding your sweat sodium losses can help you to develop a sodium replacement plan so you can push your limits, run strong and happy!
During sweat sodium testing, a sample of your sweat will be analysed to determine the sweat sodium concentration. You will wear a sweat patch during exercise to absorb a small amount of your sweat. Once adequate sweat has been absorbed, the sweat will then be extracted from the patch. A sample of your sweat will be analysed for the sodium concentration using a sodium meter. Your whole body sweat rate and sodium replacement needs will then be calculated using mathematical formulas.
Sweat sodium testing should be conducted under similar conditions to your targeted event. This includes similar food and fluids, weather, pace, duration and clothing. If you will be racing in hot conditions, ideally you would do sweat sodium testing after heat adaptation.
Whether sweat sodium testing is appropriate for you can be discussed before or during your appointment. Click here to read more about sweat sodium testing in my blog post.