Deeper Knowledge, Higher Awareness,
Longer Sustainability and Broader Outlook In Sports
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Hiromi Kaneko,RD
Health and Exercise Advisor
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We often hear today the expression "sports nutrition." But it was not common when I was a university student. In those days, I had been thinking about how much effect food would have on my body." In other words, I had thought of "eating" only. However, when I was studying in preparation for my graduation thesis for bachelor degree at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition, I was very much inspired by making a study of the method of measuring the maximum oxygen uptake. As a result of the continued study, I found that the consumption of energy could be measured from the oxygen uptake, and that it might be very important for me as a dietitian to further study the relationship between the intake and consumption of energy.
For these reasons, I began to work at a fitness club to make use of my knowledge on dietetics and exercise physiology, and was engaged there in the work such as dietary planning, manual-making, and training on dietetics. I decided one day that I would not be able to fully utilize my knowledge without putting a personal experience in actual practice. So, I got a new job on a contract basis at a company to help the girls team for track athletics. I worked hard to support them by preparing the menus and foods, and analyzing the food data collected, so I sometimes had to work in the evening. However, I had never felt tired by that. On the contrary, I was very fortunate to help the team win the first prize for the long-distance relay (so called "station to station relay" or in Japanese "Ekiden") twice. I also had the opportunity to go to Atlanta, USA, to support as a dietitian the Atlanta Olympiad girl athletes of Japan. I was very pleased to see that the team won a bronze medal at the Games. I am very proud of having worked as a dietitian for the team, and it still remains in my mind as a good and unforgettable memory.
After the Atlanta Olympic Games, I left the team and spent one year presenting lectures, writing books, and interviewing for journals and magazines. Then I went back to the post-graduate course to make a study of the relationship between anemia and athletes.
After becoming registered administrative dietitian, I have worked as a free lancer for nine years. It seems to me like yesterday, and I am satisfied with it because I could enjoy every day to the full. I feel, however, that I have always been under some sort of pressure.
I am thinking of continuing this free-lancer work in the future. For this, I will have to make every effort to collect information by positively participating in the activity of life-long training. It is my belief that such an effort will be the only way left for me to cope with the requirements of the elderly in local communities. I have no time to wait and see for this. Together with the changes of the times, the concept of dietetics and the role of dietitians will continue to change, and the aging society will become more and more health-oriented. There is a great need for dietitians today, but it is reality that we have not sufficiently coped with the challenges. In other words, it depends upon us, dietitians as to whether or not such a need can be met through the activity of in the future. It is my firm intention, with this in mind, to make further effort to meet the needs of society including the elderly in the future. |
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. The Japan Dietetic Association All rights reserved
