Amanda Pasko, MS, MPH, RD, is an entrepreneur and leader in the field of nutrition. She is the founder and owner of Athletic Peak Nutrition & Performance, LLC, providing nutrition to support athletic performance, energy, and overall health. She has worked with professional athletes and individuals with a broad range of health goals across the US. She also trains for and competes nationally and internationally in track and field, including 2 World Championships and 3 international wins in the ultra multi-events, involving all track and field events over the course of two days. She holds a Bachelor's in Kinesiology & Sports Medicine from Rice University, a Master's in Nutritional Epidemiology from Harvard School.
Amanda Pasko, Nutrition Entrepreneur
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
My name is Amanda Pasko, and I am a Registered Dietitian working in North Carolina and serving clients nationally and internationally. I am the founder and owner of Athletic Peak Nutrition & Performance (www.athleticpeak.org), providing nutrition to support athletic performance and overall health and energy, along with track and field coaching.
I initially had a great interest in how human physiology relates to human performance, and I earned a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Sports medicine from Rice University. Nutrition emerged as my greatest area of interest as it connects directly with every health and performance goal and is incredibly tangential to everyone’s daily life. I pursued a Master’s in Nutritional Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health, studies which gave me a great foundation for how nutrition impacts many health conditions and in science writing. I ultimately decided that I wanted to become a Registered Dietitian, which is the professional licensure to use nutrition to work directly with people to address their health goals, and I obtained these courses and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of North Carolina.
Following experiences in both clinical and university settings, I have grown a longstanding track and field and fitness coaching business to involve nutrition, and the private practice setting is an incredible way to form longstanding relationships with clients and help along their journey towards their goals, as well as serve in my specific areas of interest and expertise.
I have also been competing nationally and internationally in track and field. I was always very balanced across unusual combinations of events, and that led me to the double decathlon, involving all 20 track and field events over 2 days, and its indoor equivalent, the double heptathlon, all 14 indoor track and field events over two days. I have been privileged to win two world championships and three international competitions. These experiences have allowed me to personally test just about every principle in nutrition as it relates to energy and physical activity.
I love to spend time with friends and family, travel, and try new foods and recipes. I have a goal to visit each National Park in the US and compete in a track meet in each state in the country.
Who is your target audience, and how do you tailor your content to meet their needs?
The largest population I work with is athletes. I have worked with those just beginning competitive pursuits in a sport through Olympic hopefuls. My signature program extends across a season, first understanding each athlete’s training and other schedule commitments, then focusing on meals, followed by snacks and supplements to optimize energy and recovery with training, next looking at how nutrition can relate to any other goals they have (i.e., improving sleep), and finally using practices to test competition nutrition, before fine-tuning competition day nutrition plans. Each piece of this plan from understanding their schedule as well as possible up through a competition day plan builds upon each other. I have helped athletes in a number of areas from improved performance, especially with strength and speed, higher energy levels, avoiding stomach upset, and preventing cramps, and it is incredibly rewarding when someone reaches an important goal.
One of the most powerful aspects about nutrition is its ability to boost energy levels throughout the day and improve every aspect of health. My other package focuses more broadly on nutrition for energy and overall wellness. Unique aspects of this plan include a daily activities and energy log with analysis, a health goal workbook mapping out strategies for making and maintaining changes at different times of the year, and finishing with a sustainable maintenance plan. Common concerns addressed include combatting common health conditions, recovering from injury, increasing strength or healthy fat loss, and improving sleep.
I help clients through one-on-one meetings, summary sheets from each meeting, and a range of supports over the course of the program, along with social media, blog, and magazine content. My biggest guide for relevance is the questions and concerns people come forth with, and I also think that looking at nutrition trends, such as powdered greens and intermittent fasting, can be good indicators of what content and support could most help people.
What are your future plans for the development and growth of Athletic Peak Nutrition & Performance, LLC?
I currently offer packages focusing on both Performance Nutrition and Energy & Wellness Nutrition, along with track and field and speed training. While I know that one-on-one consultations and individual supports outside of sessions can be helpful to many individuals, I also know that in other cases, people are looking to increase their general knowledge with an opportunity to ask a shorter set of questions. I want to launch a course, AP Nutrition Academy, that covers foundational nutrition concepts that can make a major impact in anyone’s health and wellness. Extensions of this base course will cover more advanced nutrition concepts, such as nutrition as it relates to sports performance and different health conditions.
I am also in the process of formulating and launching a package for scholastic athletes. Athletic participation is incredibly high among this age group, and the vast majority of athletes do not know just how powerful a way that nutrition can boost their performance, and that taste and enjoyment do not need to be compromised at all. Unfortunately, many younger athletes taking a closer look at nutrition sort foods as “good” and “bad” and can limit what they eat. The Scholastic Nutrition Package will involve some of the foundational information from AP Nutrition Academy, presented in a relatable way for younger athletes. Interest and buy-in is incredibly important early, so meetings will be tied very directly to their upcoming goals. In addition, resources outside of sessions will be more geared towards this age.
How can nutrition as it relates to sports performance relate to nutrition for those who are not currently competitive athletes?
In many ways, nutrition for sports performance can be a foundation for nutrition to address any goal a person has. Challenging physical activity highlights the importance of energy expenditure, as someone has one part of their day that markedly increases the energy that their body uses. Each person has aspects of their day that require relatively more mental and physical energy, and it is important to consider timing and nutrition content before and after those times of high expenditure. Challenging physical activity also breaks the body down before it builds back, ideally beyond where it was previously. A lot of research goes into how to optimize the body’s ability to build and repair to maximize gains in strength and performance. A huge array of health and daily goals, from illness recovery to work demands with a long time standing, are contingent upon the body’s ability to rebuild. Additionally, sports can necessitate modifying body composition, strength, and weight, while in a healthy way that does not detract
from energy and performance. Evidence-based strategies to make these adjustments often differ from common fad diets. Finally, sports can highlight the benefits of a regular routine. Establishing a routine, whether on a daily or broader level, is one of the most foundational steps to making a lasting change.
In your opinion, what are some of the largest ways that most people can improve upon their nutrition?
We tend to spend more time thinking about our meals and have more easily accessible food options at major meal times. That being said, many people, especially if active, benefit from food in between meals, i.e., snacks. Snacks can and should be leveraged for certain goals. For example, a snack more focused on complex carbohydrates can provide sustained energy for a task requiring longer energy. In general, a snack with protein and fiber can promote satiety and fullness. A source of protein before bed is powerful in promoting the building and repairing of tissues overnight. The majority of readily available snack options focus on simple carbohydrates, with relatively few other nutrients to support health, and can leave people hungry not long after consumption.
Food within an hour of waking up can help with a huge range of health goals. For several physiological reasons, most people do not have an appetite upon waking up, and appetite tends to develop later in the morning. However, because of the extended time without food, an energy source can markedly improve energy, most especially for the brain, which relies predominantly on glucose for fuel. Even if weight loss is a major goal, studies suggest that a balanced breakfast is actually a highly effective tool.
Conceptually, many people who are conscious about their health group foods as “good” or “bad.” Each food offers some physiological benefits, whereas no single food offers everything that your body needs. It is true that high quantities of certain food components, like sugar and saturated fat, have health downsides, but very high quantities of something with health benefits, such as fiber, can also have downsides.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
The biggest thing that I would change about my industry would be shifting the focus from the media to science. Especially with how pervasive social media is, nutrition trends can spread quickly. However, nutrition is a science of how different foods and dietary patterns impact the body. Because of numerous individual factors, the food or dietary pattern that works well in one instance often does not work well in another. People also have preferences for what they like and do not like. As an example, intermittent fasting has been heralded by the media. Those who try this dietary approach often have the media in mind, rather than thinking about what the evidence says on if this approach will help them with their goal, and if this approach will be enjoyable and sustainable for them. I think that one of the biggest benefits to working with a nutrition professional is in advice that is grounded in the evidence of what will help, rather than trends.
What are some of the major ideas to keep in mind when using nutrition to support physical activity or an athletic competition?
When someone is highly active, all nutrients still benefit the body. However, carbohydrate – found in largest quantities in grains and starches, as well as in fruit, certain dairy products, and certain sports products – is the nutrient for which needs climb most dramatically and differ most
between individuals. Because carbohydrate, the most efficient fuel for exercising muscles, is found in its largest quantities in grains, recommendations are often conceptualized in terms of the portion of grains on the plate. A starting point is often ½ of the plate covered in grains (in some cases, you would get this by taking apart the meal so to speak), and this goes up with exercise intensity and duration.
The time for the body to break down different nutrient sources to use as fuel for muscles varies too. Generally speaking, a balanced meal focusing on grains is appropriate about 4 hours before rigorous exercise or physical activity, but within 2 hours, carbohydrate is the only energy source that can be broken down quickly enough to be used in time for energy. In many cases, higher fat, fiber, and fluid content can cause stomach upset shortly before exercise, but it is very important to note that tolerance of food before exercise can absolutely be increased over time.
In addition, food after exercise is very important for recovery. Protein plays the most important role in building and repairing tissues, and carbohydrate helps it to do its job faster. If a meal is not within an hour of a workout with heavier strength training or more than 30 minutes of continuous activity, a snack is very helpful. Common choices include yogurt, cottage cheese, a half sandwich, beef or turkey jerky, a shake, or bar.
Many people have a New Year’s Resolution that relates to nutrition or health. Many people also have other goals, and resolutions do not always last. How can a change be more permanent with a busy schedule?
It is certainly true that most people looking to make a change or reflect on nutrition and health also have several other things going on. As a result, it is incredibly important that nutrition fits in with everything else in their life.
One of the first topics I talk about with people is the layout of their whole week. This often involves the timing of their job, school, physical activity and/or training, downtime, and sleep. Understanding all of these factors can help us both see where meals would conveniently fall and what types of snacks could be beneficial and when.
Another early topic I talk about with people is often a fun one – what foods they like and often have. Most people are surprised to realize that the food choices they like can support their health and performance goals, so long as portion, timing, and balance are considered. With a bank so to speak of these enjoyable and convenient food options, it becomes much easier to place them into a schedule.
Finally, I think logistics are important to consider. Everyone needs to consider when and where they will get and prepare their food, and when in their schedule these activities will occur.
I also think it is important to note ahead of time what barriers could arise to make it harder to maintain a routine. While understanding of schedule, preferences, and logistics is incredibly helpful, keeping potential obstacles in mind, such as fatigue at the end of a long day or a meal out, can be useful in formulating a plan ahead of time. One challenge with fad diets as New Year’s Resolutions is that they do not account for unusual circumstances.
