by Meg Kelly, BU Athletic Communications

As COVID-19 swept its way through the globe and put the world on pause in March, the Boston University Department of Athletics sports nutrition staff did what it does so well: keep student-athletes healthy and fueled for their workouts and overall wellness.

Leading the efforts was Sarah Gilbert, a licensed, registered dietitian nutritionist at the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center, who oversees the Terrier Fueling Station and is the nutrition contact within the department.

After receiving the call that the university would be shut down for at least a few weeks, Gilbert quickly took inventory and assessed the situation. With three refrigerators containing yogurt, protein drinks and other perishable food items, the nutrition staff quickly provided these fresh items to campus dining, where students who were not able to return home could enjoy the products just as much as the student-athletes would have. 

From there, the staff jumped in on team Zoom calls, letting it be known that they were still able to support student-athletes' needs while they were home. Individual sessions and team meetings followed, where the silver linings of working remotely shone through as Gilbert could meet student-athletes wherever they were and guide them through fueling at home.

"Now, more than ever, I think nutrition support is important for our student-athletes," stated Gilbert. "For some teams, there has been a huge change in the way they're training and their training volume. Learning how to adapt to support their nutritional needs for those changes in their training has been really helpful."

For some student-athletes, going home may have been helpful as some ate meals with their families and found it easier to make food choices. Others found themselves at the other end of the spectrum, where they had to do their own cooking, shopping, or didn't have access to the foods they wanted.

"I think our job in nutrition is to support people no matter where they're at," began Gilbert. "Whether they're on campus, at home, training here, or on their own, we really want to support them no matter what they're doing."

At the prospect of students returning to campus and reopening the Terrier Fueling Station, Gilbert was concerned about the support she'd have and the number of student volunteers she'd have for the fall semester, as many extracurricular activities of campus life will be conducted remotely.

"When I first reached out for volunteers for this year I was concerned I wasn't going to get a lot of responses since they'd be required to be on campus when most things are remote, and they're probably feeling overwhelmed with other commitments," stated Gilbert. "But we had an incredible response. We have just such an incredible team of student volunteers."

It was a testament to how much the students are interested in sports nutrition and how excited they were to get back to campus.

With campus reopened and classes underway, the Terrier Fueling Station will continue to serve and support student-athletes, though there will be a unique look on West Campus this fall.

In addition to the main center in the varsity weight room, there will be mobile fueling sites for teams during outside lifts. The staff will have grab-and-go items ready ahead of time as a part of pre- and post-workout regimens, while consults and meetings will continue virtually.

As a semester unlike any other begins, the message from the nutrition center is the same. They are here to serve student-athletes and support them no matter what.