EIS Expertise on the International Stage

16.10.12

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) are continuing to be recognised for their pioneering work in high-performance sport as Head of Performance Nutrition Jeni Pearce was invited to share her expertise on the international stage recently.

Jeni has just returned to the EIS from her native New Zealand where she was invited to speak to the New Zealand Dietetic Association on the role of the EIS' performance nutrition programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Speaking in two sessions, Jeni shared her expertise on topics including the specialist role of performance nutrition, how the service is growing and how it has been integrated at the EIS, on the direction of sports nutrition in the future - in particular for Rio 2016, as well as rehabilitation and other bespoke areas.

"We talked a lot about new food products and nutrients and some of the metabolic biochemical pathways that we're looking into to see if we can influence those with nutrition," said Pearce. 

"There were a range of people in attendance - quite a bit of media and a lot of interest. Sports dieticians were all there as well as those who take an interest in sports nutrition, and a lot of highly-powered clinical dieticians.

"The questions were very intriguing, some of them I couldn't answer because it would give away some of the unique work we do here at the EIS, but it's nice to see that people around the world are watching what we're doing and know that we have a lot to offer the discipline."

Another special reason for Jeni's return home was to attend New Zealand's NEXT Woman of the Year 2012 award ceremony.

Jeni was one of 30 women nominated for an award and was named as one of five finalists in the health & science category celebrating exceptional achievements, passion and success in the field.

The competition highlighted her international reputation and expertise in sports nutrition, and cited her pioneering work in the field as well as her work with the New Zealand Defence Force and numerous publications as reason for her nomination.

Although unlucky not to take the accolade, Jeni was delighted to be named on the shortlist for such a prestigious award in her homeland.

"What was really nice is that I was the only scientist and the only performance nutritionist to make the category, and the first to do so, so it was a very exciting event to be part of," she added.

“It was nice to go back and to be with a range of high-powered women and it's good to see, just like during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, that women are making some really significant moves in the area of science and medicine."