Beef Logic Inc. and the Florida Beef Council showcased the Build Your Base sports nutrition program to collegiate strength and conditioning coaches from across the nation May 8–10, 2023, in Orlando, Fla., at the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) conference. The Build Your Base sports nutrition program provides foundational nutrition information to athletes of all ages. This educational toolkit provides whole-plate, ready-to-use nutrition and meal prep strategies while utilizing beef as the premier protein.

The collaborative sports nutrition program originated in 2018 as a partnership between the South Dakota Beef Council’s Beef Checkoff program and Sanford Health. Since then, the program has expanded its partnership opportunities to include other like-minded organizations and individuals. Build Your Base continues to develop and has extended its message to 16 other states across the U.S., where it is being utilized by high schools, universities, and professional teams and athletes. 

Over 1,500 coaches attended the CSCCa conference and had the opportunity to learn more about the program. Suzy Geppert, executive director of Beef Logic Inc., said, "We continue to see a lot of growth and now recognition with this program. Interest has not wavered, and we are seeing the impact of the program through both quantitative and qualitative measurements. Schools and Universities appreciate the simplicity of the program, and we are even hearing of its use by tactical coaches within the military and first responders."

Build Your Base Nutrition Consultant, Dr. Mike Roussell, provided an educational breakout session titled "How to Use Nutrition to Manage Stress Loads in Student Athletes for Improved Recovery and Performance." Attendees learned about the value of high-quality protein like beef and its role in the diet when trying to mitigate the effects of mental and physical stress that are known to decrease performance. 

Florida Beef Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Jim Handley, is delighted about the outcomes and associated possibilities. "It was quite obvious the over 1,500 coaches in attendance take their role and responsibility of building world class competitive athletes very seriously," he said. "They recognize the value of our protein as being a vital tool in the nutrition part of their program’s pathway to success and are instilling the importance of beef in the diet of these world class athletes every day. I was very proud to witness the Build Your Base team of professionals put our message front and center to this influential group of coaches, educators and leaders."

Beef Logic’s Director of Nutrition, Holly Swee, continues to work alongside other registered and licensed dietitians, sports dietitians, and nutritionists to maintain the integrity of the program as it continues to develop updated and new materials year after year, keeping the program fresh and resilient. "Build Your Base strives to arm athletes of all ages with evidence-based, credible nutrition resources to help optimize their performance," she said. "Our nutrition team continues to create a variety of easy-to-use resources to help bridge the gap between training and body composition goals. This program is very versatile as it can be a standalone program or utilized alongside a sports nutrition strategy that’s currently being used."

To learn more about the program visit BuildYourBase.org. 

Sources: South Dakota Beef Industry Council; Build Your Base