Pittsburgh-Based Sports Dietitians Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, and Heather Mangieri, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN
Interviews and Commentary by Alaina Coffey
I have been an athlete since I was a young child and have always been interested in how to properly fuel my body and improve performance with proper nutrition. This has led me to investigate career opportunities in the area of sport nutrition. I had the privilege of interviewing two very experienced and unique sports dietitians, Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, and Heather Mangieri, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN. Bonci is the owner of Active Eating Advice by Leslie, a nutrition consulting company based in Pittsburgh, and is currently the sports dietitian for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Kansas City Chiefs, and Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, Bonci
was formerly the sports dietitian for the Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics. She is the author of Sport Nutrition for Coaches (2009) and the American Dietetic Association’s Guide to Better Digestion (2003), and co-author of Bike Your Butt Off (2014), Walk Your Butt Off (2013), Run Your Butt Off (2011), and The Active Calorie Diet (2011).
Alaina Coffey: How did your dietetics career lead to working in the area of sports nutrition?
Leslie Bonci: My first job as a registered dietitian was at a cardiac and wellness center. I worked closely with exercise physiologists and realized the importance of pairing food and fitness. I was also given free reign to develop programming which included presentations to high school athletes. I approached the University of Pittsburgh athletics department suggesting that they use my services and they said yes! The rest is history. Being persistent, being confident, being competent and willing to work hard are all important assets in this field.
AC: You are involved in many professional organizations. What are your favorites and why?
LB: Love working with Olympic athletes who compete for the pure joy of the sport, not the monetary compensation. They are much more gracious and much more attentive because they don’t have the same resources. I also love working with track and field and swimming- again they work hard, they don’t get as many resources and they are certainly not well compensated for what they do. As far as professional sports definitely football is my favorite. Major League Baseball players are very whiney and egos get in the way! Minor league players are a delight- they have not yet learned to be entitled athletes.
AC: What is your current philosophy on food and healthy lifestyle?
LB: No food off limits. Food needs to be enjoyable, available, accessible and affordable. I am a big believer in the need to prioritize, strategize and customize eating. My goal is to meet my athletes/clients where they are work with them to devise a plan that is actionable, practical and realistic and that helps them safeguard health and optimize performance. I often say that athletes have a lot of equipment: uniforms, shoes, gloves, helmets, but that is their external equipment, Food and fluid is the internal equipment and needs to be parenthesized around workouts, training and competition
AC: You are quite accomplished as a registered dietitian/nutritionist. What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
LB: I don’t think I could pick just one, but I was very proud of the video on the role of sports dietitians that I did for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
AC: Three tips for the aspiring sports dietitian?
LB: Be persistent. Be creative. Be willing to work your butt off. Have a sense of humor and a spine of steel!
AC: Please share five staple or “must have” foods in your kitchen.
LB: Olive oil, beets, mushrooms, cheese and beans- cannellini, black, fava, lentils, garbanzo, edamame
AC: What is a favorite food or beverage or meal?
LB: Favorite food: peanut butter, cheese. Favorite beverage- a glass of Sancerre or a really good bourbon!
AC: Please share two top nutrition pointers for young athletes looking to gain an advantage.
LB: Make eating a priority and be consistent. It is important to fuel both pre and post hard workouts.
AC: Is there any additional information you would like readers to know?
LB: The field of sports nutrition is growing rapidly. For those interested in working with active people, think about the performing arts, club teams, smaller universities and high schools. These are the people who are hungry for the information and appreciative of what you can provide.
It was interesting to get Bonci’s perspective on Olympic athletes and on those who are involved with track and swimming athletes. The insight on engaging with smaller athletics organizations and work with older active adults that might be more receptive to the services sports registered dietitians (RDs) can provide was helpful as I ponder career opportunities. After having undergone a rigorous undergraduate didactic program in dietetics, the internship application process, and facing my own challenges during the internship, I can say that Bonci’s tips for aspiring sports dietitians certainly apply – especially the spine of steel!
Heather Mangieri, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN
I was also able to interview Heather Mangieri, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, owner of Nutrition CheckUp, a private practice based in Pittsburgh, specializing in sports nutrition, weight management, and disordered eating. She is a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the nutrition consultant for the Carnegie Mellon University Athletic Department and Student Health Services. She is the author of Fueling Young Athletes, which was published this year. Mangieri was selected as Pennsylvania’s Young Dietitian of the Year in 2008, and received the Keystone award in 2012.
AC: How did your dietetics career lead to working in the area of sports nutrition?
HM: I started off in the sports arena, because my first job was at Gold’s Gym before I became a dietitian. I went to Penn State and I did not get matched originally, so I took a job at Gold’s Gym doing a weight loss program using my degree in nutrition. The program was not clinically based. After I did that for one year, I took a job in foodservice mainly to get back to Pittsburg, and then applied for internships. I have worked in almost every area, but it was not until I received my MS in Wellness and Human Performance that I began focusing on sports nutrition.
AC: What is your current philosophy on food and healthy lifestyle?
HM: Balance is my philosophy, and helping people who are busy. I help people who need to figure out how to live the most nutritious lives they can, while helping them overcome their own individuals barriers.
AC: You are quite accomplished as a registered dietitian/nutritionist. What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
HM: Publishing my book, and being an author. Writing a book is like having a child, the book is my baby. I noticed I was receiving the same questions from coaches and parents over and over, and wished I could put the information into a book, and tell them to read chapter 3 or 4 or 5.
AC: Three tips for the aspiring sports dietitian?
HM: 1) get clinical experience. I feel like the only thing that sets sports dietitians apart from nutritionists is that dietitians can not only help athletes perform, but also can help athletes who have issues. Everyone can tell an athlete what to eat before, during, and after a workout. Not everyone can help an athlete with type 1 diabetes figure out their insulin pump. 2) Take chances. Even if it doesn’t feel good, you have to be willing to take chances, and to go above and beyond. 3) Make sure you stay within your scope of practice. I used to tell students to always say yes when asked to do something, but I changed this because the worst thing you can do is take on a project and not do well on it. If you accept a job, take the job and do it very well, but understand you will have weaknesses and some things may be outside your scope of practice.
AC: Please share five staple or “must have” foods in your kitchen.
HM: Bran flakes, bananas, eggs, and mini bagels – my kids like pizza bagels, egg sandwiches, and turkey sandwiches with the mini bagels – and blueberries.
AC: Please share two top nutrition pointers for young athletes looking to gain an advantage.
HM: Focus on day-to- day nutrition. What you eat before, during, and after training won’t matter if you have a bad day-to- day diet. Nutrient deficiencies that affect performance happen from not getting nutrients over and over. For example, in practice I see a lot of fatigue, caused by iron deficiency – that does not happen overnight. Once the day-to-day diet is adequate, make sure you are maximizing what you do around the activity. Not only on the day of the event, but also around training.
AC: I read on your website that you are the mother of three active adolescents. What are some favorite snacks or meals for your children?
HM: We pack a lot of turkey sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, and miniature bagels. We live on the go. I am always looking for portable protein sources, such as tuna pouches, which the kids will eat with fruit or crackers. We also pack portable chocolate milk, yogurt cups, and lots of bottled water. Sometimes my kids will like a food for six months, and then say they will never eat it again. It is important to remember as sports parents that children go through phases.
AC: I also read that you are a marathon runner (I am a runner too!). What are your go-to meals or snacks for training and race days?
HM: Although I have run a marathon, I would say I am more of a half-marathon runner. I work with many running and training groups. I recommend salty snacks, such as pretzels, but it depends on the athlete – some athletes may be salty sweaters. I usually recommend carbohydrates before running, but snacks to train with depend on when you are training. For example, some people don’t need anything special if they are training in the evening and eat nutritious meals throughout the day. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty or hungry to drink or eat during a run. You have to practice and prepare with the products you will use on race day. I don’t usually recommend a specific product because some runners may not tolerate certain products. For example, not all runners
tolerate gels. Train with the product you will use on the day of the event.
AC: Is there any additional information you would like readers to know?
HM: The field of sports dietetics incorporates a wide range of expertise. I work specifically in adolescent sports nutrition. This means I am not only focusing on eating for performance, but first, focusing on growth and development. Adolescents are growing, they are all at different phases, and figuring out their needs is not as simple as multiplying or adding numbers. I teach children to listen to their bodies, bodily cues, and focus on day-to- day nutrition. I teach parents how to feed their kids when they are essentially eating out of a car. Parents may focus in on what to eat before, during and after the event; but parents need to be educated that if their child is sick, injured, or inflamed because their day-to- day diet is not adequate, then the child is not going to be the best athlete.
I related Mangieri’s response to my own experience working with high-school cross-country runners, in that focusing on nutrition for growth and development is critical when runners are expending so much energy, specifically for prevention of bone mass loss and fractures. Stay tuned for this dietetic intern’s review of Fueling Young Athletes in the 2018 Winter issue of the Nutrition Education for the Public Networking News! Mangieri was inspired to write her book based on questions she frequently received from coaches and parents!
Alaina Coffey is a Master’s Student and Dietetic Intern '16-'18 at California State University at Long Beach