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For athletes, food is fuel.

Today, in addition to taking advantage of the “fuel” available at the Phi Sigma Kappa Nutrition Center, NIU’s 420-plus student-athletes are taking the next step in discovering how nutrition contributes to performance.

Director of Nutrition Melissa Burin, a full-time sports dietitian, has taken NIU’s commitment to student-athlete wellness to another level by instituting a comprehensive sports nutrition program since joining NIU last year.

“My focus is to make a difference, starting with education,” Burin said. “I do team talks. I do one-on-one individual sessions. This is the first time there has been a person in this role to meet the needs of the student athletes on a daily basis, so I’m able to coordinate with athletic training, sports performance, mental health and academics. We’re able take a holistic approach to each individual.”

Burin provides expertise on a wide range of topics, from advising the golf teams on the best snacks to keep in their bags and the best way to hydrate on a 36-hole day, to working with athletic training on the best foods for individuals dealing with a concussion, to devising specific programs for student-athletes dealing with food allergies.

“The educational piece has been huge,” said Rhonda Watts, NIU associate athletic director of sports performance. “Having someone who can explain to student-athletes the benefits of tart cherry juice, or the importance of vegetables or why a particular source of protein is better is something we haven’t had. Showing how nutrition enhances athletic performance and recovery, and individualizing that for each and every athlete, and each and every sport, is making a difference.”

Opened in 2019, adjacent to the Northwestern Medicine Performance Center in the Yordon Center on campus, the Phi Sigma Kappa Nutrition Center is stocked with fruit, snacks and more, allowing student-athletes from any sports program to “grab and go” between workouts and classes. While recovery shakes—as many as 200 a day consumed—remain popular, Burin and her staff, including two graduate assistants and various interns, have raised the bar in the Nutrition Center through initiatives like Try It Tuesday.

“If you don’t have nutrition, you’re not going to be able to perform,” Burin said. “Our student-athletes spend a lot of time working out, lifting and training, and their diet is not adequate. The common theme is under-fueling, and it happens because they burn so many calories.”

While the current Nutrition Center is not equipped to provide hot meals, NIU has announced plans and is currently fundraising for the 1899 Club, a training table that will provide meals and a space for student athletes to gather, eat and fuel for optimum performance.

“The opportunity to provide our players with a proper training table really elevates our program,” said NIU football Head Coach Thomas Hammock, ’02 . “This project is one that impacts programs—and most importantly, student-athletes— beyond football. We’re excited to see NIU take this step toward making this a reality.”

Student-athletes will gather and fuel up at the 1899 Club. Support nutritional wellness and hot meals with a gift to the 1899 Club. Visit www.niufoundation.org/give to make a donation.