One of the central points of emphasis held within “The Path Up” the strategic plan of the USC Upstate Athletic Department is student-athlete wellbeing. The Spartans made a major investment in our student-athlete nutritional health recently with the addition of consultant, Hannah Pruitt, RD, LD.
A Registered and Licensed Dietitian, Pruitt holds two bachelor’s degrees (History, University of South Carolina; Food Science and Human Nutrition, Clemson University) as well as a master’s degree in medical dietetics from The Ohio State University.
During her time at Ohio State, she focused on sports nutrition and worked directly with the Buckeyes football program as a member of the sports nutrition team.
With USC Upstate, Pruitt will meet regularly with student-athletes on-campus and will work in concert with Director of Strength and Conditioning Zac Harris and Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine, Sandy Sandago and their staffs to provide Spartan student-athletes with holistic nutrition education and support as they can fuel themselves for optima sports performance and make healthy eating choices.
“As a dietitian focusing on sports nutrition, it is my passion to help student-athletes develop positive relationships with food, provide education on proper fueling and recovery for both sports performance and everyday nutrition, and equip them with the tools they need to impact the community they serve,” said Pruitt.
Her passion lies in seeing her student-athletes, particularly female student-athletes, learn how to fuel their bodies properly. She has done extensive research with female runners including those who take part in marathons, half marathons and soccer student-athletes.
“It is my goal to pass on my knowledge in hopes that those I work with may reach their full potential,” she continued.
“I am so excited to add Hannah to our sports performance team,” said Director of Athletics Daniel Feig. “Hannah’s sports nutrition expertise will provide needed education and support to our student-athletes to better fuel their bodies and propel their performances on the field and court, while seeking to ensure they adopt healthy eating habits for life,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Daniel Feig.
“The addition of a Registered Dietitian addresses a vital piece of the performance puzzle and is a step towards aligning Upstate with the High Performance Model. Nutrition is an ‘x-factor’ for athletes and I am thrilled that we will have Hannah leading the charge on optimizing our athlete’s nutrition. Her wealth of experience and expertise will be a tremendous asset as we move upward!” said Zac Harris, Director of Strength and Conditioning.
In addition to her work specializing in sports nutrition, Pruitt maintains her own clinic working with all age groups as well as on the Clinical Team with Living Bread, a Greenville-based non-profit inspiring hope and healing in those who struggle with eating disorders.
