Vision of NPO Japan Sports Nutrition Association (JSNA)

 Sports nutrition is a field that requires qualified research and findings regarding energy, nutrients, and fluids intake during various physical activities, including competitive sports, healthy exercise, and walking. As exercise and diet are the most important factors to prevent non-communicable diseases, we are greatly interested in the interaction of nutritional intake and physical activities. In addition, to maintain and promote the public health, including children playing sports for fun and elderly people enjoying leisure activities, sports nutrition is a fundamental field.

 However, sports nutrition is often recognized as a field promoting supplements and ergogenic aids. It is because evidence-based practice, and the limited number of qualified professionals.

 Therefore, we believe we need an organization that promotes research on sports nutrition, education of qualified professionals, and provide evidence-based practice of sports nutrition to protect the public from unqualified information.

 The JSNA was established to improve athletic performance, promote public health, and develop sports, through supporting research on sports nutrition, sharing information, and educating professionals.

Purpose of JSNA

 JSNA was established to advance and disseminate sports nutrition by promoting research and information exchange, and by educating and training registered dietitians, dietitians, and sports professionals with advanced expertise in sports nutrition. Through these activities, JSNA aims to improve athletic performance, promote public health, and contribute to the development of sport.

 Sports nutrition covers the knowledge required to meet increased needs for energy, nutrients, and fluids associated with physical activity, from competitive sport to health-oriented exercise and daily walking. It is also an essential field for maintaining and promoting public health across all life stages.

 In Japan, the term “sports nutrition” began to be used around 1990, although publications on diet, and nutrition in athletes have been released since the 1980s.

 I will briefly introduce the history of our association. To establish and disseminate sports nutrition throughout society, the “Japan Sports Nutrition Association”, was founded as a focus group at the 51st meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Dietetics on October 20, 2004. Afterwards, it was necessary for the entity to become an organization in order to build credibility for our group, particularly for proceed the accreditation course of JSPO Sports Dietitian with JSPO and JDA who provide practice by qualified professionals.

 Consequently, our group was certified as a non-profit organization (NPO) by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and has successfully run our projects, such as the release of academic journals, website, and proceeding of the accreditation course for JSPO sports dietitians. When the number of professional members exceeded 1,000, we planned to become a scientific association. The proposition was reviewed over 3 years, and, as a result, our plan was approved at a general meeting held in 2013. In July 2014, the scientific association’s first annual meetings were held. Thus, the JSNA made a new start.

Our history

Date	Events
October 20, 2004	Japan Sports Nutrition Study Group was established at a free meeting of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Dietetics.
March 19, 2005	The first national workshop was held at the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences.
March 20, 2005	The first national meeting was held at Kagawa Nutrition University.
July 1 and 2, 2006	The second national workshop was held at Kagawa Nutrition University, Tokyo-Komagome Campus.
June 21, 2007	Approved by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as the NPO Japan Sports Nutrition Study Group.
June 2008	The training program for JSPO Sports Dietitians, jointly certified by Japan Sport Association and The Japan Dietetic Association, started.
December 6, 2013	Certified by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as the NPO Japan Sports Nutrition Association.

Past presidents

Organization	Duration	President	Note
Japan Sports Nutrition Association	October 20th, 2004 - July 6, 2007	Assoc. prof. Motoko Taguchi
(NPO) Japan Sports Nutrition Association	July 7, 2007 - July 10, 2009	Assoc. prof. Motoko Taguchi	Reappointment
	July 11, 2009 - July 1, 2011	Prof. Shihoko Suzuki
	July 2, 2011 - July 5, 2013	Prof. Shihoko Suzuki	Reappointment
	July 6, 2013 - July 4, 2015	Prof. Shihoko Suzuki	Reappointment
	July 5, 2015 - August 19, 2017	Ph.D. Kazuko Takata
	August 20, 2017 - August 23, 2019	Ph.D. Kazuko Takata	Reappointment
	August 24, 2019 - August 31, 2021	Prof. Michiyo Kimura
	September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2023	Prof. Michiyo Kimura	Reappointment
	September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2025	Prof. Kae Yanagisawa

Past Annual Meetings and Chairs

Date	Venue	Chair
July 11-13, 2014	Waseda University	Assoc. prof. Motoko Taguchi
July 4-5, 2015	Ritsumeikan University	Prof. Kumiko Ebi
July 1-3, 2016	Tokushima Bunri University	Prof. Tomi Tsuda
August 18-20, 2017	Otsuma Women's University	Prof. Takako Koshimizu
July 21-22, 2018	Doshisha University	Prof. Kojiro Ishii
August 23-25, 2019	The University of Tokyo	Assoc. prof. Shin Terada
July 3-12, 2021	Sendai University	Prof. Masato Nagahashi
August 27-28, 2022	Sagami Women's University	Prof. Kae Yanagisawa
September 9-10, 2023	Ryukoku University	Prof. Kengo Ishihara
September 21-22, 2024	Kagawa Nutrition University	Assoc. prof. Masaharu Kagawa
August 30-31, 2025	Nakamura Gakuen University	Prof.Hideaki Kumahara
August 29-30, 2026	Teikyo University	Mami Toraishi

Activities

• Basic sports nutrition’s course for professionals
• Proceedings of the scientific association's conference
• JSNA newsletters and e-mail alerts
• Publication of academic journals (Japanese Journal of Sports Nutrition)
• Accreditation and renewal credit courses for JSPO sports dietitian
• Providing evidence-based research, information, and practice by qualified professionals