University of Maryland Athletics

The Maryland Athletics Department delivers a comprehensive approach for providing student-athletes with healthy food and hydration options.

Nutrition is a critical component for peak performance and training, injury prevention, and overall health and well-being. The Sports Nutrition Department's mission is to provide evidence- based nutrition education, counseling, and food service to all student athletes in order to maximize performance and improve overall health. The Sports Nutrition Department provides an initial student athlete nutrition survey to screen all athletes that may be at risk for varying nutrition deficiencies or weight/body composition concerns. Maryland's Registered Dietician is a Certified Specialist in Sports provides all student-athletes and coaches education on appropriate food choices to enhance performance and offers individual nutrition counseling to all student athletes for any concerns that may be present or arise throughout their time at Maryland. 

Colleen Carrion, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD
Director of Sports Nutrition
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Sport Responsibilities: Field Hockey, Men's Basketball, Gymnastics, Men's Lacrosse

Paula Karamihas, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD
Assistant Director of Sports Nutrition
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Sport Responsibilities: Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Basketball, Baseball, Tennis

Spencer Ferguson MS, RD, LDN, CSSD
Assistant Sports Dietitian
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Sport Responsibilities: Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Softball

Lauryn Mericle, MS, RD, LDN
Gatorade Sports Nutrition Fellow
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Sport Responsibilities: Women's Lacrosse, Men's Golf, Women's Golf

Emma Wolitzky, MS, RD, LDN
Sports Nutrition Fellow
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Sport Responsibilities: Track and Field/Cross Country

A well-planned nutrition and hydration plan positively influences athletic performance.  The Sports Dietician promotes healthy food as the fundamental basis of our sport nutrition program, including mostly traditional whole food and supplemental forms of "sport food."  All nutrition supplement purchases for teams are pre-approved by the Sports Dietitian and/or the team physician.  All nutrition supplements purchased for student-athletes comply with NCAA regulations governing permissible supplements that institutions may provide.

• Dietary supplements are not well regulated and may cause a positive drug test result.
• Student-athletes have tested positive and lost their eligibility using dietary supplements.
• Many dietary supplements are contaminated with banned drugs not listed on the label.
• Any product containing a dietary supplement ingredient is taken at your own risk!