If you are a nutritionist/dietitian, you may have heard of the ISAK Certification. Here’s the thing — enrolling in a Level 1 ISAK course  (or level 2) could be the best investment you make for your career and your clients this year. 

Designed for sports scientists, nutritionists, and other sports practitioners, the program provides a standardized approach to assessing athlete body composition and setting individualized goals. Through this unique analysis, a practitioner can provide more value to the team, adding insight to help reduce an athlete’s injury risk and optimize their performance. 

What is ISAK?

The International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) is the overseeing institution for everyone who works with the measurement of human body composition. This includes sport scientists, sports dietitians, sports nutritionists, and many other professionals in the health and sport sector. ISAK has a standardized protocol for assessing fat, muscle and bone structure in athletes. We have built a Level 1 training course to help practitioners advance in their careers by teaching this methodology. 

The method taught in ISAK courses allows dietitians to set specific muscle, fat, and weight goals based on an individual’s bone structure, taking into account muscle, body fat, growth, and even an athlete’s sport and position. This is truly an individualized approach for setting target body weights for athletes. 

Upon course completion, you progress to taking an exam. After passing the exam, you will complete post-course assessments to gain the “reps” needed to practice as a competent ISAK practitioner.

Different Certification Levels

There are four different levels of ISAK training.

Level 1

Level 1 is the introductory course all practitioners who assess body composition should take. The scope covers fundamental principles of Anthropometry and Anthropometric techniques that use standardized landmarks to assess body composition. Level 1 training will familiarize you with 21 measurements in total.

Level 2

ISAK level 2 goes one step further than level 1 and teaches you more advanced techniques and detailed anthropometric data.  Some items covered by the curriculum are:

• proportionality
• 5-way fractionation procedures of body composition
• determining maximal FFM potential of athletes
• body frame analysis–assess weight on joints and muscle mass

Level 2 courses will teach you a total of 43 measurements.

Level 3

The Level 3 courses are only necessary for those ready to become an ISAK instructor. A level 3 certificate grants you the opportunity to accredit Level 1 and 2 certifications. The level 3 course is designed so more candidates can gain access to the level 1 and 2 pieces of training and advance their careers.

Level 4

ISAK Level 4 is the most senior certification, recognizing the outstanding theoretical and practical knowledge a practitioner has in their field. A level 3 certification is prerequired for anyone to be considered suitable for Level 4 training, and it is only offered to an exclusive group of internationally recognized anthropometrists.

Proving Your Professionalism

Acquiring an ISAK Certification is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate your professionalism as the certification is recognized globally, both by your colleagues and your audience. But there’s more to that.

Think like this: if you truly care about what you do and the individuals or organizations you work with, why wouldn’t you want to stay up to date and bring the most value to the world? And that requires you to invest in your professional growth as a practitioner — exactly what a Level 1 or Level 2 ISAK course does for you. Essentially, the certification is a tool you can use to provide meaningful assessment and other services more effectively and efficiently. That aside, having a certification shows your dedication to your career, suggesting that you’re continually educating yourself, so you catch up with the latest updates in the Kinanthropometry world.

Enroll in a Level 1 ISAK Course Today

As we’ve mentioned above, ISAK training is a valuable investment for anybody serious about their career. However, make sure you are working with a certified instructor.

Pro SOS Nutrition is a registered training instructor offering Level  1 and 2 ISAK courses. We are the only one in the US offering hybrid courses currently. With over a decade of experience working with over 1000 Olympic and pro athletes, we know we’re the instructor you’ve been searching for.

Throughout the year, we will have group courses hosted at chosen locations. We also offer CEUs. If you want to join our next class and receive your ISAK Certification, contact us by filling out the form below or join our mailing list to receive future course updates.