Professional Development for Personal Trainers

Certificate in Performance Nutrition

Your clients already ask you what to eat. Learn to answer with confidence, stay within scope, and add nutrition coaching to your PT business.

  • IICT-approved
  • FITREC-approved
  • Lifetime access
  • 100% online, self-paced
Enrol now See what you'll learn

$1,495 one-off, or a 10% deposit then $25 a week. No prerequisites. Start today.

  • RTO 32107Onfit Training College
  • IICT-approvedEligible for IICT insurance
  • FITREC-approvedLevel A professional development
  • Lifetime accessRevisit any time
  • 7-day supportOur Circle of Support
Course overview

What is the Certificate in Performance Nutrition?

The Certificate in Performance Nutrition is an online professional development course from Onfit Training College (RTO 32107) for Australian personal trainers and fitness professionals. It teaches evidence-based nutrition for fat loss, muscle gain and performance, and how to coach clients within scope. It is IICT-approved and FITREC-approved (Level A).

You'll learn how the body uses food for fuel, how to assess what a client is really eating, how to estimate energy needs and set realistic targets, and how to guide clients through popular approaches such as intermittent fasting, carbohydrate loading and ketogenic diets. You'll finish knowing where a PT's scope ends, how IICT membership and insurance lets you offer nutrition coaching, and when to refer to a dietitian or GP.

Provider
Onfit Training College, RTO 32107 (Brisbane, est. 2008)
Recognition
IICT-approved · FITREC-approved (Level A)
Delivery
100% online, self-paced, on any device
Study time
Around 12 to 15 hours
Access
Lifetime access
Assessment
Online quizzes and case studies. No exams.
Entry
No prerequisites
Price
$1,495, or 10% deposit then $25 a week
You receive
Certificate of completion from Onfit
Why PTs add nutrition

Your clients are already asking. Now you'll have the answers.

Training is only half of the result. Nutrition knowledge helps your clients get there faster, and gives you a new service to offer.

01 · CONFIDENCE

Answer questions properly

"How much protein do I need?" "Should I try fasting?" "What do I eat before a game?" Give evidence-based answers instead of guesswork.

02 · RESULTS

Stop results stalling

Review a food diary, spot the patterns holding a client back, and agree on small changes they'll actually stick to.

03 · REVENUE

Add a paid service

Offer nutrition coaching as a paid add-on. The course is IICT-approved, so you're eligible to apply for IICT insurance as a nutrition coach.

What could a nutrition add-on be worth?

Move the sliders to model your own numbers.

Illustrative extra income per year
$0

Move the clients slider to see an example.

Illustrative example only, not a guarantee of earnings. Your pricing, client numbers and results will vary.

What you'll learn

Four sections, from the science to real clients

Each section builds on the last and ends with a quiz and a case study, so you can apply what you've learnt straight away.

Healthy food and a pair of dumbbells on a wooden table SECTION 01

The Fundamentals of Performance Nutrition

  • Macronutrients, micronutrients and energy balance
  • How the body uses carbohydrate, fat and protein for fuel
  • What to eat before, during and after training
  • Hydration, sports drinks and heat illness

You'll be able to: explain how food fuels training, and give clients practical pre and post-workout options.

Fresh fruit, vegetables and grains around a printed recipe sheet SECTION 02

Creating Meal Plans for Clients

  • Food diaries, 24-hour recalls and food frequency questionnaires
  • Reading a food diary: the who, when, where and why
  • Body composition assessment and estimating energy needs
  • Macronutrient targets and simple, flexible meal structures

You'll be able to: assess a client's current intake and build an eating structure they'll actually follow.

Fresh vegetables arranged around a wall clock SECTION 03

Nutritional Interventions for Health and Performance

  • Nutrient timing for muscle growth
  • Intermittent fasting methods and who they suit
  • Carbohydrate loading for endurance events
  • Ketogenic diets, and sustainable fat loss

You'll be able to: talk clients through popular diets honestly, including when they're not the right fit.

A glass of milk in front of a person holding their stomach SECTION 04

Deficiencies, Intolerances, Supplements and PEDs

  • Common nutrient deficiencies and the warning signs
  • Food intolerances, coeliac disease and food allergies
  • Sports supplements and how they're regulated in Australia
  • Performance-enhancing drugs, risks and side effects

You'll be able to: recognise red flags, give safe general guidance and refer on with confidence.

Coach within scope

Can a personal trainer give nutrition advice in Australia?

Yes, but there's a line. As a registered PT, you can give general healthy eating guidance based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Individual nutrition coaching, such as setting macronutrient targets or personalised meal structures, needs the right training and insurance. This course is IICT-approved, so graduates are eligible to apply for IICT membership and insurance as a nutrition coach.

AS A REGISTERED PT

General guidance

  • Healthy eating advice based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines
  • Food groups, serves, portions and label reading
  • Hydration and general fuelling around training
WITH IICT MEMBERSHIP AND INSURANCE

Nutrition coaching

  • Review food diaries and assess current intake
  • Estimate energy needs and set macronutrient targets
  • Build simple, flexible meal structures for healthy clients
  • Coach habits and adherence over time

Within the scope of the skills taught in this course, for healthy adult clients.

ALWAYS REFER

To a dietitian or GP

  • Medical conditions that need a special diet
  • Suspected deficiencies, allergies, intolerances or disordered eating
  • Pregnancy, under-18s, or medication affecting appetite or weight
  • Supplement prescriptions or medical nutrition therapy
How it works

Study around your clients, not the other way round

No classes to attend and no exams. Learn in short lessons on your phone between sessions, or sit down for a longer block on the weekend.

Meal prep containers filled with chicken, broccoli and rice
  1. Enrol onlinePay in full or choose the weekly payment plan. It takes a couple of minutes.
  2. Start straight awayGet instant access to your learning portal. Rolling intakes, no waiting for a semester.
  3. Learn and applyWork through four sections with short quizzes and case studies. Your progress saves as you go.
  4. Get certifiedReceive your Certificate of completion from Onfit Training College. Keep lifetime access.
Included · Client toolkit

Tools you'll use with clients, again and again

Download ready-to-use templates built for Australian clients, with kilojoules and Australian foods.

A daily food diary with a pen, surrounded by fresh fruit and vegetables

Food diary with food lookup

Clients log meals by choosing Australian foods from a list. Energy and macros add up automatically.

Meal plan builder

Turn energy and protein targets into a simple daily structure, with totals checked for you.

Client intake and referral checklist

Screen for red flags before you start, and know when to refer.

Enrol today

One course. Lifetime access.

Everything that's included

  • Four online sections covering fundamentals, meal planning, interventions, supplements and PEDs
  • Quizzes and case studies you complete online, with no exams
  • Client toolkit: food diary, meal plan builder and intake checklist
  • Support from our Circle of Support, 7 days a week
  • Certificate of completion from Onfit Training College (RTO 32107)
  • IICT-approved and FITREC-approved (Level A)
  • Lifetime access to the course

Certificate in Performance Nutrition

$1,495 AUD, paid once
or
$25 a week

after a 10% deposit ($149.50), for 54 weeks ($1,499.50 in total). Start learning as soon as your deposit is paid.

Enrol now Call 1300 557 637
Since 2008
18 years

of training Australia's fitness professionals online, as an Australian family-owned college.

Why Onfit

Built for working PTs

A real person when you need one

Our Circle of Support is here by phone, email and video, including after hours and weekends.

Registered and recognised

Onfit Training College is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 32107), and this course is IICT-approved and FITREC-approved (Level A).

Practical, not academic

Built around the questions your clients actually ask, with Australian guidelines and foods.

Yours for life

Come back to any lesson whenever a client asks something new.

GOOGLE REVIEWS

What students say about Onfit

Related nutrition courses

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can personal trainers give nutrition advice in Australia?

Yes, within scope. Registered personal trainers can give general healthy eating information based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines, such as food groups, serves, portions and label reading. Under the AUSactive, Dietitians Australia and Sports Dietitians Australia guideline, individual assessment, macronutrient calculations and personalised meal plans sit outside a registered PT's scope.

This course is IICT-approved, so graduates are eligible to apply for IICT membership and insurance as a nutrition coach and offer that service to healthy clients, within the skills taught. Medical nutrition therapy is always for Accredited Practising Dietitians and doctors.

Is the Certificate in Performance Nutrition IICT-approved?

Yes. It is an IICT Approved Course, approved by the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT). Graduates are eligible to apply for IICT membership and, through the IICT, professional indemnity and public liability insurance as a nutrition coach. Check the IICT's current membership requirements when you apply.

Is the course FITREC-approved?

Yes. FITREC is an Australian registration and professional profile service for fitness professionals. This course is FITREC-approved at Level A, which counts towards the education score on your FITREC profile.

Do I need a Certificate III or IV in Fitness first?

No. There are no prerequisites. The course is written for personal trainers and fitness professionals, but anyone who wants a solid, practical understanding of performance nutrition can enrol.

How long does the course take?

Most students complete it in around 12 to 15 hours of study. It is self-paced with lifetime access, so there is no deadline and you can revisit lessons whenever you need them.

How much does it cost, and is there a payment plan?

The course is $1,495 AUD. You can pay in full, or pay a 10% deposit ($149.50) and then $25 a week for 54 weeks ($1,499.50 in total). You can start learning as soon as your deposit is paid.

Is this a nationally recognised qualification?

No. It is a professional development short course, not a nationally recognised (AQF) qualification. You receive a Certificate of completion from Onfit Training College (RTO 32107), and the course is IICT-approved and FITREC-approved (Level A).

Will this make me a dietitian or nutritionist?

No. Dietitians complete a university degree and can treat medical conditions with diet. This course equips fitness professionals to give general, evidence-based nutrition coaching to healthy clients, and to refer when something is outside scope.

Can I write meal plans for my clients after this course?

As a registered PT alone, personalised meal plans are outside your scope. With IICT membership and insurance as a nutrition coach, you can assess a healthy client's intake, estimate their energy needs and build simple, flexible meal structures, within the skills taught in this course. Diets to manage a medical condition should always come from a dietitian or doctor.

How is the course assessed?

Online, with no exams. Each of the four sections has short multiple-choice quizzes and a case study that you complete and submit in your learning portal.

Is the course fully online? Can I study on my phone?

Yes. It is 100% online and works on a phone, tablet or computer, so you can study between sessions or from anywhere in Australia or overseas.

What support do I get?

Our Circle of Support team is available 7 days a week by phone and email, including after hours and weekends. Call 1300 557 637.

Ready when you are.

Start today, study at your pace and keep lifetime access. From $25 a week.

Enrol now 1300 557 637
Performance Nutrition$1,495 or $25/week
Enrol now

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