Integrative Sports Nutritionists

Skill, training, and dedication got you here. Now maintaining a long-lasting professional career is all about partnering with the best sports nutritionists to personalize your nutrition and lifestyle foundations.

We are pro sports nutrition specialists—creating personalized performance plans for elite and pro athletes.

We understand the constant pressure that athletes experience when performing at elite and professional levels. That’s why we provide personalized, targeted, and sustainable solutions to optimize training, performance, and recovery.

While skill, training, and dedication get an athlete onto the playing field, maintaining a long-lasting professional career is all about proper nutrition and lifestyle foundations.

Here at SportFuel we provide simple, targeted, and sustainable solutions to optimize training, performance, and recovery

When founder Julie Burns debuted her individualized, real-food approach to sports nutrition in Chicago in the ‘90s, it was met with doubt and disapproval from her peers.

Founder Julie Burns has been creating an individualized, real-food approach to sports nutrition in Chicago since the 1990’s.

Now, personalized nutrition is the gold standard upon which the industry rests. SportFuel® has paved the way for athletes everywhere to stay on top of their game—and competition—while reaching their unique goals through a scientific and customized nutritional approach.

SportFuel® has paved the way for athletes everywhere to stay on top of their game—and competition—while reaching their unique goals through a scientific and customized nutritional approach.

While SportFuel is a Chicago-based nutritionist firm, our certified dietitians serve athletes virtually throughout the US and Canada.

Chicago-based. Serving clients virtually in the US and Canada.

SportFuel's Client Roster

Since 1993, SportFuel have been the official team nutritionists for the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs, fueling 3 championships. Additionally, the SportFuel roster has included the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, Northwestern Varsity teams, CYA Hockey, and Tennis Canada, as well as professional athletes from the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympics. Our experts have also spoken on panels for Nike and Jordan, among others.

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Our sports nutritionists understand the professional athlete’s daily challenges and provide real-life, simple, and sustainable nutrition solutions.

Real-life, simple, and sustainable solutions for athletes

For athletes looking to master...

Being on-call to perform at a moment’s notice
Prioritizing and sustaining healthy habits despite overwhelming busyness in and out of sport
Fueling for endurance and strength development
Minimizing injury and enhancing recovery
Sorting through conflicting nutritional information and fad diets available online

Being on-call
Prioritizing and sustaining healthy habits
Fueling for endurance and strength development
Minimizing injury and enhancing recovery
Simplifying nutrition

SportFuel is here for you.

Our sport and fitness nutritionists collaborate with you to create a personalized performance plan, so you can get back to doing what you do best: performing.

Our sport and fitness nutritionists create your personalized performance plan, so you can get back to doing what you do best: performing.

Weight management
Energy optimization
Injury recovery and prevention
Hormonal balance
Athlete performance enhancement

Digestive challenges
Food sensitivities and intolerances
Inflammatory conditions
Mitochondrial optimization

Weight management
Energy optimization
Injury recovery and prevention
Hormonal balance
Athlete performance enhancement
Digestive challenges
Food sensitivities and intolerances
Inflammatory conditions
Mitochondrial optimization

Customized testing
Personalized fueling schedules for training and competition
Lifestyle recommendations

Professional athlete meal and supplement plans
Comprehensive nutritional assessment
Professional-grade fueling supplements

Customized testing
Personalized fueling schedules for training and competition
Lifestyle recommendations
Professional athlete meal and supplement plans
Assessment of personal history, training schedules, and nutritional testing
Professional-grade supplements and performance products

Meet the Team

We are a team of professional sports nutritionists and facilitators who help elite athletes reach their professional performance goals in sport and life.

Julie Burns is the Founder of SportFuel, Inc., an integrative sports nutrition and wellness consulting firm. She has provided team nutrition services to the Chicago Blackhawks for nearly 30 years, and works individually with athletes who compete in the NFL, MLB, NBA, Olympics, and other elite sports teams.

After seeing firsthand that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective, Julie developed a highly personalized program that blends integrative nutrition with lifestyle medicine to help clients discover their maximum potential.

Julie is a member of the American Nutrition Association (ANA); the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND); the AND practice groups, Dietitians in Functional Medicine (DIFM) and Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN); and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). She served three terms on SCAN’s Executive Board, was the Cardiovascular Editor for SCAN’s Pulse quarterly publication for 5 years, and served on the Gatorade Sport Science Institute’s Sports Nutrition Advisory Board from 1995-2003. Julie was in the first graduating class of the Kresser Institute’s ADAPT program in December of 2016. Additionally, Julie is the Managing Member of Eat Like the Pros®, which acts as a highly effective resource hub designed to help you integrate the SportFuel, Inc. philosophy into your life.

To balance her passion for continued learning, Julie enjoys golfing, gardening, cooking, yoga, meditating, volunteering for charities and causes close to her heart, walking her sweet dog, and watching and attending all sporting events with her husband and adult triplets! Julie is an active member of the Misericordia Heart of Mercy Women’s League, a group that works to support the mission of the important work of the Misericordia community, and volunteers at Beds Plus, an organization determined to help vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives through housing and supportive services. Most recently, Julie was inducted into the Mother McAuley Hall of Honor.

Alex Cotie is a registered dietitian, with a degree in Dietetic Science from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Having trained with Julie Burns for 10 years, Alex is SportFuel’s top performance nutritionist. She is dedicated to finding integrative and individualized methods to help clients reach their fullest potential.

Whether you’re an athlete or on the sidelines, Alex encourages you to start with one thing that speaks to you to begin nourishing your health.

Along with supporting the Chicago Blackhawks, Rockford IceHogs and SportFuel private clients, Alex is often asked to give presentations to groups such as Nike, Jordan, elite hockey camps, athletic trainers, and youth and high school teams. She has also participated in various panels discussing real-food nutrition and performance.

Alex believes, and science supports, that great nutrition can have an astounding impact on strength, speed, mental clarity, and digestion, while it can also reduce injury and improve overall health and wellness. In her free time, Alex enjoys spending time in nature, all forms of activity, and volunteering.

Margaret Nicholson is an Integrative Health Coach and registered nurse, and nutrigenomics consultant. Margaret plays an active role in supporting SportFuel’s VIP clients and private clients.

At SportFuel, she focuses on setting her clients up for success through simple, manageable lifestyle changes, including food and supplements. Additionally, Margaret develops programs to encourage athletes’ nutrition and supports them with specialized meal plans.

Margaret arrived in the nutrition field out of interest and necessity. When health issues also began to appear for Margaret and her family, she decided to dive deeper into understanding how nutritional changes can majorly influence one’s ability to achieve optimal health and wellness. Her science background and natural intuition for cooking real food has become of vital importance as she works to help clients discover what works best for them.

Alicia Kalinich has been a licensed and registered dietitian nutritionist for 25 years. With a Masters in Exercise Physiology, Alicia is an integrative fitness nutrition specialist, supporting clients with aging optimization.

As a SportFuel Integrative Nutritionist, Alicia believes in the power of food as an important piece in managing health conditions such as weight struggles, digestive disorders, and inflammatory conditions, including joint pain and autoimmunity.

Healthy living from both a nutritional and functional perspective is her primary focus in helping clients achieve success. Alicia is an active member of the Academy of Dietetics, along with the Practitioner Speciality Group-Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine.

To balance her work life, Alicia loves nature and any activity that allows her to indulge, including biking, kayaking, hiking, and skiing.

Chloe Dwyer is a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in youth and family nutrition. With a “food first” approach, she collaborates with young athletes (12 to 22 years old) and their families to support their success.

Chloe has gained valuable experience working with the Chicago Blackhawks over the past 2 years.

Chloe holds a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago and an M.S. in Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a strong advocate for SportFuel’s personalized nutrition approach and seamlessly integrates this philosophy into her work with private clients.

Beyond her individual clientele, Chloe also works closely with youth sport teams, leveraging her diverse nutritional expertise to help teams achieve optimal health and performance. Her passion for empowering others through nutrition is evident in her commitment to delivering personalized guidance and support.

Hannah Gilroy supports clients with informative and simple content and by working collaboratively with them as a health coach. She also manages SportFuel’s marketing and content.

She is passionate about bringing SportFuel’s individualized and food-first approach to the masses. Hannah is an ADAPT Functional Health Coach (A-CFHC), and received her BS in Public Health from St. Louis University, focusing on prevention and environmental influences on behavior change. With her health coaching clients, Hannah likes to think of the body as the “most proximate environment.” As such, she is interested in the intersection of nutrition and the environment and is passionate about bringing these key insights to a greater audience.

Away from her computer, Hannah likes to play volleyball, run, learn new languages, and spend time at the beach with her family and friends.

Kathleen has worked as SportFuel’s bookkeeper, editor, and primary customer service representative for the last 7 years. She also illustrates graphics for SportFuel’s website and marketing.

She studied anthropology, writing, and design and loves seeing how these interests are interconnected in the nutrition world and the world at large. Having dealt with her own set of chronic health issues, she knows how important SportFuel’s integrative approach to health and wellness can be.

In her free time, Kathleen likes painting, sewing (fashion design), and watching TV and movies, preferably by candlelight.

SportFuel Association Involvement

ANA (American Nutrition Association)

IAACN (The International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists)

ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)

WAPF (The Weston A. Price Foundation)

AND (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

The SportFuel® Expert Network

We are beyond blessed to be part of an incredible community of performance health experts. Collaborative care is central to SportFuel’s process.

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Dr. Jim Lavalle, R.Ph., C.C.N.M.T., ND (trad)

Practitioner, Founder of Metabolic Code, Educator + Author

Learn more about Dr. Jim Lavalle

James LaValle is an internationally recognized clinical pharmacist, author, board-certified clinical nutritionist, and expert and educator in integrative and precision health. James is best known for his expertise in personalized integrative therapies uncovering the underlying metabolic issues that keep people from feeling healthy and vital. A thought leader in drug/nutrient depletion issues he has published 4 books and 3 databases in this area alone. As such he has over 35 years’ experience integrating natural and integrative therapies into various medical and business models. His latest research is in drug-induced microbiome disruption.

Gay Riley, MS, RD, CCN, FMN

Nutrigenomics Consultant

Learn more about Gay Riley

Julie Burns met Gay over 30 years ago when they began their functional and personalized nutritional medicine training. Gay’s skills and experience span 3 decades and have been focused in weight management, environmental nutrition, sports performance, energy medicine and chronic illness. Gay has studied nutrigenomics for the last 15 years and has a root cause approach to healing. Gay has consulted with professional sports teams, elite athletes, National Academy of Sports Medicine, the gym industry (Golds Gym, 24 hour Fitness, Apex Fitness, and Dotfit).

Gay has been married for 43 years, has 18 nieces and nephews, and enjoys people, nature, travel, music, painting, yoga, swimming and the outdoors.

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Carmine Felice, DC, CSCS

Founder and Director of The Performance Labs

Learn more about Carmine Felice

Dr. Carmine Filice is the Founder and Director of The Performance Lab, and has pioneered the effort to bring sports science from the laboratory to the field. Carm has worked with the leaders in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and training around the world. He began his journey into the world of sports science at the Peak Performance Project (P3) in Santa Barbara and Sparta Science in Silicon Valley.

From his many years working at the professional level, Carm has developed a reputation for his superior diagnostic capabilities in both rehabilitation and performance training settings.

Working with athletes from professional leagues that span the globe has helped him hone his craft of using cutting edge technology to make sure his athletes and patients alike are achieving the best results possible. Carm has worked with people from all walks, from weekend warriors to members of leagues like: MLB, MLS, NHL, NBA, AVP, MMA, WTA, ATP, World Champions and Olympians. With such a global reputation, confidential clients from around the world have requested services from Carm since he established The Performance Lab in 2011.

Carm has been working to put together a team of the best and brightest minds at The Performance, who collaborate to create an innovative approach to apply sports science to athlete performance and recovery.

FAQs

What is SportFuel?

SportFuel is an integrative nutrition consulting firm based in Chicago, Illinois. SportFuel works with a wide range of clients, including professional sporting teams and competing elite and youth athletes. We provide personalized nutrition to clients so that they can achieve their goals and maintain peak performance throughout their long-lasting careers. SportFuel also work with non-competing athletes looking to improve their body composition, feel more rested and focused throughout the day, and eat in a way that promotes their health and longevity.

What is integrative sports nutrition?

Integrative sports nutrition is a subsect of the nutrition field which examines health and athletic performance from a holistic approach. Nutritionists help clients to eat and life in a way that reduces stress, manages inflammation, and promotes more robust sleep. Through a real food diet that is personalized to the client's unique needs and goals, our clients are able to look, feel, and play their best without negatively impacting their well-being and long-term health.

How does nutrition affect my athletic performance?

A solid nutritional foundation complements your training and athletic performance by allowing your body to recover more optimally, repair muscles, and prevent injury. A proper fueling plan is imperative to achieving mental clarity for sharper focus, as well as efficient and full digestion. Nutrition allows athletes to feel nourished, light, and ready to conquer their competition.

After all, training only gets you so far. Nutrition is the missing key to unlock your greatest potential.

Who can work with SportFuel?

While we are most known for our work as Team Nutritionists for the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs, as well as other professional athletes and elite athlete prospects, we have a wide range of clients from aspiring youth athletes to fitness fanatics.

When was SportFuel founded? What does the brand stand for?

For more than 30 years, SportFuel’s expertise has helped shape the application of sports nutrition. When founder Julie Burns debuted her individualized, real-food approach to sports nutrition in Chicago in the ‘90s, it was met with doubt and disapproval from her peers. Today, personalized performance nutrition is the gold standard upon which the sports industry rests. SportFuel has paved the way for athletes everywhere to stay on top of their game––and competition––while reaching their unique goals through a scientific and customized nutritional approach.

Are SportFuel recommended products good for me?

The SportFuel Team cannot make specific product recommendations to non-clients, however we do believe that people can benefit from real food products, such as The Sportfuel Bar and Sportfuel Greens, as well as micronutrient supplementation. You can find SportFuel®-recommended daily supplements for competing athletes and non-competing athletes at the SportFuel® Store.

Where and how can I order SportFuel products?

All pro athlete supplements and products can be found on the SportFuel Store. Active SportFuel® clients receive 15% discount on all products at the SportFuel Store and gain access to SportFuel’s health dispensaries.

How do I get started as a new client?

After viewing our pro athlete performance program offerings, book an exploratory call with one of our team members so that we can figure out together which service is best for you.

Do you offer video and remote sessions?

Yes, all nutrition and health coaching consultation sessions are facilitated remotely via Zoom.

Where can I find the pricing for SportFuel services?

In order to serve a greater population, we have service programs starting at 149 USD. In order to appropriately match you with the best program, please book an exploratory call for a one-on-one discussion with a SportFuel team member. This way we can help you choose a program that fits your desired goals and objectives.