Ulster Rugby captain and Ireland international Iain Henderson and Olympic gold medallist Katy Marchant MBE joined more than 120 sports and health professionals in Belfast last week for our Dairy Council for Northern Ireland annual Sports Nutrition Seminar.
In a special conversation chaired by Professor Sharon Madigan, Head of Performance Nutrition at the Sport Ireland Institute, the two elite athletes shared insights from their careers including on the importance of good nutrition in achieving sustained success at the highest level of sport.
A pivotal player for Ulster and Ireland for more than a decade, Iain Henderson has earned 86 caps for Ireland, featured in five Six Nations Championship-winning squads and competed at three Rugby World Cups.
Katy Marchant, who announced her retirement in September, enjoyed a distinguished cycling career that included Olympic bronze at Rio 2016 and European, World and Olympic golds in 2024. A former heptathlete, she switched to cycling in 2013 and went on to successfully compete across the keirin, sprint, team sprint and track time trial disciplines.
The seminar also showcased the latest evidence and practical guidance on sports nutrition, with expert presentations exploring the beneficial effects of milk for rehydration and recovery after exercise, omega-3 nutrition for elite athletes, and performance nutrition strategies used within British Cycling.
Speaking at the event, Dr Carole Lowis, Nutritionist with the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, said:
“Our annual sports nutrition seminar has become a popular platform for local professionals to access the latest research from experts while hearing valuable, first-hand perspectives from athletes operating at the highest levels of sport.
“It was a privilege to host a conversation with Iain and Katy whose celebrated careers may span two unique sporting disciplines, but both understand the fundamental role that nutrition plays in their preparation competition, and recovery, helping them perform at the cutting-edge.
“Our thanks, too, to this year’s excellent speakers – Professor Lewis James, Professor of Human and Exercise Nutrition at Loughborough University; Matthew Hooks, Performance Nutritionist at the Sport Ireland Institute; and Georgina Impson Davey, Lead Performance Nutritionist for the Great Britain Cycling Team – who together provided a compelling mix of research and practical guidance for a local audience of professionals working across the fields of sport, nutrition and health in Northern Ireland.”
As part of our DCNI ‘Milk It for All it’s Worth’ programme, the seminar is designed to communicate the importance of nutrition for sport and a healthy, active lifestyle, including the potential role of milk and dairy foods.
Find out more here.