Gabriela Retana(Pharmacy + Human Nutrition and Dietetics 16-17) has joined the Real Sociedad first team as a dietician-nutritionist. Her work consists of contributing, through nutrition, to achieve an optimal state of health for the players, who are subjected to a very demanding competition that sometimes forces them to play several matches in a week.

Despite the work he develops, he has not abandoned his training and now he is about to obtain the diploma "Sports Nutritionist". But how has he designed his degree program to become a Sports Nutritionist?

- How was the process to access your current work space ?
Once I finished the Degree of Pharmacy I had a year and a half ahead of me to finish my programs of study of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. That period consisted of two theoretical semesters and a practical semester . Real Sociedad gave me the opportunity to carry out those 5 months of internship and once finished they valued the work done and offered me to stay in the club as dietitian-nutritionist of the first team.

- What does your work consist of as nutritionist for the Real Sociedad first team?
My responsibility is, through nutrition, to contribute to achieve an optimal state of health and physical condition. The daily training sessions and competition during the season mean an important energetic expense for a player. There are times when recovery is often compromised when there are midweek matches (La Liga and Copa del Rey). In this sense, in addition to having health as goal -including maintaining an adequate weight and fat percentage- nutrition is essential to face the pace of matches and training in the best conditions. In this way, a complete recovery is achieved in the shortest possible time.

- What do you consider most peculiar about the work of a dietitian-nutritionist in the field of sports?
The role of the dietitian-nutritionist is increasingly present in the world of sports. At the moment, the figure of the dietitian-nutritionist exists in practically all the teams in La Liga Santander. In my case, I am fortunate to work and live with elite athletes. Perhaps that is why I know that what is really important is the work carried out by a great team of professionals, not only by the players.

In this sense, our work is both grateful and sacrificial at the same time. It requires a lot of dedication and requires following the schedule of matches, which are always held during the week but especially on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

- Before this work, were you also involved in sports?
I have always been very sporty and in love with nutrition. I studied Pharmacy because I have lived it since I was a child - my mother has a pharmacy and I always liked to go and help her - but when I discovered the double licentiate degree I knew that degree program had my name on it.

- How do you value your educational experience in other countries when it comes to accessing work positions like the one you have now?
On the one hand, knowing different languages opens doors when it comes to communicating with people from any background. Soccer is an international sport and work as a dietitian-nutritionist requires great communication to get to know the dietary habits and particular goals of each player. On the other hand, traveling means growing. It is a way to get out of your comfort zone and is an important development staff , as well as an opportunity to learn about other cultures, ways of life and to get to know yourself.

In my case, I believe that having studied abroad twice has helped me to know my ambitions and pursue them.

- What advice would you give to a student who would like to become a sports nutritionist?
I would advise them to pursue their dream and never stop studying. Right now I am preparing myself to obtain the diploma certificate "Sports Nutritionist" through a Master's Degree organized by the committee International Olympic, and taught by great eminences of sport and sports nutrition. Nutrition is a science that is developing more and more and it is necessary to be up to date (of course, always based on scientific evidence).

- What would you say that studying Pharmacy + Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Navarra has given you?
I am very grateful to the University of Navarra for all the opportunities it gave me during my time at university and the values it has instilled in me in my professional training and development staff .