Kris Osterberg, PhD, RD, CSSD
Principal Scientist, GSSI
Feature Publication:
Accuracy of a Smart Bottle in Measuring Fluid Intake by American Football Players During Pre-season Training
What inspired you to become a sports scientist and sports dietitian? Tell us about your career journey.
When I was in graduate school at Colorado State University, I took a class called Exercise and Nutrition taught by my advisor and mentor. I really loved the class so when I graduated with my MS degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition, my advisor hired me to work in his Nutrition and Metabolic Fitness lab where I coordinated several small research projects, one of which was funded by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). After working in his lab for a few years, I left to complete my dietetic internship at the University of Northern Colorado. As I was finishing up my internship, GSSI had an opening for a scientist which was what originally brought me to GSSI in 2001.
I wouldn’t say that I had my sights set on becoming a sports dietitian. I stumbled into it a bit by accident. After joining GSSI fresh out of my dietetic internship, I sat for my RD exam 6 months later. My intention was to use my RD credential to be a research dietitian and conduct nutrition and exercise physiology-related research. But, because I was the only RD on staff, I was thrown into the deep end of the sports nutrition pool and worked with all the professional, Olympic, and NCAA athletes that came to GSSI in need of a nutrition consult. Thankfully, GSSI had a Sports Nutrition Board at the time made up of some of the best sports RDs in the country. They were all incredibly generous and I got to learn from the best. I’ve really benefited from those relationships and that trial by fire throughout my career.
I left GSSI in 2009 for Virginia Tech where I taught classes and worked toward a PhD. In 2015, I was hired to be a Team Sports Manager on the Gatorade Sports Marketing team and then came back to GSSI in 2021 in my current role.
Can you tell us more about the Gx Smart Bottle research and your role within the project?
This study on the validation of the Gx Smart Bottle was led by Dr. Lindsay Baker and Shelby Alfred from the Valhalla GSSI team. Other GSSI colleagues (Bonsignore JL, Lee KA, Shepherd B) and I provided support for the testing at IMG Academy, a campus that houses one of GSSI’s laboratories where thousands of athletes train each year. To validate the bottle, we recruited football players to use it during practice. We found that the Smart Bottle’s optical sensor provided accurate measures of fluid intake compared to the traditional method of calculating fluid intake (pre and post weight of the bottle).
What is the one thing that would surprise most people about your work?
I think it surprises people that we don’t have professional athletes hanging out at the lab 24/7. Oftentimes, when we’re asked to give a tour for a group, they tell us it would be great if we could arrange for a Gatorade roster athlete to be on-site. We have many interesting things to see and tell you about on a lab tour, but a high-profile athlete's appearance is not likely to happen.
Can you tell us more about the Gatorade Sports Science Institute?
GSSI was founded in 1985 in Barrington, IL. Dr. Robert Murray was GSSI’s first director and laid a solid foundation of internal and external research and education. Many of the Gatorade claims related to drinking response, gastric emptying and intestinal absorption, fluid retention, and the effects of hydration and carbohydrates on athletic performance were based on research done internally or funded by GSSI and conducted externally. GSSI has traditionally had very strong relationships with some of the best exercise physiology scientists and sports dietitians in the world. Additionally, GSSI has always played a large role in providing education around sports nutrition and sports science topics. We recently released a book called “Sports Nutrition for Basketball” which is an in-depth scientific review of the physiological demands of the sport as well as nutrition and hydration recommendations based on the current literature.
What is your favorite Gatorade product?
Gatorlyte is currently my favorite product. I use it with a packet of GatorLytes (the electrolyte powder) after my long runs as I’m a VERY salty sweater. It seems to help me recover and keeps my legs from cramping the rest of the day.
GSSI Sports Nutrition For Basketball - Gatorade Performance Partner