Book excerpt: Many sports nutrition professionals are challenged by their lack of knowledge of both the functional limitations and the required alterations to training of the athlete with an impairment. In cases where the impairment results in minimal differences in the physiological basis of exercise, sports nutrition principles are easily transferable. However, other impairments such as spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, and cerebral palsy require a very individualized approach to estimations of energy expenditure and carbohydrate and fluid requirements. Sports Nutrition for Paralympic Athletes provides information on the broad subcategories of all physical impairments, along with visual, hearing, and intellectual impairments. Specific areas such as body composition, supplements, and practical issues are discussed comprehensively. Case studies enhance and illustrate a direct and first-hand application to managing Paralympic athletes. Sports nutrition can be the difference in being competitive and making the podium. With the rapidly increasing Paralympic profile, this book will be required reading for professionals endeavoring to give their athletes the competitive edge. This book will challenge and stimulate current and future research in this area to improve the delivery of this intrinsic component of athlete preparation.