Sara Forbes

Research Interests

Planetary Health Sport and exercise nutrition

Ms Sara Forbes

Online Course Facilitator

Adelaide University Online and Learning Futures

Academic

Sara is an Online Course Facilitator/Lecturer at UniSA Online and UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences. She is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with experience in clinical and food service dietetics. Sara has held roles in the healthcare and sports industries and worked in New Zealand, Australia and Italy as a dietitian. Since 2019 Sara has taught undergradute nutrition courses. She has an active interest in research and commenced a PhD part-time at Australian Catholic University in 2024.

Date Position Institution name
2025 - 2025 Lecturer in Nutrition and Food Sciences University of South Australia
2022 - 2023 Senior Dietitian Food Services SA Health
2019 - ongoing Online Course Facilitator University of South Australia
2019 - 2019 Research Food Service Dietitian Australian Institute of Sport and Australian Catholic University
2018 - 2018 Food Service Dietitian Australian Sports Commission
2017 - 2018 Advanced Dietitian Food Services Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service
2016 - 2016 Food Service Dietitian Australian Sports Commission
2015 - 2015 Food Service Nutrition Fellow Australian Sports Commission
2015 - 2015 Work Group Lead – Kitchen Production and Retail Café Auckland District Health Board
2014 - 2015 Aged Care Dietitian – Food Service and Clinical Vivacare (now Avanti Care)
2013 - 2014 Senior Food Service Dietitian SA Health
2010 - 2013 Clinical Dietitian Waitemata District Health Board
2009 - 2010 Operational Support - Aged Care & Hospital Food Medirest Healthcare Services
2008 - 2008 Teaching Assistant in Food Service Management University of Otago

Language Competency
English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
Italian Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

Date Institution name Country Title
2009 - 2010 University of Otago New Zealand Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics
2007 - 2008 University of Otago New Zealand Bachelor of Science
1997 - 2000 University of Otago New Zealand Bachelor of Physical Education with Honours

Year Citation
2022 King, A. J., Etxebarria, N., Ross, M. L., Garvican Lewis, L., Heikura, I. A., McKay, A. K. A., . . . Burke, L. M. (2022). Short-term very high carbohydrate diet and gut-training have minor effects on gastrointestinal status and performance in highly trained endurance athletes. Nutrients, 14(9), 1-24.
DOI Scopus17 WoS19 Europe PMC14
2021 Forbes, S., Bicknell, E., Guilovica, L., Wingrove, K., & Charlton, K. (2021). A rapid review of the environmental impacts associated with food consumption in Australia and New Zealand. Current Nutrition Reports, 10(4), 334-351.
DOI Europe PMC5
2021 Burke, L. M., Whitfield, J., Heikura, I. A., Ross, M. L. R., Tee, N., Forbes, S. F., . . . Sharma, A. P. (2021). Adaptation to Low Carbohydrate High Fat diet is rapid but impairs endurance exercise metabolism and performance despite enhanced glycogen availability. The Journal of Physiology, 599(3), 771-790.
DOI
2021 Burke, L. M., Hall, R., Heikura, I. A., Ross, M. L., Tee, N., Kent, G. L., . . . McKay, A. K. A. (2021). Neither beetroot juice supplementation nor increased carbohydrate oxidation enhance economy of prolonged exercise in elite race walkers. Nutrients, 13(8, article no. 2767), 1-22.
DOI Scopus9 WoS11 Europe PMC7
2020 Burke, L. M., Sharma, A. P., Heikura, I. A., Forbes, S. F., Holloway, M., McKay, A. K. A., . . . Ross, M. L. (2020). Crisis of confidence averted: impairment of exercise economy and performance in elite race walkers by ketogenic low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet is reproducible. PLoS ONE, 15(6, article no. e0234027), 1-31.
DOI
2018 Mirtschin, J. G., Forbes, S. F., Cato, L. E., Heikura, I. A., Strobel, N., Hall, R., & Burke, L. M. (2018). Organization of dietary control for nutrition-training intervention involving periodized carbohydrate availability and ketogenic low-carbohydrate high-fat diet. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 28(5), 480-489.
DOI
2017 Burke, L. M., Ross, M. L., Garvican Lewis, L. A., Welvaert, M., Heikura, I. A., Forbes, S. G., . . . Hawley, J. A. (2017). Low carbohydrate, high fat diet impairs exercise economy and negates the performance benefit from intensified training in elite race walkers. Journal of physiology, 595(9), 2785-2807.
DOI

Courses I teach

  • BIOL 1041 Introduction to Nutrition and Food Sciences 1 (2025)
  • FOSC 2007 Food Innovation and Culinary Nutrition (2025)
  • FOSC 3017 UO Food as Medicine (2025)
  • HLTH 1053 UO Foundations of Health and Physical Activity (2025)
  • HLTH 3063 UO Food Safety, Quality and Security (2025)
  • HLTH 3064 UO Nutrition for Exercise and Performance (2025)
  • BIOL 2060 UO Lifespan Nutrition (2024)
  • FOSC 3017 UO Food as Medicine (2024)
  • HLTH 1053 UO Foundations of Health and Physical Activity (2024)
  • HLTH 3063 UO Food Safety, Quality and Security (2024)
  • HLTH 3064 UO Nutrition for Exercise and Performance (2024)

Date Role Membership Country
2024 - ongoing Member Sports Dietitians Australia -
2013 - ongoing Member Dietitians Australia -

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