Dr. Sam McHaffie

Dr. Sam Mchaffie is a performance nutritionist specialising in energy balance, body composition, and the applied nutrition demands of elite women’s football. He currently works on-site as Performance Nutritionist for Manchester City Women FC (November 2023–present), supporting high-performance fuelling, recovery and body composition strategies across the competitive season.

Prior to Manchester City, he spent three years with The Football Association (February 2021–February 2024) as a Performance Nutritionist and PhD student within the England Women’s pathway (U17–U20). Across this period he supported age-group internationals with evidence-led nutrition systems and player education, while researching the energy demands of the international women’s football pathway, strengthening the link between day-to-day practice and research outcomes that can inform national-team standards.

Earlier in his career, McHaffie worked in applied and industry-facing roles that broadened his experience across elite sport environments. At Science in Sport (April 2019–February 2021) he served as a Performance Nutritionist in a field-based role, building relationships with elite teams and providing nutrition support to partner organisations, including EFL clubs and INEOS Team UK Sailing. Before this, he spent over two and a half years at Everton Football Club (October 2016–April 2019), progressing from Women’s First Team Nutrition Intern to Women’s First Team Nutritionist, and also contributing as a Women’s Academy Sport Scientist, developing a strong understanding of academy-to-first-team transition needs in the women’s game.

Academically, he completed his MSc in Sport Nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University (2016–2017) before undertaking a PhD in Sports Nutrition at LJMU (February 2021–May 2025). His doctoral work, titled “An Evaluation of the Nutritional Practices and Energy Requirements of Female Elite Soccer Players: A Mixed Methods Investigation”, reflects his central expertise in aligning performance nutrition practice with real-world energy demands and behavioural context in elite female players.

Academic institution: Liverpool John Moores University
Practical affiliation (current & previous): Manchester City Women FC; The Football Association (England Women’s pathway); Everton Ladies; Science in Sport; INEOS Team UK Sailing; MK Dons
Languages spoken: English
Content feature: Energy Balance and Body Composition
Area: Nutrition