Getting to know...Ricardo Da Costa
Dr Ricardo Da Costa
Name: Dr Ricardo Da Costa.
Title: Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Dietetics and Nutrition.
Faculty/Division: Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences.
Department: Nutrition and Dietetics.
Campus: Clayton.
How long have you worked at Monash? 11 months.
Where did you work prior to starting at the University? Coventry University, United Kingdom.
What do you like best about your role? Teaching, research, recipe development (kitchen time) and providing athlete support.
Why did you choose your current career path? As an ex-professional athlete, nutrition played a massive role in achieving peak performance and sporting success.
First job? Professional elite level triathlete and duathlete.
Worst job? Professional elite level triathlete and duathlete - too much pressure and such a hard and solitary lifestyle.
What research/projects are you currently working on and what does it involve? Recent work has focused on the impact of multi-stressor activity on immune, thermoregulatory and gastrointestinal responses; and additionally the impact of ultra-marathon competition on nutrition and hydration status. This involves putting participants through extreme physical exertion while collecting a wide range of human samples (e.g. blood, faecal, urine and saliva) to determine immune, metabolic and gut biomarkers.
What is your favourite place in the world and why? Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom – my previous hometown and where my daughter was born.
What is your favourite place to eat and why? My home – I can put any celebrity chef to shame. I find it hard to pay money for food that I can make better.
What is the best piece of advice you have received? Too many to pick from. But gratefully appreciate my beautiful wife and mentors keeping me on the path.
Tell us something about yourself that your colleagues wouldn’t know? I have three world championship titles, five European championship titles, and over 20 national titles in triathlon, duathlon and ironman (1993-2003) in both juniors and elite.