DETERMINANTS OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE - 2019/0

Module Overview

This module provides a contemporary interdisciplinary evaluation of elite performance. Students will critically review the core physiological, nutritional, psychological and biomechanical factors that influence performance. This module will focus on sport specific case studies and consider how (acute) strategies can improve performance in different environmental settings. Students will have the opportunity to integrate the wide range of information available to them and apply it to sporting situations of their interest.

Module provider

School of Biosciences and Medicine

Module Leader

ALLISON Sarah (Biosc & Med)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Interdisciplinary evaluation of sports specific case studies


• The aggregation of marginal gains


• Interventional strategies for performance and recovery (Physiological, Nutritional, Psychological, Biomechanical, S&C)


• Ergogenic aids 


• Fatigue


• Sleep


• Environmental factors

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

In the event that a student is unable to attend the group assessment, they will have the opportunity to present individually during the late summer re-sit assessment period. Students who fail the essay component of the coursework will be reassessed (using the same format) on a new performance case study.  

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

 

• Their knowledge and understanding of the range of factors which contribute to athletic performance, and ability to integrate this information and apply it to evaluate a sport case study of their choosing.


• Their ability to critically engage with academic literature, synthesise and apply research findings related to a topic of interest.


• Their ability to orally communicate, with clarity, important aspects of sports science in a way that is relevant and easy to understand for athletes, coaches and performance directors.

• Essay on applied and integrated Sport Science (60%) [2000 words]
  
  
  
  • Students are expected to use a multidisciplinary approach to address a key question/problem relating to sports performance.
  
  
  • Submission date -  week 29
  
  
  
  

• A 15 minute group oral presentation (40%)
  
  
  
  • Students are tasked with designing a holistic sports science service to improve performance in a chosen sport case study.
  
  
  • In groups, students will decide the make-up of their multi-disciplinary team (e.g. physiologist, psychologist, biomechanics, nutritionist) and identify a target / intervention / strategy within each discipline to improve overall performance.
  
  
  • The presentation should be directed at coaches and performance directors
  
  
  • Submission date – week 37
  
  
  
  

• Verbal feedback from academics during lectures and seminars


• Prior to the assessments, lecture and/or seminar time will be spent discussing the assignment and feedback process.


• Examples of excellent practice provided for students to make comparisons.

Module aims

• To provide an understanding of the determinants and limitations of human exercise performance under competitive conditions
• To develop a critical awareness of the interdisciplinary nature of elite performance.
• To instil an appreciation of the holistic service provided by multi-disciplinary sport science support teams to improve athlete training, preparation and performance
• To develop a critical awareness of the issues in the design and analysis of sport performance research

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to include interactive lectures, seminars in order to develop subject specific knowledge and provide formative feedback and discussion. A flipped class-room approach will be utilised on some occasions, whereby prior to the lecture, students will be divided into groups and each member asked to consider a different component of sports science (physiology, psychology, biomechanics, nutrition etc) and the impact it has on performance of a given sport specific case study. Findings will then be discussed and debated in the seminar. Practicing Sports Scientists will be invited as external speakers to deliver keynote lectures.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures  (11 x 2 hours)


• Seminars  (6 x 1 hours)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS2067

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2019/0 academic year.