NUTRITION & EXERCISE FOR HEALTH & SPORTS PERFORMANCE - 2021/2

Module Overview

As with other modules in this programme this module gathers a range of internal and external speakers to provide specific insights into the role and application of nutrition to sport and exercise.   As a foundation to this specific application of nutrition the module starts with a brief overview of exercised physiology and limits to performance, before covering key areas of nutrition in an exercising situation, both in terms of performance and in terms of health. 

Students’ knowledge and appraisal of evidence is by completing essays on five different aspects of the module.    

Module provider

School of Biosciences and Medicine

Module Leader

COLLINS Adam (Biosc & Med)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Some or all of the following topics

• Exercise, energy requirements and weight maintenance


• Review of muscle anatomy and physiology


• Muscle fibres - red/white fibres [type I, type II, type IIa]; muscle contraction [contractile proteins, sliding filament theory]


• Review of cardiovascular physiology: exercise, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease


• Energy metabolism - an overview of aerobic and anaerobic  metabolism; respiratory fuels; fuel selection; regulation of glycolysis;


• Fluid and electrolyte balance in exercise; temperature regulation


• Structural damage; muscle soreness; weight cycling; injury and recovery; overtraining; oxidative damage and antioxidants; immune suppression, glutamine supplementation


• Theoretical and practical aspects of dietary manipulation for peak performance in speed,   endurance and ultraendurance events; carbohydrate manipulating regimes; role of fat; protein requirements and high-protein diets


• Review of legal nutritional supplements: ergogenic aids e.g. vitamin and mineral supplements, creatine, carnitine, bicarbonate/citrate loading;  quack nutritional supplements


• Exercise and the female athlete: iron status; supplementation; menstrual cycle irregularities; exercise and bone health; eating disorders


• Making weight.


• Exercise and dietary habits of the UK population; role of exercise in health maintenance and weight loss


• Nutrition and sport - international consensus view on the optimal diet

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their subject knowledge and understanding (see above) and the development of their cognitive and transferable skills (see above) through the assimilation and appraisal of the literature to address the coursework questions.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework: a range of subject areas will be assessed, demonstrating learning outcomes across the range for the module.


• Students are required to submit electronically on a set deadline two months following the module.

Module aims

• To provide students with a thorough background knowledge in physiology, biochemistry and nutrition relevant to exercise, such that they can critically evaluate existing practices in exercise and dietary manipulation designed to enhance sports performance.
• To allow students the opportunity to evaluate practices in exercise and dietary manipulation currently used to enhance performance in a wide range of sports activities.
• To appreciate the difference between legal and illegal nutritional supplements and ergogenic aids.
• To reinforce the concept that modification of exercise and dietary habits in the general population can promote improved health and well-being.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to be aligned with the descriptor for qualification at level 7 in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) produced by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures


• Workshops


• Journal club


• Class discussions

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: BMSM011

Other information

This module is only available to students on the Nutritional Medicine programme.

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 2021/2 academic year.