HUMAN NUTRITION FOR SPORT AND EXERCISE - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides an introduction to human nutrition, with an added focus for sport and exercise. Students will develop further knowledge and understanding on the macronutrients that were introduced in BMS1044, and be introduced to key micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) throughout the module.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

HULTON Andrew (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

NONE

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Energy & Energy balance


• Nutrient homeostasis


• Glycaemic Index/Load; Dietary Fibre; Pre/probiotics


• Fatty acids; essentiality and metabolic function. Lipoproteins and atherosclerosis. n-6/n-3 PUFA; inflammation and immunity


• Amino acids; Maintenance growth and protein turnover. Essentiality and metabolic function. Nitrogen balance and determination of protein quality. Animal and vegetable sources of protein.


• Bone minerals and Vit. D


• Vitamins A, B’s C, E


• Minerals: Iron, Zinc, Magnesium


• Plant based diets

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

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

Their knowledge and understanding of the module content. The coursework will allow students the opportunity to develop analytical skills using industry standard dietary analysis software. Students will analysis their own nutritional consumption over a three day period and assess its efficiency against population recommendations and specific issues they may face. From the analysis students are required to provide advice on how to correct issues they have identified or state what are the key components to their diet meeting recommendations.  

The final assessments will be an examination with a range of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and Short Answer Question (SAQ) that will include questions from throughout the module.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

1. Coursework (40%) – Addressing LO 1, 2, 4, 5, 6


2. MCQ & SAQ Exam (60%) – Addressing LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

• Each section will have practice MCQ questions available through the text option on SurreyLearn. Students can attempt these on multiple occasions.


• Zoom tutorials set at the end of the module prior to the SAQ exam. These tutorials will go through pre-set questions that are provided on SurreyLearn.


• Practical session to analysis student food diaries will be supported with academics who can provide immediate feedback during the analytical process.

• Verbal feedback following lectures or during tutorials.


• Feedback to specific queries via email.


• Discussion boards available after all lectures, allowing anonymous questioning or comments.


• Marking of MCQ exams provided within 3 weeks. A feedback tutorial will be administered after the first MCQ highlighting key questions that the students struggled with.

Module aims

• To provide a sound understanding of nutritional principles in relation to the macronutrient and micronutrient components of the diet
• To provide an understanding of the biochemical characteristics in the human diet; function, requirements, absorption, transport and metabolism.
• To develop the concepts of energy and nitrogen balance, metabolic demand, efficiency of utilisation and practically useful values for nutrient content of food
• To provide an understanding of food sources of macro- and micronutrients, the extent of intakes in the whole UK population and the important issues relating to human health.
• To develop the concept of food quality and an optimum diet with reference to animal and plant sources of macronutrients, and to highlight the role of macronutrients in the aetiology of disease including, protein energy malnutrition, obesity, cardio-vascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
• To gain an insight into the link of diet to sport and exercise

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Introduce the students to all aspects of human nutrition in anticipation of both health and/or performance related placements and more detailed modules at level 6.

Students will be expected to attend lectures to receive the content for the module. All lectures will be recorded, but attendance is expected. Additional supportive research papers and book chapters are recommended and will be provided.

Throughout the module SurreyLearn will extensively be used to inform students and disseminate specific contents such as lecture hand-outs and recordings, useful links and additional literature. SurreyLearn will also be used to communicate between academics and students to effectively answer questions that are of relevance to all students (Discussion boards).

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: BMS2071

Other information

The School of Biosciences and Medicine is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital Capabilities: The module will enable students with the opportunity to learn how to use advanced online dietary analysis software, that are industry standard in health and performance settings.  

Employability: As the dietary analysis software is industry standard,  students will gain valuable employability skills that will support job opportunities with nutrition and further support student analytical skills.

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 2025/6 academic year.