Overview

You will learn about the modern and traditional influence that nutrition has on elite athlete performance and health and how science translates into nutritional practice. This will include - understanding the specific nutritional demands of the exercising individual; including, the role of carbohydrate, fat, protein and fluid availability and the effect of various dietary strategies on performance and health. You will explore whether nutritional supplements can improve athlete performance and health. The module aims to increase your confidence in translating the core science into practical nutritional advice for pre-event, during event and recovery.

Important: module failure that prevents you passing the year will require resit assessment and attendance at Supplementary Assessment Week (exact date TBC)

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -(D+) Limited evidence of understanding of the learning outcomes listed; work generally descriptive in nature; notable omissions, errors and irrelevancies; poor referencing and use of primary sources.

-good -(B+) Evidence of extensive and thorough understanding of the learning outcomes listed; good capacity to interpret, relate and use material flexibly; succinct critical writing; no notable omissions or errors or irrelevancies; adequate referencing, using adequate primary sources.

-excellent -(A+) Students must show an ability to critically reconstruct material and evidence of wide reading of current research literature and extensive use of primary sources. Students are able to accurately present, interpret and analyse data and form clear conclusions to answer the question.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply previously acquired biochemical and physiological knowledge to understand digestion of macro/micro nutrients and their fate in energy metabolism

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of how diet generally influences sports performance and how different events have different nutritional requirements

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the appropriate use of dietary analysis with sport performers

• Demonstrate the effects of ergogenic aids on sports performance

• Understand the specific role of macronutrients (e.g., carbohydrate, fat protein) and fluid availability in the diet of an athlete and how this may vary according to the sport in which the athlete is involved.