Program Overview

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Program Details

The program details are as follows:

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

Sports nutrition links food with physical performance. It refers to the nutritional needs of all active people, including athletes. Nutrition provides the fuel for exercise and the essential elements for growth, maintenance, and repair of the body's tissues. In sporting contexts, athletes and coaches recognize that sound nutrition is critical to sporting success, with the composition, amount, and timing of food intake profoundly affecting performance.

Campus Offering

The unit is offered online, with the following term and mode options:

• Summer Term: Online Unscheduled
• Winter Term: Online Unscheduled

Prerequisites

The prerequisites for this unit are:

• EXSC118 - Nutrition and Exercise OR NUTR101 Introduction to Nutrition
• EXSC198 - Physiological Bases of Evidence OR EXSC225 Physiological Bases of Exercise OR BIOL234 Nutritional Physiology

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

1. Appraise the role of nutritional factors and environmental factors affecting physical performance
2. Assess the nutritional demands of athletic performance in a variety of sports
3. Critique the scientific evidence supporting advocated nutritional practices
4. Provide nutritional advice within scope of practice, with an understanding of the role of the sports dietitian and appropriate referral practices

Content

The unit content includes:

• The role of the dietitian and sports nutrition in supporting performance
• The training and competition diet
• Eating to optimize recovery
• Training-nutrient interactions: effects on cell metabolism and performance
• Supplements and sports food
• Nutrition, body composition, and physique

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment strategy includes:

• An examination to assess student learning of unit content
• A written task to assess student's ability to critically appraise relevant scientific literature
• A case study task to assess evidence-based decision making and the application of accumulated learning through the unit

Overview of Assessments

The assessments are as follows:

1. Examination (20%): Enables students to demonstrate their comprehension of the unit's delivered material
2. Written Critique (40%): Enables students to critically assess scientific literature underpinning contemporary evidence-based practice
3. Case Study (40%): Enables students to demonstrate critical thinking skills and evidence-based decision making in applying their knowledge and skills developed during the unit

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The learning and teaching strategies include active learning, web-based learning, case-based learning, and reflective/critical thinking activities, delivered online over 12 weeks.

Representative Texts and References

The representative texts and references include:

• Burke, L., & Deakin, V. (2015) Clinical Sports Nutrition. Sydney: McGraw-Hill
• Jeukendrup, A., & Gleeson, M. (2010) Sport Nutrition. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics
• Kern, M. (2005) CRC Desk Reference on Sports Nutrition. Boca Raton FLA: CRC Press
• Maughan, R.J. (Ed). (2004). Food, Nutrition and Sports Performance II: The International Olympic Committee Consensus on Sports Nutrition. London: Routledge
• Maughan, R.J. (Ed). (2000). Nutrition in Sport: The Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine. Oxford: Blackwell Sciences

Locations

The unit is offered online.

Credit Points

The unit is worth 10 credit points.

Year

The unit is offered in 2026.