Overview

Over the past decade, the impact of nutrition and exercise in optimising athletic performance and recovery from injury has become increasingly clear and there has been a growing demand for highly trained specialists in this field.

It is also one of the few courses in the Midlands which allows you to demonstrate the academic competencies outlined in the Sports and Exercise Nutrition register (SENr), the national register for qualified sport and exercise nutritionists.

Course information

This multidisciplinary course draws together a broad range of biosciences subject matter within the areas of sport and exercise physiology, health and nutrition.

The content has been designed to develop your appreciation of the human body and its functions, together with nutrition science and its role in promoting human health so that upon successful completion you can apply this knowledge to develop appropriate dietary advice and exercise programmes. You will consider the components of fitness, including nutritional requirements, energy expenditure, body mass and body composition, examining some of the common problems associated with general health and wellbeing, diet and nutrition, exercise and sport performance, for example hydration and supplements. You will also cover how to scientifically measure nutritional requirements and dietary allowances of macronutrients, micronutrients and other components of food such as fibre. You will also look at how ethnicity and culture may affect practical advice on foods, meals and menus.

As well as subject-specific knowledge, we will encourage a critical, analytical and flexible approach to problem-solving in sport and exercise nutrition. You will be encouraged to systematically and creatively explore complex issues, such as physical activity, nutrition and obesity, and elite physiological support through a variety of case studies, laboratory sessions and group work.

Our aim is to effectively prepare you for professional employment upon successful completion of this course, so we focus on providing enhanced practical and professional skills through a combination of lectures, laboratory and field sessions and case studies. The nature of the course also enables topical aspects to be discussed, for example, previous discussions have included the latest popular supplement for sports people or fad diet.

You are also required to complete in-depth research study in the area of sport and exercise science, so will receive training in research methods, including data analysis in both research and applied practice.