92547 Nutrition for Health and Physical Activity
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level: Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10300 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science OR 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10301 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management OR 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10302 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science Bachelor of International Studies OR 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10303 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management Bachelor of International Studies OR 36 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10328 Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
This subject examines the role of nutrition in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and optimising exercise and sports performance. It focuses on dietary guidelines for health, assessment of nutrition practices, nutrition practices for the optimisation of exercise and sports performance, the identification of inappropriate dietary habits and prevalent contemporary issues in nutrition. Students are challenged to integrate knowledge from health and sport contexts, with a view to developing a range of solutions to nutritional issues faced by today's society.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Understand and relate the role of macro- and micro-nutrients to health, sport and exercise contexts |
|---|---|
| B. | Critically analyse and design modifications to food intake to satisfy a client's nutritional requirements |
| C. | Discuss the role of nutritional supplements in exercise prescription/adherence and sports performance |
| D. | Evaluate the social, behavioural and psychological determinants of health and nutrition |
| E. | Describe the unique challenges for Indigenous Australians in relation to nutritional aspects of health |
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject incorporates a range of learning activities to engage students with content. It has been developed in blended learning mode, meaning that students are able to work through online content and then re-inforce this material in face-to-face classes moderated by an expert tutor.
Online content on Canvas provides students with an array of foundational material in the area of nutrition as it relates to health and human performance. The weekly content is designed to instil an understanding of different aspects of nutrition, including physiological, psychological, behavioural and technological domains. The use of online resources means that students can engage with the content at a time that is convenient for them and review content as needed.
The tutorial sessions provide in-depth scrutiny of specific aspects of nutrition for athletes and the general population. These sessions involve facilitated discussions, brainstorming sessions, reflective thinking, practice-oriented learning, and scenario-based simulation of nutrition case studies and consultations. Students are required to work in collaborative small groups, which encourages a team based approach to addressing contemporary nutrition issues faced in modern society. Students gain experience with the use of industry-relevant technology and gain an understanding of the multifaceted nature of nutrition. Tutorial sessions also involve pre-class activities which are designed to introduce the weekly topics and provide formative information to enable widespread participation in discussions.
A major component of the assessment for the subject is an authentic task that requires an appraisal of energy intake and expenditure, with students using themselves as the research participant. This activity enables the analysis of energy balance status and macronutrient intake, thereby enabling the production of a detailed precis of their nutritional status. Furthermore, students are required to compare their results to the Australian Dietary Guidelines and make recommendations regarding the improvement of any shortcomings. Appropriate communication strategies are also considered in this assessment, and while the format is a written report, there are underpinnings of the need to provide empathy in how the appraisal of diet is conveyed. This assessment task is inherently authentic as it provides the same multidimensional approach to nutritional assessment used by practitioners in both the health and exercise domains.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
- Australian eating patterns and social/ethnic/psychological influences.
- Macronutrients & micronutrients: sources, functions, role in health and Australian dietary guidelines.
- Pre-, during-, and post-exercise sources of energy for the athlete, including thermal regulation and hydration.
- Methods of dietary assessment, energy expenditure and body composition including an appraisal of effectiveness.
- Use an evidence-based approach to analysing the efficacy of common dietary supplements (legal and illegal) and myths associated with nutrition.
- Health aspects and consequences of diets and eating plans, with particular reference to chronic disease and obesity.
- Nutritional aspects of optimising exercise performance, increasing muscle mass and delaying the onset of fatigue.
- Inter-relationships between nutrition and other disciplines of exercise science including scope of practice and referrals.
- Using current best practice research in nutrition to inform the prescription of healthy eating.
- Undertake a dietary analysis in combination with a physical activity assessment and discuss the implications of the results.
- Critical appraisal of the issues associated with fad/popular diets.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Energy intake and expenditure calculations
| Intent: | This assessment is designed to provide students with an understanding of the assessment of energy intake and expenditure. The use of software packages to calculate energy intake is an important skill to develop, as are skills for estimating energy expenditure. This item will assess the technical ability of the student by examining their ability to calculate the relevant metrics to use for subsequent report writing. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B and D This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0 and .0 |
| Type: | Exercises |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Length: | There is no expected length for Assessment item 1. Please ensure you follow the guidelines to ensure you have presented all the information correctly. |
Assessment task 2: Report on Food Intake and Activity Record
| Intent: | This assessment requires students to critically appraise their energy intake and expenditure and convey the important outcomes in the form of a short report. By undertaking a thorough appraisal of food consumption and physical activity, students will be prepared to consider specific modification strategies to improve health and well-being. Marks will be awarded for depth of knowledge of a range of nutrition concepts along with a demonstrated ability to identify solutions for evident shortfalls in nutrition outcomes in relation to the goals of an individual. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0, .0, .0 and .0 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | The written report is to be no more than 1,250 words in length. Words in the reference list do not contribute this, nor do words included in any Tables. |
Assessment task 3: Examination
| Intent: | This exam is designed to assess students understanding of the content delivered across the entire session. This includes foundational knowledge about energy balance and macro- and micro-nutrients, along with the application of this knowledge in areas such as sports nutrition, the general population and special populations. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C and D This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .0, .0 and .0 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 90 minutes; further detail to be provided in class. |
Minimum requirements
To PASS this subject, students must submit all assessment pieces and achieve a minimum mark of 50 after all assessment marks are combined. Students must also meet the minimum language requirements in the milestone task.
Required texts
Burke, L., Deakin, V. & Minehan, M. 2021, Clinical Sports Nutrition, 6th edn, McGraw Hill, Sydney.
This book is available in full-text via the UTS Library. Once logged into the UTS Library site, students can go here to access the material: https://accessphysiotherapy-mhmedical-com.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/book.aspx?bookid=3115
All additional readings, other than text books, will be available via links from within Canvas. The required preparatory activities for this subject will be advised on Canvas prior to any tutorial. Please complete the set preparatory activities prior to the tutorial in the week required.
NB: It is essential that students complete all required prepreparatory activities. The required preparatory activities will be considered assumed knowledge for tutorial classes and the examination.
References
Burke, L., 2007, Practical Sports Nutrition, Human Kinetics, South Australia.
Lanham-New, S.A., Hill, T., Gallagher, A. & Vorster, H.H., 2019, Introduction to Human Nutrition, 3rd edn, Wiley-Blackwell, UK.
McArdle, W., Katch, F. & Katch, V., 2022, Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance, 9th edn, Lippincott Williams Wilkins, Sydney.
Mann, J. & Truswell, A.S. 2017, Essentials of Human Nutrition, 5th edn, Oxford, New York, USA.
Maughan, R. & Burke, L.M. 2002, Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science: Sports Nutrition, Blackwell Publishing, Carlton, Australia.
Smith, A., Colleen, A. & Spees, C. 2021, Wardlaw's Contemporary Nutrition, 12th edn, McGraw-Hill, Sydney.
Journals
Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics
International Journal of Sports Nutrition
Journal of Food and Nutrition
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Medicine & Science in Sport and Exercise
Sport Health
Sports Medicine
The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
Other resources
UTS Student Centres
Building 10
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
Details for student centres: www.uts.edu.au/current-students/contacts/general-contacts
For other resources/ information refer to the Faculty of Health website (www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-health) and Canvas at: https://canvas.uts.edu.au/.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, old exam papers, academic writing guides, health literature databases, workshops, a gaming room and bookable group study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with all your questions.
W: lib.uts.edu.au, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: (02) 9514 3666
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.
HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support)
HELPS provides assistance with English language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS (www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps). HELPS staff are also available for drop-in consultations at the UTS Library. Phone (02) 9514 9733
Please see www.uts.edu.au for additional information on other resources provided to students by UTS.
The Accessibility and Financial Assistance Service
The Accessibility Service can support students with disabilities, medical or mental health conditions, including temporary injuries (e.g., broken limbs). The Accessibility Service works with Academic Liaison Officers in each Faculty to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ such as exam provisions, assistive technology, requests and strategies for managing your studies alongside your health condition. If you’re unsure whether you need assistance, we recommend getting in touch early and we can provide advice on how our service can assist you. Make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant (AC) on +61 2 9514 1177 or Accessibility@uts.edu.au.
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