| CODE | FSN3016 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Sports Nutrition and Dietetics | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit explores the essential role of nutrition in enhancing athletic performance, promoting recovery, and maintaining overall health in physically active individuals and athletes with medical conditions. Students will learn to apply core principles of nutrition and dietetics to the field of sports and exercise, focusing on tailored dietary strategies for athletes across various levels and types of sports. Key topics include energy systems, macr-onutrient and micr-onutrient requirements, hydration strategies, nutrient timing, and considerations for specific populations such as endurance athletes, strength athletes, and those with unique dietary needs. The study-unit emphasizes practical application through case studies, meal planning, and analysis of current research, preparing students to support optimal performance and recovery in active individuals. By the end of the study-unit, students will be equipped with the knowledge to develop evidence-based nutrition plans for both recreational and competitive athletes, taking into account factors such as training cycles, environmental conditions, and individual health status. Study-Unit Aims: - Introduce the Role of Nutrition in Sports Performance: To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how nutrition influences athletic performance, recovery, and overall health in both recreational and competitive contexts; - Develop Skills in Dietary Assessment and Planning for Athletes: To equip students with the practical skills necessary to assess nutritional needs, design individualized meal plans, and apply dietetic principles to support athletic goals and training demands; - Explore Macro-nutrient, Micro-nutrient, and Hydration Requirements: To analyze the specific nutrient needs of athletes, focusing on macro-nutrient balance, micro-nutrient adequacy, and hydration strategies critical for optimal performance and recovery; - Apply Evidence-Based Nutrition Strategies for Different Types of Athletes: To provide an evidence-based approach to nutritional strategies for various athletic populations, including endurance, strength, and team sports, and for special populations such as youth, older adults, or athletes with specific dietary needs; - Enhance Critical Thinking in Sports Nutrition Research and Practice: To foster critical analysis of current sports nutrition research, trends, and emerging issues, preparing students to make informed, evidence-based decisions in real-world practice; - Prepare for Professional Practice in Sports Dietetics: To prepare students for potential roles in sports nutrition and dietetics by cultivating ethical decision-making, communication skills, and adaptability to meet diverse client needs in dynamic settings. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Define key principles of sports nutrition, including the physiological and biochemical basis of energy metabolism, and describe how they apply to different types of athletic activities; - Identify the specific macro-nutrient, micro-nutrient, and hydration requirements for athletes, distinguishing between the needs of endurance, strength, and team sports; - Explain the role of nutrient timing in optimizing performance, recovery, and adaptation in athletic contexts; - Describe the physiological impact of exercise on the body’s nutritional demands, and summarize how these demands vary based on intensity, duration, and frequency of physical activity; - Discuss current evidence-based research in sports nutrition, including emerging trends and controversies, to build a foundational understanding for critical analysis; - Outline the dietary considerations for special populations within sports nutrition, including youth, older adults, and athletes with specific dietary restrictions (e.g., vegan, diabetic, coeliac, food allergies, pregnancy). 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Assess individual nutritional needs by conducting dietary evaluations specific to athletic contexts, including energy expenditure and nutrient requirements based on sport type, training load, and goals; - Calculate personalized macro-nutrient, micro-nutrient, and hydration needs for athletes across various sports disciplines, incorporating factors like intensity, duration, and environmental conditions; - Formulate evidence-based nutrition plans tailored to support performance, recovery, and overall health, adapting recommendations for special populations (e.g., diabetic athletes, those with dietary restrictions); - Demonstrate proficiency in planning nutrient timing strategies around training sessions and competitions to enhance performance outcomes; - Implement dietary modifications to address unique nutritional needs of athletes with conditions like food allergies or specific dietary preferences (e.g., vegan, gluten-free), ensuring both safety and adequacy in meal plans; - Evaluate current sports nutrition practices and trends critically, distinguishing between evidence-based strategies and popular myths, to ensure best practices are applied in professional settings; - Communicate complex nutrition and dietetics information effectively to athletes, coaches, and interdisciplinary teams, adapting language and strategies to enhance understanding and compliance; - Monitor and Adjust nutrition plans based on athletes’ feedback, performance outcomes, and physiological responses, demonstrating adaptability and a client-centered approach in sports dietetics. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Larson, Abigail. Fuel for Sport - The Basics. First edition. New York, NY: Momentum Press, 2016. Print. - Woodruff, Kary. Sports Nutrition. First edition. New York: Momentum Press Health, 2016. Print. - Gregory Whyte, Mike Loosemore. ABC of Sports and Exercise Medicine. Fourth edition. Newark: Wiley, 2015. Print. - McConell, Glenn, and Glenn McConell. Exercise Metabolism. 1st ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, 2022. Web. - Amato, Damon. An Athletic Trainer’s Guide to Sports Nutrition. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated, 2019. Print. - Larson-Meyer, D. Enette. Plant-Based Sports Nutrition : Expert Fueling Strategies for Training, Recovery, and Performance. Human Kinetics, 2020. Print. Supplementary Readings: - S. M., Jäger, R., & Kreider, R. B. (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 38. - Trakman, G. L., Forsyth, A., Devlin, B. L., & Belski, R. (2022). A systematic review update of athletes’ nutrition knowledge and association with dietary intake. British Journal of Nutrition, 128(6), 1156-1169. - Lamprecht, Manfred, ed. Antioxidants in Sport Nutrition. 1st ed. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, 2015. Web. - Antonio, Jose, and Lonnie Michael Lowery. Dietary Protein and Resistance Exercise. 1st ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2012. Web. - Taylor, Lemuel W. Nutritional Guidelines for Athletic Performance :-The Training Table. 1st ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2012. Web. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Mario Caruana (Co-ord.) Roberta Zarb Adami |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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