SP6050 - Contemporary Issues in Sport and Exercise Nutrition

What will I learn on this module?

Contemporary issues in sport and exercise nutrition’ will challenge your current beliefs surrounding existing sport, exercise and health nutrition advice. Each week you will study a different contemporary issue relating to the field of sport, exercise and health nutrition. You will be exposed to the underpinning scientific concepts relating to each contemporary issue, then challenged to question current dietary advice and thus devise your own dietary recommendations. On this module you will learn that the discipline of sport and exercise nutrition is saturated with advice that often has no scientific underpinning. Therefore, as final year sport, exercise and nutrition students, you will further develop your critical evaluation and questioning skills that will be invaluable to you when applying to work in the field of sport, exercise and nutrition upon graduation.

How will I learn on this module?

You will learn through seminars, practical cooking sessions and directed learning tasks. In seminars, you will be exposed to the underpinning scientific concepts relating to different contemporary issues and challenged to question current dietary advice. You will apply this knowledge during practical cooking sessions in Northumbria’s state of the art, BASES accredited laboratories, which houses a dedicated Nutrition Kitchen, an exciting and stimulating place to develop your practical skills. Theoretical information will be contextualised during practical cooking sessions, where you will experiment with cooking meals for various population groups, in order for you to successfully complete the written assessment task, where you are asked to provide meal and diet plan ideas for a topic of your choice.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

Module information, assessment requirements and expectations, and important module announcements will be made through the eLP module site. Material to support your learning (such as lecture slides and directed tasks) will be uploaded in advance of sessions. You will be provided with content verbally and guided through tasks during timetabled sessions. A dedicated assessment session will afford you the opportunity to ask assessment related questions in class. The practical-sessions will provide you with the opportunity to engage with the module tutors to problem-solve the tasks. The Module Leader is there to support you with any queries that you may have about the module content, and all staff members provide tutorial time outside of class time. Module tutors will provide you with the necessary information on how to arrange a tutorial. You will have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on your development during the module (i.e., during the practical workshops), and you will receive feedback on summative work to help you identify areas of strength and areas for development. There will be the opportunity to discuss your feedback with a member of staff during a tutorial. There are also further academic skills support available from the University Library services where you can gain access to study skills / academic writing and support materials, as well as links to booking both on and off campus study skills sessions.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. You will be able to critique existing dietary recommendations related to a range of contemporary issues in sport, exercise and health nutrition, in light of underpinning biochemical and biological principles;

2. You will be able to formulate alternative sport, exercise and health nutrition dietary recommendations based on biochemically and biologically sound evidence.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

3. You will be able to effectively communicate physiological principles and dietary advice in a manner which enables sport, exercise and health practitioners to easily interpret and implement into their own practice;

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

4. You will be able to confidently challenge current beliefs surrounding existing sport, exercise and health nutrition advice, related to a range of contemporary issues.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment Strategy:

The main assessment component (100%) will be a 3000 word written piece of coursework (MLOs 1-4).

You will be expected to choose a topic studied during the module as the basis for assignment. The aim of the assignment is to outline to sport and/or health practitioners the physiological background to your chosen contemporary issue and how this translates in terms of accompanying dietary advice.

Formative Feedback
Formative assessment will take the form of providing dietary advice during seminars and cooking sessions. Staff will provide formative feedback about the quality of the outputs. These tasks will familiarise you with the format and content of expected in the summative assignment.

Summative Feedback
You will receive written or audio feedback on your summative assessment to help you identify areas of strength and areas for development. There will be the opportunity to discuss your feedback with a member of staff during a tutorial.

Pre-requisite(s)

N/A

Co-requisite(s)

N/A

Module abstract

Contemporary issues in sport and exercise nutrition’ will challenge your current beliefs surrounding existing sport, exercise and health nutrition advice. Each week you will study a different contemporary issue relating to the field of sport, exercise and health nutrition. You will be exposed to the underpinning scientific concepts relating to each contemporary issue, then challenged to question current dietary advice and thus devise your own dietary recommendations. You will apply this knowledge during practical cooking sessions in Northumbria’s state of the art, BASES accredited laboratories, which houses a dedicated Nutrition Kitchen, an exciting and stimulating place to develop your practical skills. Theoretical information will be contextualised during practical cooking sessions, where you will experiment with cooking meals for various population groups, in order for you to successfully complete the written assessment task, where you are asked to provide meal and diet plan ideas for a topic of your choice.

On this module you will learn that the discipline of sport and exercise nutrition is saturated with advice that often has no scientific underpinning. Therefore, as final year sport, exercise and nutrition students, you will further develop your critical evaluation and questioning skills that will be invaluable to you when applying to work in the field of sport, exercise and nutrition upon graduation.

Course info

Credits 20

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Full Time

Location City Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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