Food provides energy, nutrients, and fluids for physical activity and the synthesis and repair of body tissues. Exploring relationships between nutrition and physical activity is exciting and dynamic. This area includes scientific inquiry and experimentation, challenge and controversy, athletes' food preferences and experience with foods, and the practical aspects of individual sports. Course discussions integrate nutrition with fitness, exercise physiology, and human performance. Resources include the course text, a study guide, scientific literature, current news, and the Internet.
Participants contribute to online discussions throughout each week.
Discussing how the week's topic applies to your areas of interest and expertise in fitness, exercise, and sport is an important aspect of the course. We will address nutritional strategies for endurance exercise, team sports, and strength athletes. Controversial issues such as high protein diets and creatine supplementation will be discussed. Internet resources are used extensively. Assignments involve applying science-based concepts of sports nutrition to case studies, fitness and sport situations, classroom activities and lessons, and exploring ways to integrate nutrition education into school curricula.