Unit Outline
CXA323
Exercise Nutrition
Semester 2, 2024
Matt Sharman
School of Health Sciences
College of Health and Medicine
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Matt Sharman
Email: Matt.Sharman@utas.edu.au
 

What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
In this unit you will learn how to provide evidenced-based nutritional advice in relation to exercise, fitness and sporting endeavours. You will learn how and why nutrients and nutritional ergogenics are utilised, including what type, how much, and when they should be consumed before, during and after activity to optimise exercise performance, training, and recovery. You will learn to produce and communicate nutritional strategies for weight management and for people engaged in endurance activities, strength/power activities and team sports, and you will learn to adapt strategies for ‘special populations’ (e.g., diabetics, pregnant women, children and teen athletes, older adults, and people with special dietary needs).
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1.
Explain why and how nutrients and nutritional ergogenics are utilised, including, what
type, how much, and when they should be consumed before, during and after activity
to optimise exercise performance, training, and recovery.
2.
Justify the need for and perform metabolic, physiologic, and anthropometric
assessments that inform nutritional strategies.
3.
Create and communicate nutritional strategies specific to weight management,
endurance athletes, strength/power athletes, and team sport athletes.
4.
Analyse and adapt nutritional strategies in relation to exercise, fitness and sporting
endeavours for ‘special populations’ (e.g., diabetics, pregnant women, children and
teen athletes, older adults, and people with special dietary needs).
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
(CXA108 or CXA208) and CXA125 and (CXA210 or CXA237)
Alterations as a result of student feedback
As a result of student feedback the assessment tasks and their
weighting have been adjusted to reflect the time taken to complete the AT3 Dietary Plan.
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Tutorial
No Description
2
Weekly
Independent Learning
No Description
2
Weekly
Other
Individual Study
6
Weekly
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
This unit is delivered in flexible mode with a combination of weekly content, in the form of recorded lectures and supporting notes delivered online via MyLO as well as tutorials and practicals conducted face-to-face as per the unit schedule. Please note that the tutorials and practicals will not be recorded.
Tutorials/Practicals will be on Thursdays as designated in the unit schedule. Please check Mylo for updates throughout the semester.
 
 

How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Dietary Plan
See the MyLO site for the due date
35 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:
Online Quizzes
Refer to Assessment Description
10 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:
Hydration and nutritional ergogenic aids
Refer to Assessment Description
15 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:
Final written exam
Exam Period
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Dietary Plan
Task Description:
Produce a dietary plan for an athlete* who is in the final week of preparation for, and then competing in, the pinnacle event of their season.

*either your choice of:
1. An endurance athlete
2. A strength/power athlete
3. A team sport athlete

Discuss the following:
a. Specific and appropriate nutrition strategies in the week leading up to the event and during the event itself.
b. Any athlete monitoring
c. Specific recommendations on type, timing and amount of food and drink, including an ergogenic aid
d. Things you should do to plan ahead in terms of nutritional strategies
Task Length:
1500 words + dietary plan template
Due Date:
See the MyLO site for the due date
Weight:
35 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Relevance of recommendations and justification of when, what and how you would monitor your athlete.
LO1
2
Relevance of recommendations and justification of type, timing and amount of food, fluid, and nutritional ergogenics to be consumed.
LO2
3
Relevance of recommendations and justification of things you would do to plan ahead in terms of optimising your planned nutritional strategy.
LO2
4
Ability to communicate in scientific writing and adherence to the prescribed referencing style (Harvard).
LO3
 
Assessment Task 2: Online Quizzes
Task Description:
You will be required to access MyLO to complete ten (10) online quizzes related to online lecture, tutorial and workshop materials. Each quiz may be comprised of any combination of the following: MCQ and short answer questions. These quizzes will cover metabolism, nutrients, hydration, ergogenics, nutritional consultations and assessments, and the application of nutritional strategies to different athlete groups and special populations.

You will only receive one attempt for each of the ten online quizzes. The best five quizzes will be counted for this assessment task and each quiz will contribute to 2% of your total grade.
Release date times for each quiz will be released on MyLO.
10% o total mark (2% for each quiz)
Task Length:
15 - 20 minutes each
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
10 %
 

 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Identify and explain key concepts covering exercise hydration, ergogenics, nutritional consultations, assessments and special populations.
LO1, LO4
2
Justify the need for and perform metabolic, physiologic and anthropometric assessments that inform nutritional strategies.
LO2
3
Communicate exercise nutrition information in writing using correct terminology
LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Hydration and nutritional ergogenic aids
Task Description:
Complete one of two options:

1. Produce a hydration plan for a physical activity of your choice performed during a hot summer. Discuss the following:

a. How you would monitor fluid requirements for the activity
b. Make recommendations on type, timing and amount of fluid to be consumed
c. Things you would do to plan ahead in terms of fluid replacement

2. Produce a plan for the use of a nutritional ergogenic aid for a sport of your choice. Discuss the following:

a. How the ergogenic aid will benefit athletic performance in your chosen sport
b. Make recommendations on type, timing and amount of the aid to be consumed
c. Things you would do to plan ahead in terms of use of the aid
Task Length:
1000 words + plan template
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
15 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Explain how and why you would monitor fluid requirements/ergogenic aid in your chosen sport.
LO1
2
Relevance of recommendations on type, timing and amount of fluid/ergogenic aid to be consumed
LO1, LO2
3
Describe a plan optimising fluid replacement/ergogenic aid.
LO2
4
Ability to communicate in scientific writing and adherence to the prescribed referencing style (Harvard).
LO3
 
Assessment Task 4: Final written exam
Task Description:
The final exam will be a written face-to-face, closed book, invigilated exam which will comprise 40% of the final mark. Exam questions will include content from material delivered in lectures, tutorials, practical's and MyLO readings across weeks 1-13.
Task Length:
2 hours
Due Date:
Exam Period
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Explain why and how nutrients and nutritional ergogenics are utilised, including, what type, how much, and when they should be consumed before, during and after activity to optimise exercise performance, training, and recovery.
LO1
2
Justify the need for and perform metabolic, physiologic, and anthropometric
assessments that inform nutritional strategies.
LO2
3
Create and communicate nutritional strategies specific to weight management,
endurance athletes, strength/power athletes, and team sport athletes.
LO3
4
Analyse and adapt nutritional strategies in relation to exercise, fitness and sporting endeavours for ‘special populations’ (e.g., diabetics, pregnant women, children and teen athletes, older adults, and people with special dietary needs).
LO4
 
 
 

How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, and achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 

 
 

Required Resources
Required reading materials
Burke, L., Deakin, V., & Minahan, M. Clinical Sports Nutrition 6th edition. 2021. McGraw Hill Education. ISBN 9781760425647
 
Recommended reading materials
Hedrick Fink, H and Mikesky, AE. Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition (6th Ed). 2021. Cengage

Kang, J. Nutrition and Metabolism in Sports, Exercise and Health (2nd Ed). 2018. Taylor and Francis
 
Other required resources