Unit Outline

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 the skills to create and communicate nutritional strategies for people engaged in endurance activities, strength/power activities, team sports and diverse populations.

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 endurance athletes, strength/power athletes, and team sport athletes.
4	Analyse and adapt nutritional strategies in relation to exercise, fitness and sporting endeavours diverse populations.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	(CXA108 or CXA208) and CXA125 and (CXA210 or CXA237)

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This unit has been revised in response to student feedback. Key updates include clearer guidance for assessment tasks, adjusted weightings to better reflect expected workload, and enhanced alignment with ESSA requirements for exercise scientists. These changes are intended to improve clarity, support effective workload management, and strengthen the relevance of the unit to professional practice.

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:	Hydration Plan	Week 7	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Sports Nutrition Plan	Week 12	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Final written exam	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Hydration Plan

Task Description:

Produce a hydration plan for an athlete preparing for and competing in hot environmental conditions.

This task is designed to develop skills in applying exercise physiology principles to fluid replacement strategies, including consideration of timing, volume, and monitoring of hydration status. Students are expected to structure and justify their recommendations for a sport-specific context, demonstrating alignment with the physiological demands of the activity.

Detailed instructions and submission requirements are available in MyLO.

Task Length:

1000 words + Timeline plan

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Develop a hydration plan and identify physiological indicators used to monitor hydration status and fluid balance, providing justification for their relevance to the athlete’s sport.	LO1
2	Recommend type, volume and timing of fluid intake for the selected activity in hot conditions.	LO1
3	Construct a hydration timeline using the provided template to optimise fluid replacement across pre-, during-, and post-exercise phases.	LO2
4	Justify the hydration strategy using sports nutrition principles and sport-specific evidence, presenting recommendations in a clear and logically structured format.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Sports Nutrition Plan

Task Description:

Produce a comprehensive sports nutrition plan for an athlete preparing for and competing in a pinnacle event within their season. This task is designed to develop skills in analysing athlete-specific scenarios and applying sports nutrition principles to optimise performance outcomes. You will be required to integrate recommendations for food, fluid, and nutritional ergogenic aids, including considerations of timing, quantity, and monitoring strategies across the training and competition period. The plan should be structured, evidence-informed, and aligned with the physiological and practical demands of the sport.

Detailed information on how to perform this assessment is available in MyLO.

Task Length:

1500 words + Timeline plan

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply assessment principles to determine and justify monitoring priorities for the sports nutrition plan, aligned with the athlete’s performance goals and demands of the event.	LO1, LO4
2	Develop an integrated sports nutrition plan tailored to the athlete’s pinnacle event, including evidence-based recommendations for food, fluid, and nutritional ergogenic aids.	LO2, LO3
3	Structure the sports nutrition plan across relevant timepoints (e.g., preparation, competition, and recovery), clearly sequencing nutritional strategies in alignment with the physiological demands of the event.	LO2
4	Justify the sports nutrition plan using exercise physiology principles and current evidence, demonstrating clear and logical reasoning underpinning recommendations.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: 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 MyLO, tutorials, and practicals across all semester weeks.

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 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 ‘diverse populations.	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.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

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.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need the following text:

Adrienne Forsyth, E. M. (2024). Nutrition for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Science and Application (2nd edition, p. 362). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 9781032342719
It is important that you have ongoing access to this text, all lecture and unit content will be based on this text and supplemented with additional material as deemed necessary by the lecturer. The text will be available for a limited loan period and as an eBook from the University of Tasmania Library collection.