Performance Nutrition
PostgraduateACU-EXSC6682024
Course information for 2024 intake
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Performance Nutrition
About this subject
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- Communicate the role of the sports dietitian in providing sound nutritional advice to athletes (GA2, GA5)
- Assess the nutritional demands of athletic performance in a variety of sports (GA4)
- Critique contemporary issues in sports nutrition (GA6)
- Appraise the role of nutritional factors and environmental factors affecting physical performance (GA5)
- The evolution of sports nutrition
- Carbohydrate, protein and fat requirements for fuelling, recovery & physique
- Fluid and electrolyte needs during exercise
- Supplements and sports food
- Body composition and physique
- Nutrition challenges for weight making sports
- Adolescent sports nutrition
In high performance sport, athletes and coaches recognise that optimal nutrition is critical to sporting success. Sports nutrition links food with physical performance, providing the fuel for exercise and recovery, and the essential elements for tissue growth, maintenance and repair. This subject will address contemporary scientific and applied aspects of nutrition for sports performance. The composition, amount and timing of food intake for different sports and activities are explored, given the influence that these and others factors have on athletic performance. The aim of the subject is to provide specialist knowledge, understanding and skills for critically evaluating dietary practices for sports performance, and for communicating and delivering general nutritional advice to athletes, coaches and other support staff, within appropriate scope of practice and referral pathways. These outcomes are consistent with the professional standards of several accreditation bodies.
In order to best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. A range of assessment strategies have been purposefully designed for the assessment of learning outcomes reflecting the principles of authentic assessment design.
Students must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 50% across all assessments.- Critique - Requires students to critique scientific literature to determine its strengths, weaknesses and overall applicability to practical sports nutrition. (40%)
- Case Study - Requires students to undertake a case study review of an athlete undertaking a sporting event and compare their nutrition plans with current sports nutrition guidelines. (60%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
Established in 1991 after amalgamating four eastern Australian Catholic tertiary institutes, Australian Catholic University now has seven campuses, from Brisbane to Melbourne and welcomes students of all beliefs. Specialising in arts, business, education, health sciences, law, theology and philosophy, ACU encourages its students to think critically and ethically and bring change to their communities and offer this online through Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about ACU.
Explore ACU courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 35
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 26
Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.