Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Prerequisites
NilIncompatible
NUTR101 Introduction to Nutrition
Teaching organisation
150 hours of focused learning.Unit rationale, description and aim
An understanding of the principles of nutrition as they relate to general health and exercise is required to provide general nutritional advice to apparently healthy individuals. These knowledge and skills are consistent with the professional standards for Exercise Scientist accreditation. The aim of this unit is to provide students with this nutritional foundation as it relates to health, exercise, and culture, and its integration with other sub-disciplines of exercise science. This includes the roles of macro- and micro-nutrients for general health and in energy metabolism during acute exercise and chronic training. Nutritional strategies for hydration, body composition change, and training, competition and recovery will be explored, as well as the role of nutritional supplements, vitamins and ergogenic aids. Current nutritional guidelines and the provision of general advice on nutrition, including basic dietary and body composition analysis techniques will be addressed with respect to scope of practice and appropriate referral pathways.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - describe the principles of appropriate nutrition for health and exercise, and cross-cultural factors that may influence nutritional choices (GA5)
LO2 - compare the varying nutritional needs of the general and athletic population (GA4, GA5)
LO3 - describe the evidence supporting nutritional practices for health and exercise (GA4, GA5, GA8)
LO4 - provide dietary analysis and nutritional advice within scope of practice, and refer individuals when appropriate (GA5, GA8, GA10)
Graduate attributes
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
Content
Topics will include:
- Physiology of digestion and absorption
- Sources and functions of macronutrients and micronutrients
- Nutritional guidelines for apparently healthy populations
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders traditional diets and nutritional guidelines
- Techniques of dietary analysis
- Techniques of body composition analysis
- Strategies for body fat loss and muscle gain
- Renal physiology
- Strategies for maintaining hydration
- Sports nutrition strategies during training, competition and recovery
- Pre and post exercise nutrition
- Nutritional ergogenics and supplements
- Fad diets and eating disorders
- Scope of practice for the Accredited Exercise Scientist, and referral pathways for inappropriate dietary behaviours
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategies of this unit are designed to allow students to meet the aims, learning outcomes of the unit, graduate attributes of the University and professional accreditation standards. They are intended to reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to engage actively with unit content and learning activities.
Content is provided to students via weekly self-paced online materials and tutorials across 12 weeks. Online material consisting of module workbooks including short videos, activity readings, H5P artifacts, module formative quizzes and other formative learning activities builds the foundational knowledge and skills required for subsequent disciplines of exercise science. Tutorials include active learning, inquiry-based learning, individual and group (collaborative) activities, cooperative learning and reflective/critical thinking activities. This range of strategies will provide students with appropriate access to required knowledge and understanding of unit content, and opportunities for development of basic practical skills in dietary assessment. Tutorial activities also directly prepare students for assessment tasks.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Authentic, real world tasks have been designed to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the principles of nutrition as they relate to general health and exercise. Assessment 1 is an individual task that introduces students to a key tool in dietary analysis and provides them with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply techniques and interpret dietary habits. Assessment 2 is completed in pairs/groups and requires students to present newly acquired knowledge, and the ability to communicate their reasoning and understanding. The final assessment allows students to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding of unit content.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Applied assessment: Dietary analysis (written assignment) – enables students to assess and interpret a client’s dietary habits using appropriate nutrition software | 30% | LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA4, GA8 |
Presentation: Supermarket Challenge (verbal group presentation) – enables students to assess the nutritional value (supported by calculations and recommended nutritional guidelines discussed) of 3 products with respect to healthy eating and/or competition nutrition | 20% | LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA5, GA10 |
Summative assessment: End-semester exam – requires students to answer multiple choice and short answer questions based on learning content from weeks 1-12 | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA4, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Representative texts and references
Whitney, E.N., Rady Rolfes, S., Crowe, T., Walsh, A. (2019) Understanding Nutrition: Australian and New Zealand Edition (4th Ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.
Australian Government Department of Health. (2015) Australian Dietary Guidelines. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/
Australian Government Department of Health. (2015) Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. https://www.nrv.gov.au/
Burke, L., & Deakin, V. (2015) Clinical Sports Nutrition. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., & Katch, V.L. (2018). Sports & Exercise Nutrition (5th Ed.).Baltimore: Lippincott William & Wilkins.
Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:439–455.
Kern, M. (2019) CRC Desk Reference on Sports Nutrition. Boca Raton FLA: CRC Press.