Sport and Exercise Nutrition (MSc)

Stage 1: Compulsory Courses

The following courses will be included:

RN5012: Foundations of Human Nutrition and Metabolism (15 credit points)

Health, Well Being and Behaviour Change (PU5040)

15 Credit Points

What can health professionals and health care promoters do to improve their own and others health and wellbeing? What influences people’s health behaviours? Why do people find it difficult to change their health behaviour? What are the most promising strategies for improving health and well-being?

Health behaviours cover a wide range of behaviours (e.g. smoking, physical activity, vaccination, diet, taking medication, and practicing safe sex) and have a major impact on peoples’ health, quality of life, and (healthy) life expectancy. Nevertheless, many people have an unhealthy diet, exercise too little, don’t take their medication as prescribed, smoke, drink excessive amounts of alcohol, and so forth.

In this course, we will address these challenges and students will learn key theories about health behaviour and behaviour change, including behaviour change techniques, in order to understand how health behaviours can be influenced by a variety of factors within an individual (e.g., conscious and unconscious thoughts, emotions, goals, and decisions), and also by factors in the environment (e.g., the behaviours and expectations of society; the quality of the communication by health care professionals; or availability and affordability of healthy options in the environment).

Health psychologists and health professionals are expected to be able to develop, evaluate and implement intervention programs to promote healthier behaviour, through changing individuals and their environment.

Within this course you will develop your understanding of health behaviours, what influences them and how to change them. You will experience the role of health behaviours from both the participant’s and researcher view, by developing, participating in and analysing your own behavioural intervention.

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Exercise Metabolism (RN5009)

15 Credit Points

Explore the biochemistry of exercise, understanding how biochemical processes shape outcomes. From dissecting energy systems to decoding skeletal muscle metabolism, the curriculum emphasizes core elements impacting exercise. Evaluate nutritional interventions, grasp timing nuances, and decode signalling pathways. Gain the knowledge to navigate sports biochemistry, evaluate evidence, and apply nutrition for enhanced performance in diverse exercises.

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Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5006)

This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.

Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

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Assessment of Nutritional Status (RN5008)

15 Credit Points

This course will give you a detailed theoretical and practical understanding of the methods used to assess nutritional status, including dietary intake, assessment of body composition and energy expenditure applied in the context of energy balance. Theory will be put into practice through a series of practical workshop and laboratory sessions to give you ‘hands-on’ experience of using a range of assessment techniques using state-of-the-art equipment routinely employed by nutritional scientists.

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Stage 2: Compulsory Courses

The following courses will be included:

RN5513: Nutrition and Health Through the Life Stages (15 credit points)

Professional and Applied Approaches in Sport & Exercise Nutrition (RN5512)

30 Credit Points

Explore advanced analysis methods in sport and exercise nutrition. Gain hands-on experience, applying these methods in practical sessions. Engage in discussions on their practicality and limitations. Learn to apply exercise interventions tailored to nutritional needs, with a focus on community settings and older adults. This program is ideal for those seeking expertise in wearable technology data analysis, emphasising practical application to exercise nutrition and critical discussions.

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Ergogenic Aids in Sport & Exercise (RN5511)

15 Credit Points

This course delves into the intricate dynamics of nutritional supplements in sports and exercise. Exploring fundamental concepts and targeting biochemical energy systems, it offers a thorough understanding. Practical applications bridge theory to real-world scenarios, equipping students with evidence-based insights for impactful roles in sports nutrition. Gain a comprehensive perspective on supplement use in the context of exercise science.

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Stage 3: Compulsory Courses

Students will undertake a 60-credit Masters Research Project

Masters Research Project (Laboratory) (MB5904)

60 Credit Points

This course offers students the opportunity to complete a substantial piece of data-driven, empirical work within their field of study under the supervision of an experienced researcher. Topics available will be varied but within the domain of their field of study. Alongside supervisors, students will identify a suitable topic area, describe an appropriate study design, and implement an empirical study to be completed within a laboratory setting. Students will be involved alongside the supervisors in the process of defining the research question, developing the research plan and, where appropriate, obtaining regulatory approvals. This course is for laboratory-based projects (if you are intending to undertake a project in a non-laboratory setting, you should register on PU5922).

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