Food for Athletes

Code:

LCN3101

Acronym:

ALIMAT

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Health Sciences

Instance: 2021/2022 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Course/CS Responsible:	Nutrition Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
CNUP	69	Official plan	3	-	3	28	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The general aim of this Curricular Unit (CU) is to enable the student to prescribe dietary plans for athletes, with the aim of improving their sports performance and health, according to their body composition, age, gender, sport, training stage and environmental conditions, among others, whether in individual plans or collective menus, either at the usual training location or on the road.

The most current evidence about each of the different ones will be revealed, with examples of their application.

Learning outcomes and competences

Understand the theoretical foundations, know how to evaluate and interpret the results of different methodologies for nutritional assessment of athletes;

Know how to prescribe adequate food plans for weight loss or muscle hypertrophy in athletes;

Knowing how to establish nutritionally adequate food plans for the athlete, according to, among others, the sport, the competitive cycle, environmental conditions, body composition, age, sex and performance goals;

Provide advanced dietary advice for athletes;

Develop skills that make it possible to prepare food plans for groups of traveling athletes;

Demonstrate essential communication skills with this specific population;

Guide the action based on scientific evidence;

Respect the athlete's health as a cornerstone of their clinical action;

Knowing how to be communicative, dynamic, empathetic and studious and being up-to-date with sports nutrition;

Being able to assume, in the multidisciplinary team, the role corresponding to their professional status in the nutrition of athletes in a multidisciplinary context.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Although it is not a mandatory prerequisite, the student must preferably have successfully completed the CU Nutrition and Physical Exercise.

Program

Nutritional assessment of athletes;

Body composition management: weight loss, “making weight” and muscle hypertrophy;

Physiological particularities of pediatric athlete, senior athlete, female athlete, vegetarian athlete, diabetic athlete and athlete during Ramadan;

Nutritional needs and dietary recommendations for endurance and ultra-endurance sports, strength and power athletes, team sports and sports by weight category;

Traveling and catering athlete challenges for groups of athletes.

Mandatory literature

Desbrow B, McCormack J, Burke LM, Cox GR, Fallon K, Hislop M, Logan R, Marino N, Sawyer SM, Shaw G, Star A, Vidgen H, Leveritt M. ; . Sports dietitians Australia position statement: sports nutrition for the adolescent athlete. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab. (2014) 24:570–84.
Burke L, Deakin V. ; Clinical sports Nutrition 4ed. McGraw Hil; 2015.
Burke LM, Hawley JA. ; Swifter, higher, stronger: What's on the menu? Science. 2018 Nov 16;362(6416):781-787
Jeukendrup, A. & Gleeson, M. ; Sports Nutrition 3rd ed. New York, USA: Human Kinetics; 2019.
Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. ; Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Mar;116(3):501-528

Teaching methods and learning activities

The Curricular Unit comprises a total of 28 hours of face-to-face contact, including 14 hours of theoretical exposition and 14 hours of theory articulated with practice. It is the purpose of the theoretical classes to present a summary of the state of the art, to promote the acquisition of updated and systematized information on the themes studied, seeking to stimulate in students the interest in extending and deepening knowledge in theoretical-practical classes, which are the stage of excellence for privileging the student's gesture to manage scientific information. In Theoretical-Practical Sessions, the contents presented in the theoretical classes are continued, expanding them to exercises and problem-solving activities, presenting concrete cases, proposing complementary themes or deeper discussions. During non-contact hours, students should deepen the contents explored in these sessions, according to the recommended bibliography for the training unit.

In a UC of this nature, it is essential to ensure a strong acquisition of theoretical foundations, provide skills in their application based on the most appropriate methodological processes for the context, respecting ethical and deontological standards. Given the dynamics of knowledge, it is intended that students become familiar with the generation of knowledge and not just with knowledge per se, which encourages the active participation of students in the teaching/learning process, the development of critical thinking, discussion of topics and issues, problem solving and decision making. These methods, which emphasize the student's activity and responsibility in learning, will be particularly privileged in the practical sessions.

These didactic teaching strategies with the active participation of students, either through the prior preparation of the contents, or through their interactive and reflective discussion with the teachers, allow for a better understanding and retention of the contents and thus contributing to the development of knowledge and acquisition of the objectives and foreseen competences. The development of knowledge of the different investigational methodologies is achieved by the strategy followed in practical classes, whose structure is based on the construction by teachers and students of case study scenarios, with consequent adjustment of the food component. Therefore, the teaching methodologies of the curricular unit, and its organization, are consistent with the objectives of the curricular unit.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	10,00
Exame	70,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	28,00
Frequência das aulas	28,00
Trabalho escrito	14,00
Total:	70,00

Eligibility for exams

Obtaining frequency at the CU is subject to the student's presence in 75% of the total planned laboratory classes, in accordance with the Academic Regulation of FCNAUP, and obtaining a classification equal to or greater than 9.50 in the distributed evaluation.

Calculation formula of final grade

This Course Unit uses a distributed assessment method with final exam (DA + FE). The distributed evaluation implies having a frequency in the Laboratory Sessions and includes the resolution of exercises and the timely delivery of the proposed written works and the direct observation of students in class. Since we consider that there is a minimum of competence, to be able to attend the CU and take the final exam, students need to obtain a grade equal to or greater than 9.50 points. The Final Exam consists of answering a set of development questions that can be multiple choice answers, complete sentences, true or false, or extended and/or limited answers. Since we consider that there is a minimum of competence, only students who obtain a grade equal to or greater than 9.50 in the written test are approved.

The final classification (FC) results from: FC = (FE x 70%) + (DA x 30%).

Examinations or Special Assignments

Students whose statute allows exemption from laboratory classes must contact the teacher responsible for the course in the first weeks of classes. In these cases, the approval in the distributed evaluation will be obtained through the accomplishment of works that can be carried out in extra-laboratory classes and that will be divulged and guided by the professor of the curricular unit. Passing the distributed assessment is a prerequisite for the student's admission to the written test of the final exam.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

According to the Academic Regulation of FCNAUP.
The assessment of students in mobility or other special situations will be defined at the beginning of the academic year.

Classification improvement

According to the Academic Regulation of FCNAUP.

Observations

Office hours for students are on Fridays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm in Office 3.203.B. Student assistance must be requested by email addressed to the person responsible for the course (vhugoteixeira@fcna.up.pt).