MOOC Nutrition, Exercise and Sports

Why follow this course?

Are you involved in sports or regular exercise and do you want to have a better understanding of the role of nutrition on performance and health? Do you want to learn whether certain nutritional strategies could be relevant for your own athletic performance and/or muscle growth? Are you a dietitian, personal trainer, physiotherapist or a health/sport coach and do you want to be able to provide proper nutritional advice for your clients? Or, are you none of the above but interested in nutrition, exercise and sports and do you want to make your own informed decisions about your daily food intake?

Then this online course Nutrition, Exercise and Sports is for you! Nutrition is crucial to live an active and healthy life, to support training, and to optimize performance. In this online course, researchers and teachers from Wageningen University & Research will familiarize you with the nutritional aspects of exercise and sports. What are the basic concepts in exercise physiology and sport nutrition science? How is exercise being fueled for the different types of sports like; power sports, sprinting and endurance exercise? And how does protein support skeletal muscle mass and performance? In this online course you will learn to estimate energy needs and understand thermoregulation and fluid balance. You will learn about the role of micronutrients and supplements in exercise performance. Moreover, you will be introduced to some health issues related to doing exercise.

This online course also touches upon how the lessons learned from nutrition and sports research can be applied during ageing. For example, what are the benefits of extra protein in vulnerable age groups? 

Be aware that this online course will not tell you exactly what to eat. Instead, you will learn and understand the nutritional aspects of physical activity and sport, so you can make your own informed decisions and critically evaluate nutritional advices and claims.

Is this course for you?

The online course Nutrition, Exercise and Sports is especially useful for:

• Sport- and health coaches, physiotherapists, personal trainers and dietitians
• People working in the (sport) food industry
• Professional athletes
• Everyone with a healthy appetite for knowledge about nutrition, exercise and sports

Ready to join the MOOC Nutrition, Exercise and Sports? This online course contains several interesting and inspiring interviews with nutrition and sport professionals. It will provide basic understanding of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, and contains challenging assignments that will give you insight in nutritional needs and performance benefits for (your) athletes, your clients or yourself.

What you will learn

• The key concepts of exercise physiology and sports nutrition science
• Important nutritional aspects of exercise including energy, carbohydrates & fats, protein metabolism and fluid balance
• Why certain nutritional strategies can enhance exercise and sports performance
• The role of micronutrients and supplements in exercise and sports
• The relationship between Exercise, Nutrition and Health, also during ageing
• Develop a critical mind-set in the field of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports