Sport and Exercise Science BSc

This module considers aspects of experimental and theoretical biomechanics including:

• Mechanical properties of biological tissues:
  
  • Hard tissues including bone;
  • Soft tissues including cartilage, tendon, disc and blood vessels;
  • Time-dependent behaviour;
• Experimental techniques
• Injury mechanisms and mechanics
• Impact mechanics

This module will equip students with a variety of research methods relevant to their upcoming research project. The importance of correct study design will be emphasised, as well as the ethical considerations when conducting human experiments. Data and statistical analysis techniques appropriate to sport and exercise research will be explained, as well as their importance when deciding on study design.

This module will focus on psychological and behavioural approaches to promoting physical activity at individual and population group level.

This module will enable students to develop a strong understanding of metabolism in the promotion and maintenance of human health, including aspects of muscle, heart, liver and adipose tissue metabolism. It will also cover the role of diet in the development, prevention and treatment of disease.

This is a year-long level three module. You will undertake detailed research on a chosen topic in anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, or psychology with close supervision from an academic member of staff. Each project will involve collection of experimental data, their analysis and interpretation in the context of previous published work, and the completion of a written dissertation.

This optional module will build on Level 2 modules  within the Sport and Exercise Science programme, further developing students though the scientific understanding and application to practice  relating to Physical Performance. This module will:

• Discuss the identification and measurement of physical requirements of performance for individuals and teams.
• Relate scientific understanding to the application of individual and team performance physiology.
• Discuss and appraise a wide range of practitioner considerations relating to applied performance physiology, including individual athlete programs, talent ID and physical development, nutrition and special populations.

The success of modern medicine has resulted in significant increases in the average human lifespan. This module will focus on the mechanistic basis of human ageing and progression to chronic age-related disease and will consider the role and potential for exercise and pharmacological interventions in offsetting age related decline.

This module will explain how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are affected by common diseases, such as atherosclerosis, COPD and heart failure, and how exercise is central to the quality of life of these patients. The module will examine the mechanisms underlying prevention of such diseases via increased physical activity, as well as the effect of exercise in managing disease.

This module will cover the fundamentals of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour, and its relation to health and chronic disease with particular focus on measurement methods, evidence-based practice and preventative healthcare, and the physiological responses of the human body in health and chronic disease.

This module will enable students to gain a broad knowledge on the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Sport and Exercise Science research with focus on multiple MRI techniques used for brain, cardiac, knee, body composition and muscle function.

This module will cover the use and abuse of drugs in the context of sport, exercise and non-medicinal use, and will introduce key concepts, mechanisms of action of different classes of drugs, their metabolic and ergogenic effects and the health risks associated with their use.