Nutrition & Exercise Science

What is the BSc (Hons) in Nutrition & Exercise Science?

The BSc (Hons) in Nutrition & Exercise Science is a full-time, four-year, honours degree course of study that can be chosen within the Exercise Sciences Common Entry Route. The BSc (Hons) in Nutrition and Exercise Science programme will give graduates the knowledge and skills to work individual athletes and teams to optimise nutritional intake. They will also have the knowledge and skills to assist the general population in following healthy eating guidelines and achieving a healthy body weight. The programme emphasises nutrition for maximizing an individual's health and sports performance, athlete specific nutrition, exercise physiology, sport specific supplements and their safety.

At the end of the programme, graduates will be able to:

• Assess the specific nutritional needs of various athletic populations
• Undertake a comprehensive dietary intake analysis
• Assist athletic populations in altering dietary intake and dietary planning to optimise performance, during training and around competition
• Assist the general population in following healthy eating guideline and achieving a health bodyweight
• Advise on the use of supplements
• Assist athletes, coaches and the general public in distinguishing fact from fiction with reference to the nutrition research literature.

Programme features

Staff

Staff in the Department have experience providing nutritional support to individuals, athletes and teams and conducting research in nutrition and sports nutrition. This includes staff

• Acting as Tournament Nutritionist for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2017
• Providing nutritional support to an elite intercounty GAA team
• Providing dietetic advice on RTÉ One’s Operation Transformation
• Writing for the Irish Examiner on Childhood Nutrition

Facilities

Laboratories and apparatus available for practical classes and research projects include human performance laboratories, access to a DEXA and bio-electrical impedance body composition analysers, resting metabolic rate gas analysis system, dietary analysis software, ActivPal physical activity motion sensors and Powerlab data acquisition systems.  Certain classes are delivered in the teaching and laboratory facilities of the SETU Arena. 

Placement

A 300-hour work placement offers supervised experience in a nutrition and exercise science environment. The Department has a network of placement opportunities or students may be able to organise their own. Examples include placements with

• Registered sport and exercise nutritionists (SENr) assisting in providing dietary advice to athletes
• Registered dietitians in hospitals or within a dietetic practise
• Registered nutritionists assisting with advice in relation to nutrition for health
• Nutrition analysis software company
• Universities assisting postgraduate researchers with nutrition research
• Nutrition Research Centre Ireland
• Food companies within the nutrition branch of the company

Research and Project Work

Students in the programme have an opportunity to experience the full research process culminating in the completion of a dissertation on in the final year of the programme. Students will benefit from exposure to the nutrition and sports nutrition PhD research ongoing in the Department including:

• Musculoskeletal health and body composition in jockeys
• relative energy deficiency (REDS) in athletes and effects on health
• bioactive foods and performance in athletes

Awards

Several REPS Ireland accreditations are built into this programme. After successfully completing year 2, students will be eligible for the Fitness Instruction, Group Fitness Instruction and Personal Training accreditations.