PBHL 3500 - Nutrition for Health and Fitness

Goals: To acquaint students with the fundamental concepts of nutrition, and develop the skills needed to perform basic dietary analyses and design practical nutritional strategies to address various nutritional needs and challenges; to familiarize students with the research methodologies used to investigate nutrition, enable students to evaluate claims based on empirical evidence, and help students appreciate the impact of advances in nutrition research on individuals and society.

Content: This course will give students an understanding of the role of nutrition in overall health and wellness, disease prevention and treatment, and in athletic performance, recovery, and training adaptation. Topics covered will include: basic human metabolism; energy intake and energy balance; macronutrients, micronutrients, and recommendations for intake based on individual needs; how diet contributes to development and progression, as well as prevention and treatment, of many chronic diseases; how to evaluate dietary claims and the latest “fad” diets; dietary assessment methods; changing dietary needs across the lifespan; how diet affects physical performance in sport/exercise training and competition; and the role of nutrition in recovery from and adaptation to exercise training at the cellular and molecular level.

Taught: Spring term

Prerequisite: BIOL 1120 or BIOL 1510 or BIOL 1520 with a grade of C- or better

Credits: 4

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