Comprehensive Sports Exercise Adherence & Nutrition Education Syllabus

This syllabus outlines a semesterlong (15week) program designed for undergraduate or graduate students studying kinesiology, sports science, health promotion, or related fields. The course integrates evidencebased strategies to improve exercise adherence and delivers a robust nutrition education component that supports athletic performance and lifelong health.

Course Information

• Course Code: KIN 402
• Credits: 3
• Prerequisites: Introductory kinesiology or equivalent
• Meeting Schedule: 2 lecture sessions (1.5h) + 1 lab/tutorial (2h) per week
• Instruction Mode: Hybrid (inperson labs, online lectures)

Course Objectives

1. Analyze psychological, social, and environmental determinants of exercise adherence.
2. Design individualized and groupbased exercise programs that maximize longterm participation.
3. Explain the role of macronutrients and micronutrients in sport performance and recovery.
4. Develop evidencebased nutrition education materials for athletes, coaches, and recreational exercisers.
5. Critically evaluate current research and translate findings into practical recommendations.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify barriers to regular physical activity and apply behaviorchange techniques (e.g., selfmonitoring, goalsetting, motivational interviewing).
• Create periodized training plans that incorporate progressive overload, recovery, and adherence monitoring.
• Perform a nutritional assessment for athletes of different sports and propose tailored dietary strategies.
• Deliver interactive nutrition workshops using multimedia tools.
• Design a smallscale research project or program evaluation related to exercise adherence or nutrition education.

Weekly Topics & Assignments

Assessment Overview

• Reflection Journal (5%) personal insight into exercise habits.
• Quizzes (10%) two short online quizzes covering theory.
• Practical Assignments (30%) program design, wearable lab, workshop deck.
• Case Study & Debate (10%) critical thinking on nutrition issues.
• Research Proposal (15%) literature review, hypothesis, methodology.
• Final Presentation (20%) delivery of an integrated exercisenutrition plan.
• Participation (10%) attendance, discussion contributions, peer feedback.

Required Texts & Resources

• American College of Sports Medicine. ACSMs Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 11thed., 2023.
• Burke, L., & Kiens, B. (2021). Nutrition for Athletes. Human Kinetics.
• Selected peerreviewed journal articles (uploaded to the LMS).
• Access to a wearable activity tracker (provided by the department).

Teaching Methods

The course blends lectures, interactive labs, group work, and online discussions. Students will experience realworld tools (e.g., activity monitors, nutrition label calculators) and practice communication skills essential for communitybased health promotion.

Academic Integrity

All submissions must be original work. Use of proper citation style (APA7th) is mandatory. Plagiarism will be addressed according to university policy.

Contact & Support

Instructor: Dr. Maya Patel, PhD mpatel@university.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays 24pm, Room 312, Health Sciences Building
Academic Support: Student Services tutoring, writing center, and disability accommodations.