Level 7 Diploma in Integrative Sport and Exercise Nutrition

Integrative body systems in sports nutrition – 16 Level 7 Credits

Module 1 represents a step-wise progression through the physiological body systems of an athlete, or active individual, starting with an introduction to integrative and personalised thinking in a sporting context. By focussing on the underpinning health of an athlete, this module supports the base layers of our performance pyramid.

Lecture content

1. Integrative thinking and the functional model in sports nutrition
2. Individuality and genetics of health, nutrition and performance
3. Gastrointestinal health specifically in athletes
4. Detoxification and biotransformation in a sports context
5. Musculoskeletal health, inflammation, and recovery
6. Exercise immunology and nutritional support
7. Endocrine and nervous system disruption, imbalance and fatigue
8. Energy, mitochondria, cardiovascular health, and the antioxidant debate

Workshop content

Each workshop focusses discussion around a case study from that week’s lecture, plus provides time for tutorial-style Q & As. Below is a list of case studies that are covered:

1. An aspiring English Channel swimmer with fatigue
2. An elite triathlete viewed from a genetics perspective
3. A trail runner with gastrointestinal issues
4. A ‘toxic’ recreational weight lifter
5. Musculoskeletal rehabilitation after a skiing accident
6. A recreational triathlete experiencing recurrent infections
7. A young marathon runner with adrenal fatigue
8. A Masters endurance athlete with cardiovascular health concerns

Assignments

Your formative assignment (non-assessed) is based around the creation of a functional matrix and timeline, based on yourself, friend or family member. You’ll then be asked to reflect on what you have learned as a practitioner (or prospective practitioner) from this process that you’d normally use with your clients.

For your summative assignment (assessed) you’ll be asked to write a 2500-word case study essay of a sporting individual who displays the signs and symptoms of some body system imbalance. After describing the person, and cross-linking his or her body systems in an integrative way, within the challenges of their exercise pursuits, you’ll outline your proposed nutrition and lifestyle intervention strategies.

View a detailed description of this module

Applied performance nutrition – 16 Level 7 Credits

Module 2 represents a more quantitative, performance-focussed, approach to sports nutrition, delving into popular topics such as metabolism, calorie needs, macronutrients, micronutrients, hydration and electrolytes, pre-, during- and post-exercise nutrition, nutrient timing, and overtraining. As for all of our teaching, we view these topics in a very personalised way, contextualised to the needs of the sports person under our care.

Lecture content

1. Calories for a sports person: measurements and limitations
2. Body composition: measurement modalities and nutritional strategies
3. Macronutrients: carb vs fat discussions, train-low-compete-high, and nutrient timing
4. Micronutrients: nutrient-dense nutrition, assessments and interventions
5. Pre, during and post-exercise nutrition, including sports and recovery drinks plus gels
6. Hydration and electrolytes: assessments and strategies
7. Overtraining: the neuroendocrine picture, monitoring and recovery
8. Dynamic action learning of performance nutrition

Workshop content

Each workshop focusses discussion around a case study from that week’s lecture, plus provides time for tutorial-style Q & As. Below is a list of case studies that are covered:

1. Caloric estimations of an active lady struggling with body composition
2. Nutrition and lifestyle interventions with our session 1 client
3. Macronutrient needs of a Masters track cyclist
4. Micronutrient needs of a recreational cyclist
5. Nutrition preparation for an ultramarathon race
6. A basketball player with cramp problems
7. An overtrained English Channel swimmer
8. An interactive and reflective session on your learnings from this module

Assignments

Your formative assignment (non-assessed) is based around the creation of a pre-, during- and post-exercise nutrition strategy, with consideration of nutrient timing, for a particular (demanding) exercise session. You can use yourself, or a friend, family member or client as the subject.

For your summative assignment (assessed) you are asked to revisit your case study client from module 1. After recapping on your health intervention strategies, you’ll write up a 2500-word essay on quantitative nutrition strategies, considering their caloric needs, macronutrient balance, micronutrient intake, hydration requirements, and how to assess their overtraining risk.

View a detailed description of this module

Four speciality modules – 7 Level 7 Credits each

Once you have completed module 1 (integrative body systems) and module 2 (performance nutrition), or while you are still studying these modules (depending on your pace of study), you’ll undertake four of the following specialty units – of your own choosing.

Weeks 1 to 3 of each module consist of three lectures, presented by professionals who have specialist interests in these subjects, and who you’ll interact with during our weekly workshop meetings. Week 4 is dynamic action learning, which draws from the knowledge and experience of all course participants within a workshop discussion of applied performance nutrition. Natural sports cookery is structured a little differently with five weeks in total.

• Hypertrophy for sport and exercise – Learn about training and nutrition for hypertrophy, and gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of body system approach (including the ‘gut-muscle axis’) for anabolic support, plus consider ergogenic strategies to assist muscular strength and integrity. With specialist practitioners Paul Ehren, Simone do Carmo, and Matt Lovell.

Read more about this module

• Natural sports cookery – Learn the importance of food sourcing and energetics, how to supersize the nutrient density of foods, and methodologies for creating a balanced meal composition for an athlete using the values of natural cookery. With certified Natural Chef and ex-international triathlete, Rachel Jesson.

Read more about this module

• Gastrointestinal health in athletes – Learn about the effects of exercise load on gut functioning, plus nutritional and clinical strategies that you can use in practice to assess and support GI and resilience. With specialist practitioners and academics Katherine Caris-Harris, Prof Justin Roberts, and Rick Miller.

Read more about this module

• Harnessing mitochondrial energy – Learn how to develop and harness the mitochondrial potential of your athletic clients to a higher level through interventions that provide wholesome nutrition support, microbiome health, balanced exercise training, and mental wellbeing. With specialist practitioners Zac van Heerden, Ian Craig, and Dr Patricia Worby.

Read more about this module

• Ergogenic aids for the athlete – Learn how to support an athlete’s performance by looking at their personal ecosystem of health, and how to identify and use nutritional ergogenic aids in clinical practice to safely improve their athletic outcomes. With specialist practitioners Matt Lovell and Paul Ehren.

Read more about this module

• Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) – Learn how to support an active individual who is showing signs of low energy availability, considering other potential contributing causes and factors in their life. With specialist practitioners Simone do Carmo, Renee McGregor and Nicky Keay.

Read more about this module

• Coming soon – We are committed to adding one or two new speciality modules each year. A Mind-body Perspective in Sport will be available in March 2025, and Health and Physical Success of Female Athletes in October 2025.

Assignments

Your formative assignments (non-assessed) for the speciality modules vary depending on which modules you choose. Examples include: writing a Focus-on or Research Spotlight article on a single food ingredient or nutrient; critiquing laboratory tests for an applied sporting purpose; reviewing relevant research studies in the subject area; creating a dietary plan for a particular athlete; and writing a well-formed sport or exercise oriented goal.

The summative assignment (assessed) for all of your speciality modules are case study based. You will be asked to build up a description of an athletic client, including all aspects of their life (nutrition, training, sleep, stress, environment etc.) that may impact their sport or exercise goal(s) positively or negatively, including the health of their body systems. You’ll then build up a well-reasoned set of intervention strategies appropriate to progressing them towards their goal(s).

Mentoring, Case Studies, and Study Group Programme – 30 Level 7 Credits

The underpinning aim of this Level 7 diploma is to expand your scope of applied practitioner practice. This particular module gives you the opportunity to bring together your learning from all other modules and apply it in a nourishing practitioner-client type of setting. In the process you’ll receive mentorship from several integrative-thinking professionals, including nutrition, functional and integrative medicine, exercise, and psychology practitioners.

Working within the paradigm of ‘health feeds performance’, you’ll be expected to study individually, and also in a group setting, plus conduct cases, discuss outcomes, and present to your peers. Interaction with your mentors will allow progression of experiential practice throughout this extended module.

Structure of the programme

Working within the paradigm of ‘health feeds performance’, you will be expected to study individually, and also in a group setting, plus conduct cases, discuss outcomes, and present to your peers. In addition, interaction with your mentors will allow progression of experiential practice throughout this extended unit.

Each block is four weeks in duration, and the eight blocks are spread through one calendar year.

Block 1           Sport and exercise nutrition in applied practice

Block 2           Function medicine in a sporting context

Block 3           Application of laboratory testing into sport

Block 4           Psychology of an athlete’s mind-body

Block 5           Translation of sports nutrition into the kitchen

Block 6           Working comprehensively with your athletic client

Block 7           Business skills as a health practitioner

Block 8           Complex cases within sport and exercise

Included in each block

1. A lecture from your mentor discussing the ways in which they work
2. A consultation between your mentor and a volunteer client
3. Weekly tutorials, giving you a chance to learn more about your mentor’s practice style
4. Case study discussions led by you and your peers to resource client strategies
5. A study group for you to work with your peers on client cases

Assignments

Formative assignment 1 (non-assessed) is based around the exploratory write-up of a functional laboratory test, which will be chosen based on the case history of the client, plus a detailed analysis of the test results given.

Formative assignment 2 requires you to critique a sports nutrition oriented research paper that has made quite definitive statements about a certain area of research enquiry. Your job is to break down this paper into an n = 1 context and assess the applicability of their conclusions for your chosen case.

Formative assignment 3 asks you to write up a business plan relevant to the needs and direction of your own sport and exercise nutrition business, or intended business. Including your business goals and visions, you’ll be expected to establish a timeline of where you are today, where you would like to get to, and how you will achieve that. 

Your summative assignment (assessed) revolves around a live case study project with a client: using learning from the module and your own clinical experience (if relevant), you’ll conduct two nutrition consultations with an active client or athlete. Between the sessions, you’ll be asked to write up a report for your client and present the case to your peers and supervisor, who will give you feedback that should be incorporated into your second consultation.

Capstone Research and Project – 30 Level 7 Credits

The purpose of this unit is for you to engage in research that will further develop your ability as a practitioner with an integrative sport and exercise nutrition context. The capstone project will culminate in a significant document of professional study, which demonstrates your ability to: identify and define a research ‘problem’; identify and utilise source materials; conduct a literature review; collate and analyse data; evaluate results; and develop defensible conclusions.

Via the introduction to, and application of, key research concepts in the first eight-week segment, you will be expected to build competency in the design of a qualitative research project. Implementation of the research project and final report will be conducted and submitted in the subsequent eight-week segment.

Assignment

Over the course of sixteen weeks, you will be asked to conduct a qualitative research project, including: a research proposal, literature review, data collection and analysis, results/findings, and an annotated bibliography of scholarly sources. To summarise your entire study and explore the results, you will then submit a formal research report of at least 5,500 words.

Within this process you’ll base your research on one of three approved capstone project options. You’ll then follow a process where you’ll submit two drafts of the capstone paper, and incorporate the feedback given by your tutor. In the write up of your project, we’ll ask you to follow the tenets of academic writing, including the formatting and citation guidelines for an accepted academic referencing style.

Online tutorials to support your learning

We always say to our students that the more you put into this course, the more you will get out of it. With this in mind, at CISN we have a strong ethos of student-tutor interactions: in other words, we are always here to answer your questions, give you support with your course work and assignments, and to help facilitate your development as a great practitioner. 

We also actively encourage participants from diverse backgrounds to sign up to this course; this brings varying personal, academic, sporting, and practitioner experiences to the classroom. Learning is not about just about systematically working through a set syllabus of lectures and readings; learning and personal expansion also happens during interaction with your peers, tutors and lecturers.

For this reason, we hold tutorials with you every week on Zoom while you complete this Level 7 diploma course. Once course participants have begun to get to know each other, this becomes a vibrant place of discussion, debate, and personal growth.

We draw from the method of ‘dynamic action learning’ to inspire these sessions, allowing us to focus more on your learning needs and wants rather than the preconceived notions of the lecturers and tutors. Therefore, each session is bespoke to those who are online at the time.

We do, however, set up some structure to our sessions, so they may look something like this:

• Q & A – Time is given for you to ask questions that have arisen from the week’s lectures: the lecturer and/or tutor will then share their answers within a context of sports nutrition practice
• Forum discussions – Topics that have been discussed during the week on our online forum may now warrant expansion
• What have you learned? – Most weeks, the tutor will ask a practice-specific question regarding what you have learned, and will take forward with you, from that week’s lectures and readings
• Breakout rooms – We’ll often assign breakout rooms so you can discuss that question with peers in groups of 2 or 3: you’ll then come back into the main room and share what you’ve reflected on
• New work interests – This is also a time when a specialist subject lecturer may share new academic or clinical work they have been engaged in since the time when they recorded the lecture video
• Case studies – most lectures are concluded with a case study, so questions may be asked about the client, and what further intervention strategies were, or could have been, employed in their case
• Any other business – you will always be given an opportunity to raise any topics or questions that have not so far been covered during the session

These tutorials, along with the forum interactions, are intended to expand the way you think about your client cases, and ultimately expand and improve the way that you think and practice.