This module is designed to enhance your applied practitioner skills by integrating learning from across the Level 7 diploma course. You’ll apply your knowledge in a practitioner-client setting, developing contextualised practice and perceptive awareness, while exploring how ‘health feeds performance’ in real-world scenarios. Through hands-on case work, group discussions, and peer presentations, you will consolidate your understanding of integrative nutrition, sport and exercise nutrition, functional testing, exercise, psychology, and business skills.
Mentorship from experienced integrative-thinking professionals supports your progression, offering guidance and feedback to refine your clinical reasoning and practical application. This module encourages both independent and collaborative learning, enabling you to critically evaluate outcomes, adapt interventions, and reflect on your practice. By the end of the module, you will have strengthened your experiential skills, confidence, and professional scope, preparing you to deliver nuanced, evidence-informed support to clients in diverse health and performance contexts.
'Module learning objectives'
Course Structure
This 30-credit module is broken into six cycles of 4-week blocks, with approximately 1 week breaks in-between, plus larger holiday gaps in December and August.
Each 4-week block is set up as follows:
Week 1 – Introductory 1-hour tutorial and a pre-recorded 2.5 hour lecture from the mentor
Week 2 – 1-hour Q & A session based on the lecture plus discussion of a case study presented by the mentor
Week 3 – 2-hour live consultation interaction: either mentor conducting a consultation with a class member or class members bringing cases forward for discussion
Week 4 – 1 to 2-hour session with 15-minute student presentation(s) and discussion, discussion time with the mentor, plus potential follow-up of case discussions
Between tutorial interaction
Between block interaction
Sessions to be conducted independently of the 4-week mentor blocks and at approximately 4-week intervals):
Course Content
Within this module, the topics of sports nutrition, integrative or functional nutrition/medicine, exercise, psychology, and business skills will be included.
Each 4-week block is led by a different specialist, or mentor, as indicated:
Assignments
Setting the scene for dealing with sport and exercise clients, including focus on health-based nutrition, psychology, and nutrition.
Sport and exercise nutrition thinking, including aspects of exercise patterning, performance nutrition, and using Informed Sport approved supplements.
Applying research to applied sport and exercise nutrition practice, including contextualising research in an n = 1 way, and setting up a structured framework of practice.
Functional testing for athletes, including the choice of best tests, interpretation of results, and application in a way to upscale your practice.
Principles and application of health coaching, food sourcing and preparation, and helping our clients build a healthy relationship with food.
Practitioner business and marketing skills, including designing your business, creating a website, and planning an effective digital marketing strategy.
Using learning from the module and your own research, complete a short exploratory write-up on a functional laboratory test. Review a client case history, justify your test choice, and analyse results in relation to the client’s signs and symptoms. Summarise key findings with research support and briefly note any gaps in current scientific evidence.
Analyse a sports nutrition research paper that has a clear conclusion. Using learning from the module, plus independent research, critically evaluate its relevance from an individual (n = 1) perspective, considering context, lifestyle, and training variables. Discuss when the findings may be applicable, limited, or perhaps even misleading in practice.
Develop a practical business plan for your current or intended business using learning from the module plus your own research. Define goals, services, target market, growth strategy, staffing, and competition. Include a timeline, cash-flow planning, SWOT analysis, and reflections to demonstrate how the business will develop and succeed.
This summative assessment requires you to conduct two sport and exercise nutrition consultations with an active client or athlete over a period of 2 to 4 weeks. You must demonstrate clinical competency and safe, evidence-informed practice, applying knowledge from the module and, if relevant, your own clinical experience.
The process involves recruiting a suitable client, conducting an initial consultation to assess the case history, dietary habits, and health and performance parameters, and presenting findings to your tutor and peers. You’ll then provide your client with a written report, and a few weeks later carry out a follow-up consultation to review progress, adjust strategies, and set next-step recommendations.
The assignment also requires quantitative dietary analysis, functional or systems-based evaluation, goal setting, and reflective practice. Through this process, you will be expected to critically evaluate client outcomes, integrate behavioural and lifestyle considerations, and demonstrate professional reasoning, thereby preparing you for applied practice in sport and exercise nutrition.
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