Nutrition and Metabolism of Physical Activity

The course provides students with an integrated understanding of the principles of nutrition, metabolism and biomarkers useful for assessing the effects of exercise and optimising performance and recovery.

In detail, the course aims to provide knowledge on:

- the regulation of energy balance in sports activity and the estimation- of total energy expenditure (TEE, REE, PAL, ADS, NEAT, EPOC) and energy availability in relation to training load;

- nutritional strategies in sports settings (controlled caloric surplus, mini-cut, refeed, reverse dieting), including principles of macronutrient distribution, nutrient timing, and hydration;

- the physiological and clinical implications of low energy availability (LEA/RED-S) on health and performance;

- nutrition strategies in team sports, endurance sports, and power sports;

- regulation of cellular energy metabolism by nutrients during exercise;

- anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory effects of exercise;

- the theoretical and practical bases of clinical biochemistry, useful for interpreting biochemical and molecular responses to physical exercise and recovery;

- identify and describe the main biomarkers useful for integrating biochemical tests into practice for informed decisions in the field of exercise.

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

- calculate and interpret total energy expenditure and energy availability;

critically evaluate nutritional strategies such as controlled caloric surplus, mini-cut, refeed, and reverse dieting;

- recognize the pathophysiological implications of low energy availability (LEA/RED-S);

- develop a critical approach to the interpretation of nutritional strategies adopted in sports settings, distinguishing physiologically sound approaches from practices that may pose potential health risks;

- acquiring knowledge in energetics, fuel metabolism during exercise, and metabolic adaptation to physical activity and sports;

- know the technical and practical fundamentals of biochemical and molecular tests that can be used in sports settings;

- choose the most appropriate biochemical and molecular tests to assess the effects of training, fatigue, recovery and the potential risk of overtraining, and interpret experimental data in relation to information on training and the athlete's status.