Physical Activity and Health Descriptions
Unit outlines will be available through Find a unit outline two weeks before the first day of teaching for 1000-level and 5000-level units, or one week before the first day of teaching for all other units.
Physical Activity and Health minor
A minor in Physical Activity and Health requires 36 credit points from table A including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level core units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level core units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000-level core units
Physical Activity and Health major
A major in Physical Activity and Health requires 48 credit points from table A including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level core units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level major core units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000-level major core units
(iv) 6 credit points of 3000-level selective units
(v) 6 credit points of 3000-level interdisciplinary project units
Units of study
The units of study are listed below (Table A)
1000-level units of study
Core units
BIOS1170 Body Systems: Structure and Function
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prohibitions: BMED2403 or PHSI2005 or PHSI2006 or BIOS2170 or PHSI2007 or PHSI2008 Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
This unit will present the gross anatomy, functional histology, physiology and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary systems. Specific diseases of these systems that are commonly encountered in health care practice will be described. The unit will also cover the characteristics of the body's fluids and the concept of acid-Âbase balance within the body. Specific diseases of these systems that are commonly encountered in health care practice will be described. This unit includes laboratory classes in which human cadavers are studied. Attendance at practical classes is compulsory. Students who achieve a pass will have a basic working knowledge of professionally relevant aspects of anatomy and physiology. Students who achieve higher grades will be better able to integrate various aspects of the unit, and to apply their knowledge to solve problems or explain higher level phenomena.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
EXSS1036 Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of exercise physiology. This unit will cover the different physiological systems of the human body working at rest and then during exercise. We will cover the functional anatomy and physiology of muscle tissue, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and understand how oxygen is extracted from the air and is delivered to working muscles. Energy transformation from fuel to mechanical work will be described and finally the mechanisms of fatigue will be discussed. A focus of Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology is the practical application of physiological measurements and critical evaluation of data for physiological understanding.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
2000-level units of study
EXSS2032 Exercise Training Physiology and Biochemistry
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: EXSS1036 Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of exercise training adaptations. Specifically, students will be introduced to the basic principles of training including
overload, reversibility and specificity as well as the concept of fatigue and training to enhance fatigue resistance. This unit will cover the different physiological systems including the cardiovascular and respiratory system, endocrine system and metabolic pathways pertaining to energy regulation and their related adaptations to training. Finally, how these adaptations may be impacted by various environmental stimuli or pharmacological treatments will be explored. During practical classes and tutorials, students will develop skills
required for assessing readiness to train; implementation of training programs; and data collection for assessing success of a training program.
overload, reversibility and specificity as well as the concept of fatigue and training to enhance fatigue resistance. This unit will cover the different physiological systems including the cardiovascular and respiratory system, endocrine system and metabolic pathways pertaining to energy regulation and their related adaptations to training. Finally, how these adaptations may be impacted by various environmental stimuli or pharmacological treatments will be explored. During practical classes and tutorials, students will develop skills
required for assessing readiness to train; implementation of training programs; and data collection for assessing success of a training program.
EXSS2035 Physical Activity and Society
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
This unit provides an understanding of public policy and health promotion as part of the health system in Australia. It explores the relationships between physical activity and population health, including cultural and social factors affecting physical activity and sedentary behaviour. It looks at the impact of public policy on promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour across population groups. Students will also learn how age and gender influence exercise capacity and how physical activity can influence growth, development, and health across the lifespan.
3000-level units of study
EXSS3062 Motor Control and Learning
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: Completion of 48 credit points Prohibitions: EXSS2025 Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
This unit provides students with a broad overview of motor control and learning with the aim of stimulating students to think about the mechanisms of normal human movement. Both a behavioural and a neurophysiological approach are taken to understand the acquisition and execution of skilled motor actions. The behavioural approach is directed at the process of optimizing the learning of skills. Meanwhile the neurophysiological approach is directed at the neuromuscular machinery and the functional neural connections which enable skill-acquisition to occur.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
EXSS3071 Nutrition for Exercise and Health
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: EXSS2032 Prohibitions: EXSS2021 Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
In this unit, students explore nutrition principles as they relate to health and physical performance in sport and recreation. Students consider key aspects of public health nutrition including dietary management of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The unit defines the importance of macro and micronutrients in the maintenance of health, and the specific roles of carbohydrate, protein and lipids in energy metabolism during exercise. The interaction between dietary intake and physical activity and its effects on energy, balance, cardiovascular health and other lifestyle diseases are considered. Students will be provided with the knowledge and skills to provide general advice on nutrition to apparently healthy clients and understand the risks of fad diets. The efficacy of different competition strategies and common nutritional supplements will also be examined.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
Selective units
EXSS3040 Physiological Testing and Training
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: EXSS2022 or EXSS2034 Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
This unit of study provides students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills (laboratory and field-based) for the physiological assessment and training of elite athletes. The application of current tests and measurements in sports science together with training theory and practice will be critically reviewed. Special attention will be given to the role of speed, strength and endurance in sports performance. Fundamental questions concerning the nature of the training stimulus, training thresholds, plasticity of muscle, dose-response relationships, detraining and overtraining will be investigated. Teaching and learning strategies include lectures, case studies, practical test and measurement skills. On completion of this unit of study students will demonstrate competency within the sports testing environment and a capacity to provide well researched consultancy advice on sports training theory and practice.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
EXSS3050 Exercise Across the Lifespan
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: EXSS2022 and EXSS2028 and EXSS3023 OR EXSS2032 and EXSS2034 Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
This unit covers the rationale and recommendations for the use of exercise and the promotion of physical activity from childhood through to old age, including those with chronic disease and disability. The student will explore evidence for the contribution of exercise to psychological health and well-being, improvement in body composition associated with poor health outcomes, and for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and disability, including cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, cognitive impairment, depression, diabetes, obesity, vascular disease, renal failure, and mobility impairment . Appropriate exercise modalities for older adults and implementing the exercise prescription in those with chronic disease and frailty as well as promoting behavioural change will also be taught.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
Units of study offered from 2023: EXSS3XXX Exercise and Cancer
Interdisciplinary Project units
HSBH3026 Industry and Community Project
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Intensive February,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: A minimum of 72 credit points Assessment: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Practical field work: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Campus: Remote Mode of delivery: Block mode
Note: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
This interdisciplinary unit provides students with the opportunity to address complex problems identified by industry, community, and government organisations, and gain valuable experience in working across disciplinary boundaries. In collaboration with a major industry partner and an academic lead, students integrate their academic skills and knowledge by working in teams with students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds. This experience allows students to research, analyse and present solutions to a real world problem, and to build on their interpersonal and transferable skills by engaging with and learning from industry experts and presenting their ideas and solutions to the industry partner.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
Units of study offered from 2023: EXSS3XXX Interdisciplinary Project.