Course coordinator
Dr Georgia Black
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Human Movement & Nutrition Sci
This course will examine the influence of diet and exercise on health, fitness and well-being. During the course students will learn about - the functions of nutrients in the body; how the body responds to exercise training; how to determine if students' own diet and exercise is meeting current recommendations; how to develop an exercise program to improve health and fitness; and how nutrition can be used to enhance exercise performance. The course is structured in a way that will allow the application of knowledge gained about diet and exercise to improve students' own health and fitness.
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide you with sufficient knowledge and skills relating to diet, exercise health and fitness to review personal dietary intake and determine changes to improve health outcomes; and program and complete an exercise plan that will improve or maintain your own health, fitness and well-being.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Describe the basic functions of macronutrients and key micronutrients, their common sources, and their role in energy balance and general wellbeing.
LO2.
Briefly describe the physiological responses to exercise and list some adaptations that occur with exercise training.
LO3.
Broadly describe the relationship between food consumption, physical activity and health.
LO4.
List and briefly describe the current Australian dietary and physical activity guidelines for adults.
LO5.
Explain the strengths and limitations of commonly used methods for measuring and assessing diet, physical activity, fitness and body composition.
LO6.
Apply the principles of training to develop a personal exercise program with appropriate mode/intensity/frequency to develop the students' own health and fitness.
LO7.
Outline basic nutrition strategies including hydration and ergogenic aids for enhancing exercise performance.
LO8.
Describe the impact of diet and physical activity/inactivity on chronic disease risk
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Written Assessment 1 - Diet assessment and reflection | 30% |
27/03/2026 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Written Assessment 2 - Exercise Programming and Reflection | 40% |
15/05/2026 5:00 pm |
| Examination |
End of Semester Examination
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026 |
Assessment details
Written Assessment 1 - Diet assessment and reflection
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
27/03/2026 5:00 pm
Task description
The purpose of this assignment is for students to complete a 24-hour diet recall and determine how this reflects the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommendations. Using both reflection on your current food consumption and scientific evidence to support potential dietary changes will be assessed.
Use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT)
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
To be submitted via the relevant Turnitin submission portal on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Written Assessment 2 - Exercise Programming and Reflection
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
15/05/2026 5:00 pm
Task description
The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to develop a plan for improving or maintaining your own health and fitness in the future. The assignment should contain five parts – Plan, complete exercise program, diarise and reflect on program, program justification and dietary changes that could help support your goal
Plan
You will provide a detailed an exercise plan that is designed to achieve the specific goal you have set. The exercise plan will be four-weeks demonstrating all activity completed to achieve goal. The purpose of the assignment is to help you enhance your own health and fitness so all aspects of the plan should be specifically related to your own personal situation. You will be marked on how well the plan is likely to achieve the goals you have set.
Reflect
You will complete a training diary for two weeks to demonstrate sessions that have been completed and how you found the sessions.
Justify
You will be required to select two of your training variables and discuss how the evidence supports the use to help you meet your goal. The secondary justification is to discuss two dietary changes you would implement to also help achieve your goal (with evidence).
Presentation
Marks will be given for clarity of writing, consistency of referencing and overall presentation of the report.
Use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT)
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Submission guidelines
To be submitted via the relevant Turnitin submission portal on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
End of Semester Examination
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026
- Other conditions
- Secure.
Task description
You will be assessed on all semester knowledge.
Use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT)
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
A final percentage mark will be rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g., 64.50 and above will be rounded to 65 and 64.49 and below will be rounded down to 64.)
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (23 Feb - 01 Mar) |
Workshop |
Introduction Introduction to NUTR1023 and Blackboard, review of course structure and assessment overview. The relationship between food and health is discussed and students are introduced to the roles of health professionals, industry, and government in influencing the food choices of individuals and food consumption at a population level. |
Week 3 (09 Mar - 15 Mar) |
Workshop |
Diet, Physical Activity and Health The role of physical activity and exercise in the prevention and management of disease is presented. The students are provided with detailed information on the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviours and lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, asthma, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. This includes brief discussion on how exercise affects risk factors such as blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose control. |
Week 5 (23 Mar - 29 Mar) |
Workshop |
Diet & Physical Activity Guidelines and Assessment Students are presented the current Dietary Guidelines for Australians and the recommended number of serves of each food group for adults of different ages and genders is discussed. The modelling process used in the development of these guidelines is explained and students are provided with examples of how to use and interpret the guidelines to provide basic lifestyle advice. The NRVs are defined and the limitations of these reference values is discussed. Current Physical Activity Guidelines are presented to students. Strengths and limitations of different methods to assess diet and physical activity are discussed. |
Week 7 (13 Apr - 19 Apr) |
Workshop |
Exercise Prescription Students are introduced how the body adapts to different types of exercise training. The principles of training and considerations for prescribing exercise to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, muscular endurance and flexibility in apparently healthy populations are discussed. |
Week 9 (27 Apr - 03 May) |
Workshop |
Macronutrients Protein, carbohydrate and lipid structure, function, digestion, absorption and metabolism is discussed. The blood lipoprotein fractions are discussed and examples of how diet and exercise influence these is provided. |
Week 11 (11 May - 17 May) |
Workshop |
Micronutrients The function, absorption and metabolism of key vitamins and minerals is discussed. |
Week 12 (18 May - 24 May) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
BMI, Hunger Cycle + Fuel for Exercise This recorded workshop will dive into BMI (and the associated flaws), the hunger cycle process. In addition, fuelling for exercise will be covered |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: