Sports Nutrition and Health

Sports nutrition and health is a field that applies the science of nutrition to the specific demands of physical performance and healthy living, examining how what people eat affects how they perform, recover, adapt to training, and maintain wellbeing across the lifespan. It is a multidisciplinary subject, drawing on physiology, biochemistry, psychology, and public health to build a rigorous understanding of the relationship between diet, physical activity, and health outcomes. As awareness of the role of nutrition in both performance and disease prevention has grown, demand for qualified professionals in this field has expanded considerably.

At the University of Derby, this three-year full-time degree takes an integrative approach, exploring the psychology, physiology, and biochemistry of nutrition in ways that apply equally to elite sport, amateur athletics, and community and public health settings. The foundation year provides a supported entry for students who need additional preparation, and the programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you substantial professional experience in relevant settings alongside your academic study. You will develop the understanding of human psychology, disease, training, physical activity, and health that is needed to work effectively as a sports nutrition and health professional.

Graduates from sports nutrition and health programmes work across a range of settings. Roles in elite and professional sport as performance nutritionists, in public health and community nutrition, in fitness and wellness industry roles, in sports science support services, and in the food and supplement industry are all common destinations. Many graduates also move into roles in health promotion, exercise referral programmes, and the NHS.

For those wishing to pursue registration as a nutritionist, the degree may provide a pathway towards Associate Nutritionist status with the Association for Nutrition. Postgraduate study in nutrition, public health nutrition, or sports science is an option for those who wish to develop further specialist expertise.