Sport and Exercise Therapy BSc (Hons)

This module will provide students with the necessary skills to begin studying at level 4 in courses related to sports and sports science. Students will be introduced to the core skills necessary to succeed in higher education, including researching and referencing appropriately, demonstrating appropriate ICT skills, and communicating effectively verbally and in writing. In addition to these fundamental study skills, students will be introduced to the various scientific disciplines underpinning sports sciences. Fundamental mathematical skills will be covered in order to support students’ other subjects and give them confidence in manipulating data. Students will be introduced to molecular and cellular biology, and how these fields are applied to real-world investigations. Students will also study the biology of micro and macro organisms, with reference to both human and animal structures. Students will be introduced to the core concepts of chemistry, with a particular focus on organic chemistry, and will also be given a grounding in the core principles of physics, applied to living organisms. Students will be introduced to the core principles of psychology and will explore various current applications of psychological theory. The module is made up of the following eight constituent elements: Interactive Learning Skills and Communication (ILSC); Information Communication Technology (ICT); Psychology; Maths for Scientists; Cellular Biology; Biology – Physiology; Chemistry; Physics for Life Sciences.

Within this module you will be introduced to key topics and concepts of sport and exercise science to develop your knowledge and enthusiasm in the area. To do this, we will approach sport and exercise science from a multidisciplinary perspective. Case studies and live briefs are used to contextualise your learning from real-world scenarios. Through a combination of lectures, practical and team-based learning sessions you will develop an understanding how biomechanics, sport psychology and exercise physiology corroborate in sport and exercise behaviour. For example, what psychological, biomechanical and metabolic factors influence the performance of an elite athlete? And, how can we motivate sedentary individuals to exercise more and what physiological adaptations are expected? As such you will develop a clear understanding of the commonalities and distinctions of the disciplines of sport and exercise in different real world scenarios. The development of knowledge is complemented with gaining key transferable,practical and employability skills such as working collaboratively, analysing and presenting data and practical laboratory skills. Within this module you will be introduced to key topics and concepts of sport and exercise science to develop your knowledge and enthusiasm in the area. To do this, we will approach sport and exercise science from a multidisciplinary perspective. Case studies and live briefs are used to contextualise your learning from real-world scenarios. Through a combination of lectures, practical and team-based learning sessions you will develop an understanding how biomechanics,sport psychology and exercise physiology corroborate in sport and exercise behaviour. For example, what psychological, biomechanical and metabolic factors influence the performance of an elite athlete? And, how can we motivate sedentary individuals to exercise more and what physiological adaptations are expected? As such you will develop a clear understanding of the commonalities and distinctions of the disciplines of sport and exercise in different real world scenarios. The development of knowledge is complemented with gaining key transferable, practical and employability skills such as working collaboratively, analysing and presenting data and practical laboratory skills.

A sport or exercise therapists’ role is underpinned by a number of fundamental skills and competencies allowing practitioners to respond to, treat and rehabilitate injuries. In the sporting domain, this includes the ability to respond immediately to injurious events, both minor and catastrophic, as well as to provide medium and long-term treatment strategies for rehabilitation and the prevention of overuse injuries. This module introduces and gives you the opportunity to practice the sports massage skills which form the basis of the manual therapies provided by a Sports Therapist alongside other common treatment modalities including but not limited to cryotherapy and electrotherapy. Additionally, your basic life support qualifications will be built upon with the advanced first responder techniques required to allow you to provide acute trauma management.

In-depth knowledge of the musculo-skeletal system of the human body and the response of these tissues to injury is vital for the role of a sport or exercise therapist. This module practically introduces you to the key musculo-skeletal landmarks of the body, with a particular focus on the major joints and their assessment. You will gain hands on experience of locating and palpating each of the major muscle groups as well as knowledge of the underlying structural components of the muscles and bones leading to an in-depth knowledge and experience of a full range of muscle and joint assessments. You will also be introduced to the most common joint injuries and the approach to their treatment. A mixture of lectures and practical’s will introduce you to the supporting theory and knowledge of the musculo-skeletal system required to perform assessment and treatment of muscle and joint function in injured populations.

Within this module you will be introduced to key topics and concepts of sport and exercise science to develop your knowledge and enthusiasm in the area. To do this, we will approach sport and exercise science from a multidisciplinary perspective. Case studies and live briefs are used to contextualise your learning from real-world scenarios. Through a combination of lectures,practical and team-based learning sessions you will develop an understanding how biomechanics, sport psychology and exercise physiology influence sport and exercise behaviour. For example, what psychological, biomechanical and metabolic factors influence the performance of an elite athlete? And, how can we motivate sedentary individuals to exercise more and what physiological adaptations are expected? As such you will develop a clear understanding of the commonalities and distinctions of the disciplines of sport and exercise in different real world scenarios. The development of knowledge is complemented with gaining key transferable, practical and employability skills such as working collaboratively, analysing and presenting data and practical laboratory skills.

At Anglia Ruskin University we strive to ensure you receive an outstanding Academic Education and Student Experience and understand that, whilst embedding employability skills within the credit-bearing curriculum is important, it is only part of the set of achievements needed in order for you to obtain career employment.This 0-credit module will be used to track and verify the progress you have made with respect to key employability skills and endeavour. You will work closely with your personal development tutor, SU Volunteering Services, Study Skills Plus, and the Faculty Employability Advisor to engage with co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities and activities to enhance your personal attributes

Expanding on the knowledge and experience gained from the 'Research Methods for Sport and Exercise' module, you will continue to develop the knowledge-base and applied skills required to produce a substantive independent report supported by research and data interpretation. You will focus on two interrelated areas of study; applied data collection and interpretation with respect to the research process. These two areas will be delivered with recognition of the two paradigms of research, Quantitative and Qualitative, offering different, but complementary, opportunities to collect and evaluate coaching, health, and sports science data for a perspective or objective review of scientific evidence and applied practice. You will develop key employability skills related to research design and presentation in a safe environment, providing an opportunity to evaluate which research designs would best suit your intended final year project (Research project or Advanced Work Placement).

The production of force and power across a range of motion, and in conjunction with the body dimensions, are crucial to both everyday living and athletic performance. You will study the process of profiling aerobic endurance performance and health from a physiological and analytical perspective, looking at validity and reliability in test selection. You will assess anaerobic power through such means as the Wingate cycle test and Margaria Stair test while anaerobic capacity will be evaluated in the context of accumulated oxygen deficit tests as well as lactate and constant load tests. The determination of strength will address measures of isometric, isotonic and isoinertial force production using conventional ‘gym-based’ approaches to more clinically relevant measures such as the Reactive Strength Index. These will be compared to the laboratory controlled assessment of strength (torque) using isokinetic dynamometry. Body composition will be considered through the use of both callipers and skinfold assessments through to hydro-densitometry. Flexibility and the determination of range of motion (ROM) will then be considered in the context of indirect measures such as Sit-and-Reach through to more applied approaches using flexometers and goniometers.

Aerobic physiology and functioning are the linchpins to all athletic and health-based activities. You will study the process of profiling aerobic endurance performance and health from a physiological and analytical perspective, looking at validity and reliability in test selection. You will consider the protocols and limitations associated with the assessment of maximum aerobic power (VO2max), while aerobic capacity will be addressed in the context of maximal lactate steady state, lactate minimum, individual anaerobic threshold, onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) and DMax and the ventilatory threshold. The relevance of performance economy as a diagnostic tool will be considered and projected to show how this simple concept of sub-maximal oxygen uptake can be used to establish the performance indicator termed velocity at VO2max (vVO2max). Consideration will be given to the dynamics of oxygen supply and utilisation at the onset of exercise through a reflection of oxygen uptake kinetics. These concepts will all be used to explore exercise intensity domains and how the role of critical power and the W’ can be used to provide an objective measure of an integrated response to exercise. Clinical skills will also be considered through the application of such techniques as ECG, thoracic impedance, respiratory flow loops and cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Strength and conditioning coaches and sports therapist are often responsible for large portions of the rehabilitation of athletes from injury. In this module you will be introduced to rehabilitation theory and will gain the knowledge and understanding to plan,implement and deliver progressive exercise programmes. Through a combination of lectures and practicals, this module focuses on the early and intermediate stages of recovery from injuries sustained in sports and exercise setting. From the acute inflammatory stage where you will learn to manage the injury, through to the recovery of functional losses, you will cover rehabilitation of upper and lower limbs and spine. Moving from non-weight bearing to weight-bearing exercise, you will learn howto increase strength, endurance, range of motion and proprioception. You will also be taught the use of ambulation aids (such as crutches), gait retraining, taping, strapping and compression bandaging. At the end of this module the patient will be beginning to progress towards sport-specific conditioning/reconditioning and higher velocity movement, this will lead to further apply the basic concepts learned in a follow-on level 5 module. This module supports the learning at level 6 covering late stage rehabilitation and return to play, closing the rehabilitation loop.Teaching will be two thirds practical, one third lectures, allowing you to gain hands-on practical experience of the rehabilitation process, as well as the underlying theory

The module consists of both theoretical and practical components, giving you the opportunity to develop a range of practical skills. It aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge to assess and identify the most common joint dysfunction. During this module you will learn the most effective treatment protocols by using clinical reasoning and justifications, studying detailed functional anatomy, observation and complete examination of the peripheral and vertebral joint, recognition of the dysfunction by application of specific tests, treatment of peripheral and vertebral joint disorder using a variety of mobilisation techniques.

This is your opportunity to build and test ideas for your final year research project or advanced work placement. Following on from applied experiences gained in previous modules, you will further develop the key competencies that support independent learning and exploration. You will create a research project proposal or a proposal for suitable work experience. In addition, you will evaluate the ethical and legal issues related to being an applied research or practitioner with Sport and Exercise Sciences.

We will further develop your understanding of force plates (gained in the Practical Competencies in Biomechanics module) used for data capture and analysis, and extend your understanding of motion analysis. You will focus on the initiation and development of motion in terms of both the internal forces produced by the musculoskeletal system and the external forces acting on the body. In order to understand human movement, you will explore the ground reaction force in depth. You will then see how the concepts of internal forces, the external net force and mass and acceleration are used to explain movement patterns. For this, you will appreciate the importance of torque, momentum and impulse and how to use these quantities to critically analyse a sporting action. The fundamental principles of gait analysis will also be explored in a theoretical and practical manner, providing you with sufficient experience to recognise differences in gait (and force) patterns between normal and pathological gaits. Throughout the module you will use force plates and motion analysis to investigate, analyse and appraise human movement.

This role of the applied strength and conditioning (S&C) coach at all levels of sport has progressed in recent years and is now a fundamental role within the sport science support team. You will explore safe and effective S&C practice and develop an evidence based applied rationale for the role of S&C work in relation to different performance athletes. You will be introduced to the fundamental techniques and principles of athlete assessment, evaluation and consultation, considering these applied modes in conjunction with a recognition of the use of an athlete needs analysis. Although the generic term “S&C” is applied to this training domain you will address the wider implications in relation to the components of fitness: endurance, speed, strength, agility (or equivalent areas). You will also explore the rationale for approaches used in relation to training programme design which will be under-scored by the issues of physiological and anatomical adaptation.

At Anglia Ruskin University we strive to ensure you receive an outstanding Academic Education and Student Experience and understand that, whilst embedding employability skills within the credit-bearing curriculum is important, it is only part of the set of achievements needed in order for you to obtain career employment.This 0-credit module will be used to track and verify the progress you have made with respect to key employability skills and endeavour. You will work closely with your personal development tutor, SU Volunteering Services, Study Skills Plus, and the Faculty Employability Advisor to engage with co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities and activities to enhance your personal attributes.

In a competitive sporting environment, it is not enough just to regain function (e.g. walking or running). To be prepared to withstand the rigors of competitive sport an athlete must be reconditioned, and the risk of re-injury reduced before returning to play. Building on the early and intermediate stages of rehabilitation, functional movement and strength and conditioning covered earlier in the course, this module deals with the late and pre-discharge stages of rehabilitation. Having gone through the early and intermediate stages of rehabilitation and regained function, this module starts the conditioning of the patient for return to play. You will learn to create progressive, sport-specific exercise programmes coving flexibility/Range of Motion (ROM),endurance, strength, speed, skill and coordination. We will progress from non-contact to full contact training, more advanced movements such as change of direction, and the introduction of elements of spontaneity. You will also learn the principles and practices of pre-discharge examinations, and the psychological aspects of the injury and rehabilitation process.The delivery of this module will be through both lectures (one-third) and practical’s (two-thirds), this will help you develop the key communication and practical coaching skills required as an exercise professional to effectively rehabilitate individuals, allowing them to return to performance sport.

As a practicing sports or exercise therapist, the clients you will potentially encounter will rarely be textbook cases and there will be situations where specialist knowledge is required. The sports therapy skills studied previously in the course will be consolidated and critically reviewed within more in-depth and higher level scenarios. This module will prepare you for the complexities of working in the “real world”, the legal, ethical and practical considerations of working with a variety of populations including the elderly, young, disabled athletes, different cultures amongst others will be addressed. Advanced topics such as diagnostic imaging techniques, clinical referral and postoperative care will also be covered within the context of these different populations. You will also explore professional aspects of sports therapy such as good business practice, legal and moral responsibilities of professional practice. You will also have the opportunity to put your mentoring skills into practice by supporting other Level 4 and 5 students on the course.

Here we seek to provide you with real-world practical experience of assessment, recognition, diagnosis, treatment, management and rehabilitation of injury. In advance of this module, you will plan and secure one or more relevant supervised work placements to be completed during the module. There will be some support with regards to securing placements outside of the University, but identification of placement opportunities will be primarily student-led. All work placements will require approval by the course or module leader ahead of any work-based activity occurring. To complete this module, you will draw upon learning completed in previous modules and therefore be demonstrating the Society of Sport Therapy Standards of Proficiency. You will be required to complete a minimum of 200 hours of supervised clinical placement in a sport therapy and/or exercise related environment. At least 50 of these hours will take place within the University’s Sport Therapy clinic. A limit of no more than 150 hours can be accrued/logged before the start of the second semester.

You are required to undertake a final year research project, as a key component of your degree, focused on a topic relevant to your degree field. Your project may be based on current Anglia Ruskin University research interests, something of interest to you or, if suitable work-place supervision is available, related to the research of your previous, or current, employer. Your project must show evidence of appropriate academic challenge, technical expertise, and progress. You will be required to identify and formulate problems and issues, conduct a literature review, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable research methods, and use appropriate methods for data collection, analysis and processing. You will demonstrate that you have fulfilled these criteria via regular meetings with your project supervisor where you will show evidence of project development via discussion and the presentation of spoken, written and other appropriate evidence. A substantial dissertation will form the bulk of the assessment for this module, supported by a presentation and/or other supporting evidence and including an assessed PDP component. In the course of your studies with us you may generate intellectual property, which is defined as an idea, invention, or creation which can be protected by law from being copied by someone else. By registering with us on your course you automatically assign any such intellectual property to us unless we agree with the organisation covering the cost of your course that this is retained by them. In consideration of you making this assignment you will be entitled to benefit from a share in any income generated in accordance with our Revenue Sharing Policy in operation at that time. Details of our Intellectual Property Policy and Guidelines can be found on My.Anglia under Research, Development and Commercial Services or by contacting this Office for a hard copy.

Investigate the latest evidence based practice on Strength and Conditioning (S&C). Learn, experience and analyse free weight lifting techniques with specific focus on more complex lifts and the derivatives associated with them. You will learn to coach performers through this process and also consider the value (of these lifts) within the training cycle. Through observation of performers, you will understand the coaching cues in order to identify ineffective movement patterns. You will also develop a high level of knowledge to enable you to practically suggest and present appropriate interventions for a performer of varying ability. The use of technology/micro technology for monitoring performance will be investigated and you will review the value of this method of data collection for the exercise and conditioning professional. You will investigate how training may change when working with different performers with varying abilities. Being able to change your professional practice relative to the specific population you are working with is a critical skill for the conditioning coach. Learning about the needs and issues to consider when training special populations will permit you to be a more proficient in the area.