Molecular Exercise Physiology

The MSc in Molecular Exercise Physiology is the first MSc in this area worldwide.

So why should you study this?

Molecular and Cell Biology techniques are required in many Sports Science research projects but are hardly ever taught as part of undergraduate degrees. The major aim of this MSc is to address this skills gap hands-on: in semester one you will learn to carry out techniques such as the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Western Blotting. The second aim of this programme is to introduce you to Molecular Exercise Physiology which is an important new sub-field within Sports Science.

Molecular Exercise Physiologists address questions such as "Is 100 m sprinting performance inherited and if yes, what variations of DNA are responsible?", "What is the mechanism that increases the number of mitochondria in a muscle fibre after endurance training?" In the second semester, you will use the knowledge and practical skills gained in semester 1 to carry out a project on a topic related to Molecular Exercise Physiology.

Syllabus

The course structure is as follows:

First Half-Session

• Mechanisms that Regulate Adaption to Exercise
• Molecular Biology Basics
• Molecular Biology Methods
• Genetic techniques
• Human Population Genetics

Second Half-Session

• Molecular Exercise Physiology Topics
• Research Project in Molecular Exercise Physiology

Assessment

• Examinations
• Online tests
• Oral presentations
• Lab reports
• Essays (including a mock grant application)

Teaching materials for each course are posted online and you will have to go through these and read original research papers in your own time.

Seminars:
Here we will revise points that were difficult to understand and critically discuss the information contained within the online teaching materials. We will analyse and discuss original research papers to enable you to follow the relevant literature which is often difficult to understand.

Practicals:
A strength of this course is that you will learn techniques such as bioinformatical analysis, PCR and Western blotting hands on.

Online assessment:
In semester one there will be regular online assessments which comprise of multiple choice, numerical and short essay questions.

Examination:
At the end of semester 1 you will have to sit a 2 hour exam for each of the three courses.

MSc project:
You will carry out a MSc project on a topic related to Molecular Exercise Physiology. You will have to submit a project report at the end of semester 2.