Syllabus

Science Prerequisites for Health Professionals

EXSP 1010: Exercise Physiology (Spring 2023)

Credits - 3

Description

Exercise Physiology is a fully online course that provides students with a solid theoretical basis of exercise physiology as it relates to human movement, health, wellness, sport, and performance. We will focus on the practical application of exercise physiology principles including biomechanics, neuromuscular, metabolic, pulmonary, cardiovascular and endocrine responses to exercise and training. Additionally, we will also focus on practical applications of performance enhancement techniques, interaction within a multidisciplinary team, and human adaptive responses to exercise. Utilizing interactive technology, through a series of knowledge assessments, reading assignments, interactive discussions, real-world application analysis, and research projects, students will demonstrate both exercise physiology core-concepts and exercise physiology applications. 

You will be asked to perform physical activity at various points during this online course. With the majority of our testing in this course, this will involve physical exertion and you should check with your medical professional before attempting any of these exercises to determine if you are well enough for physical exertion. If there is any concern, reach out to the instructor during the first week for alternate assignments for these activities (in Weeks 8 and 9).

Materials

Textbooks

Draper, N., & Marshall, H. (2014). Exercise physiology for health and sports performance [eBook edition]. Pearson Education. 

The textbook is available as an electronic resource through the UNE library.

Resources

You will need to have the UNE-approved webcam for the proctored midterm in this course.

Mandatory UNE-approved webcam – To be used during proctored exams

This course uses 12 virtual labs from Labster virtual laboratories that you will need to purchase.

To purchase access to Labster ($70), please follow the directions below:

  1. You will receive an invitation email in Brightspace that will prompt you to set up a Labster account. Click the link in that email and create your Labster account. 
  2. Once you have created an account in Labster, launching a simulation will trigger a request to purchase access. 
  1. You will be prompted to purchase access to Labster by credit card. You will only be prompted to purchase access once.
  2. If you have any questions about the payment or process, please email support@labster.com.
  1. Once you have used the link to set up an account and purchase access, you can bookmark my.labster.com to return to the platform, or you can continue to use the link in your original email.
  2. You can follow your score and progress in the Student Dashboard.

For additional information about Labster, consult this information sheet.

Labster is a required part of this course. You will need to use a laptop or desktop computer for this course since Labster is not compatible with phones or tablets. 

To work successfully with the Labster tool, DO

  • Use a laptop or desktop computer
  • Use Firefox (recommended) or Chrome
  • Close other websites and software
  • Wait until the simulation loads to 100%

To work successfully with the Labster tool, DO NOT

  • Use a tablet or other mobile device
  • Use Safari or other browsers
  • Run other software and websites
  • Click away while the simulation loads

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Outcomes

In lecture courses, students should be able to:

  • Communicate scientific concepts and information clearly.
  • Illustrate fundamental laws, theories, and principles of scientific disciplines.
  • Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to scientific problems.

Course Objectives

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

  • Explore the field of Exercise Physiology by investigating various applications, career paths, and testing modalities used within health, wellness and sport performance settings.
  • Analyze how the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems operate and interact with various types of physical activity.  
  • Explain the basic metabolic responses and training adaptations that occur during physical activity.
  • Demonstrate competencies to apply physiological adaptations to exercise on various systems of the body. 
  • Evaluate how environmental factors such as temperature, altitude, and nutrition affect the various systems of the body during physical activity.
  • Identify the appropriate testing measures necessary to evaluate various physiological processes based on demographic identifiers.
  • Evaluate data collected via various physiological tests and laboratory procedures used in exercise physiology.

SELF PACED DESIGN

On the course start date, students will have access to orientation. This must be completed to be able to gain access to the first module in the course. Students must complete the first module to gain access to the next one. We recommend that students spend about 15 hours per week to complete a course in 16 weeks. When trying to complete the course in less than 16 weeks, we typically see students do this successfully within 12-14 weeks. Instructors will be timely in grading and feedback, but it will not be instant.

Assignments

Refer to the Grade Breakdown diagram and table below for the percent value of assignments toward your total grade. See the course schedule below for where assignments occur in the course. All assignments should be completed in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.

Discussions

There are three discussions within this course, found in Weeks 1-3, 5, and 13. The discussion that begins in Week 1 continues through Weeks 2 and 3. This discussion requires participation during the first three weeks to receive full credit. Discussion board assignments cover interesting current events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each assignment may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials (a short journal or magazine article), visit a specific webpage, and/or view a short video prior to writing a response following the specific guidelines in the assignment. 

To earn full credit (50pts), you will need to post an initial response (at least 300 words) to the discussion topic, respond (at least 250 words each) to the original posts of at least two other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You will need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. A substantive post demonstrates comprehension (understanding, depth, and breadth of the material) and critical thinking (insight and comparison). Responding with “I agree/disagree; thanks for the feedback;” or “Nice job with your post;” or something similar is not considered a substantive post.

Please refer to the discussion rubric found in Brightspace for a detailed look at what is included in your assignment grade and to ensure that you have followed all of the guidelines and written a complete response prior to submitting the post. All posts must follow APA 7th Ed. In-text and reference citation guidelines. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Please see Brightspace for a full description of each assignment along with specific guidelines. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam. If students start working on any activity of the following Week but have left portions of the previous discussion incomplete, the discussion will be graded.

Labster Virtual Simulation Assignments & Assessments 

This course uses a third-party platform called Labster, an innovative virtual laboratory used to enhance your knowledge of the subjects covered within this course by allowing you to interact with a virtual three-dimensional simulation. The virtual laboratory will be used during Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 16. Each simulation will take between 15 – 60 minutes to complete and will include a graded assessment embedded within the simulation. Please be aware the simulation within Week 16 is part of the final project for this course. 

Once you complete the virtual simulation in the Labster platform, notify your instructor. Your corresponding grade will be reviewed and added into Brightspace as part of your final grade for the course. For a detailed review of the requirements of Labster please see the Resources section of the syllabus. 

Labster Simulations in Exercise Physiology, by Week

Week 1

Lab Safety

Week 2

Muscle Tissues: An Overview

Week 3

Skeletal Muscle

Week 4

Introduction to Food Macromolecules

Week 5

Homeostatic Control

Week 6

Cellular Respiration: Measuring Energy Consumption during Exercise

Week 7 

Cell Membranes and Transport

Week 8

Cardiovascular Function during Exercise

Week 10

Cellular Respiration: Glycolysis

Cellular Respiration: The Krebs Cycle

Week 11

Cellular Respiration: The Electron Transport Chain

Week 16: Final Project

Exercise Physiology

Case Study Assignments

There will be four case study assignments in this course that will require participation in multiple modules. These assignments will be found in Weeks 4 and 5, 8, 9, and 12. Elements of the assignments in Weeks 8 and 9 will be used for the final project in Week 16. Please refer to Brightspace for a detailed breakdown of the requirements for each assignment.

There will be physical requirements and movement elements involved within Weeks 8 and 9, and as with the majority of the exercise physiology testing in this course, this will involve physical exertion: You should check with your medical professional before attempting any of these exercises to determine if you are healthy enough for physical exertion. If you feel that you are not physically able to complete these exercises, please contact your instructor for an alternative assignment.

Weeks 4 and 5 you will be asked to conduct a three-day food journal. This two-part assignment will require you to track your food intake for three consecutive days via a food journal (Week 4) and later analyze and discuss the macro and micronutrient elements (Week 5). 

Week 8 will require physical exertion to determine various heart rate metrics you will later use for analysis. Find your resting heart rate and your maximal heart rate by using either an electronic device (smart watch, heart rate monitor, pulse oxy, etc.) or traditional methods (find your pulse and count method). Using a heart rate monitor or wearable device are the preferred methods

Week 9 will require physical excursion to determine your VO2 max using two cost-effective methods: the Uth-Sørensen-Overgaard-Pedersen estimation equation and the Rockport fitness test.

Week 12 you will be asked to reproduce the Krebs cycle. This assignment will require you to draw, label, describe, and explain the significance of all elements within the Krebs cycle.  

Module Quizzes

There will be 9 graded quizzes found in this course. Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 14, and 15 will contain quizzes that will assess your theoretical and applied understanding of the content covered in the corresponding module. Quiz length will range from 5 to 10 questions (multiple choice, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and matching) and will range from 9 to 20 points in value toward your final grade. All quizzes will be untimed and will allow one attempt to complete. These quizzes will assess your practical understanding of exercise physiology and will assist your study for both the midterm exam (Week 7) and final project (Week 16). 

Practice Proctored Exam

There is a highly recommended Practice Proctored Exam available to all students. The first attempt is free. This exam does not cover course material and is not included in your overall course grade. It prepares test takers for what the testing environment will be like, what forms of identification are needed, and provides a chance to test your external webcam with a live proctor. This is a great way to become familiar with and prepare for your exam!

Proctored Midterm Exam

There is one proctored exam in this course during Week 7. The University of New England has contracted with ProctorU to provide students with the most convenient online exam proctoring system. Upon enrollment into the course, you will register with ProctorU and establish a login name and password. This will give you access to all of ProctorU’s services.

When you’re ready, you will schedule your exam time with ProctorU at least 72 hours prior to taking the exam. Please refer to the full requirements for proctored exams in the Policies section below.

Midterm Exam: Will consist of 40 multiple choice questions (theoretical and practical applications) worth 80 points and will cover the content and learning outcomes studied during Modules 2 through 7. The content covered will include material from the textbook, Labster simulations, and video content within each module. You will have 60 minutes to complete the midterm. 

The midterm is closed book, closed notes, and no additional resources may be used during the exam. The exam is also closed for review. You will not be able to review these exams at any time. You may contact your instructor for specific feedback on your exam.

You must purchase the Official UNE External Webcam to take your proctored examinations. Remember to order your webcam at least three weeks prior to scheduling your first proctored exam.

Final Project

The final project of this course, found in Week 16, will consist of multiple elements, including a Labster simulation, information from Week 8 and Week 9 assignments, and short answer responses. The total final project will be worth 200 points toward your final grade. Please see Week 16 for a detailed breakdown of the final project.

Part 1 of the final project involves completion of the Labster simulation and will take around 30 minutes to complete and will consist of 13 theory-based questions worth 130 points toward your final grade. 

Part 2 of the final project involves the short answer written assignment (minimum 1,000 words) worth 70 points toward your final grade. 

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment CategoryGrade
Discussions20%
Quizzes5%
Simulation Assignments30%
Assignments5%
Midterm Exam15%
Final Project25%
Total100%

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Week

Topic

Readings/Resources

Assignments

1

Introduction to Exercise Physiology

-Read Ch. 1

-View videos that provide an introduction to exercise physiology

Complete the module quiz

Complete the 3-week discussion assignment

Publish your Week 1 post on the discussion forum.

Complete the lab safety simulation

2

Anatomy and Physiology: Skeletal Muscles, Movement, and Muscle Fiber Types

-Read Ch. 5

-View videos on the skeletal and muscular systems

Respond to a classmate’s Week 1 post

Complete the quiz

Complete the simulation assignment

3

Anatomy and Physiology: Biomechanics and Kinesiology

-Read Ch. 5

-View videos on structural kinesiology, anatomical position, responses to exercise, and other topics

Complete Week 3 post and respond to a classmate’s Week 3 post

Complete the simulation assignment

Complete quiz on A&P material covered in Weeks 2 and 3

4

Nutrition and Energy: Macronutrients and Micronutrients

-Read Ch. 2

-View videos on metabolism, macro- and micronutrients, and other topics

Complete and submit a three-day food journal 

Complete the simulation assignment

5

Nutrition and Energy: Optimum Nutrition for Performance

-Read Ch. 2

-View videos on homeostasis, digestion, nutrition, and other topics

Complete the food journal assignment that you began in Week 4 

Complete the simulation assignment

Complete discussion post

Complete the quiz

6

General Concepts for Applied Exercise Physiology

-Read Ch. 8

-View videos on cellular respiration, ATP synthase, and other topics

Complete the quiz

Complete the simulation assignment

7

The Control Systems: Nervous and Endocrine

-Read Ch. 4

-View videos on the nervous and endocrine systems

Complete the simulation assignment

Complete the midterm exam

8

Physiologic Support Systems: Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Systems

-Read Ch. 6

-View videos on respiration, the cardiovascular system, and other topics

Complete assignment

Complete the simulation assignment

9

Physical and Functional Growth and Development

-Read Ch. 7

-View videos on endocrinology, bone remodeling, adaptations to exercise, and other topics

Complete assignment

10

Power and Power Endurance: The Explosive Sports

-Read Ch. 9

-View videos on ATP and respiration and human performance

Complete the quiz

Complete two simulation assignments

11

Exercise Training and Adaptations: Anaerobic Endurance

-Read Ch. 10

-View videos on glycolysis and muscle fatigue

Complete the quiz

Complete the simulation

12

Exercise Training and Adaptations: Training Skeletal Muscles for Strength, Power, and Size 

-Read Ch. 11, 12

-View videos on aerobic capacity, adaptations to aerobic training, the Krebs cycle, and other topics

Complete the assignment

13

Intermittent Activities

-Read Ch. 13

-View videos on ergogenic aids and other topics

Complete the discussion

14

Applied Exercise Physiology and Health

-Read Ch. 14

-View videos on exercise and mental health, muscle fatigue, and other topics

Complete the quiz

15

Applied Exercise Physiology and the Environment

-Read Ch. 15

-View videos on exercise thermoregulation and other topics

Complete the quiz

16

Course Review/Final Project

 

Complete the final project

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you - they will monitor course progression and provide assistance or guidance when needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, course materials, billing, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Submit your student support request.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

Student Lounge

The Student Lounge Discussion Forum is a designated support forum in which students may engage with each other and grapple with course content. Feel free to post questions, seek clarification, and support each other, but be mindful of UNE's Academic Integrity Policy.

Your instructor will monitor this forum. However, if you are seeking specific and timely answers to questions about course content or your personal grades, please contact your instructor via course messages. For questions about course materials, program policy, and how to navigate and proceed through the course, please contact your Student Service Advisor through the Student Portal.

Policies

Proctored Examinations

Your course may have proctored exams. Please see your course for full details, access, testing requirements, and guidelines.

Students must follow all proctoring requirements for their exams to be credited. Please contact your instructor for specific feedback.

Exam Attempts Policy

Students will receive two attempts at all proctored examinations. The higher score of the two attempts will be calculated into the final grade.

All students are encouraged to use a second attempt on their exams in order to improve their overall performance in the course.

Course Discussions

Discussion topics cover events or materials related to this course that contribute to a deeper understanding of key concepts and allow you to interact with your classmates and the instructor. Each discussion topic may require you to conduct internet research, read additional materials, visit a specific webpage, AND/OR view a short video before writing a response following the specific guidelines in the discussion topic prompt.

To earn full credit you will need to post a response to the discussion topic, respond to the original posts of other students, and then contribute meaningfully to an ongoing discussion. You may need to post your initial response before you will see any posts from your classmates. For special cases where one or two students are accelerating faster through the course, the instructor will participate in the discussion so that everyone has the opportunity to interact.

Please see Brightspace for a full description, along with specific guidelines, for each discussion topic. Discussion board assignments should be completed, along with all other assignments in the course, in the order that they appear. Due to the course design, you may be unable to take a proctored exam if you do not complete all assignments that appear prior to that exam.

Please also refer to the Grading Policy/Grade Breakdown section of the syllabus to learn the percentage of your grade that each discussion is worth.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus. This is, however a self-paced course and you can complete the course in less time.

  1. Courses in the SPHP program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 16 weeks
  2. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar found on the Student Success Portal.
  3. Course start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please visit the enrollment page to review the withdrawal and refund policies.

Grade Policy

Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course. View the incomplete grade policy..

Transcripts

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework

Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.

In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.

Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.

Unauthorized Use

Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.

Citing AI Use

If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools. 

Instructor responsibility

Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE Online’s Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester. 

Student responsibility

Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.