Biomedical challenges and considerations in health and exercise (LM67I-R-01)

Subjects

• Biomechanics and motion analysis;
• Methods of fitness assessment;
• Principles of Fitness/Wellness: health benefits of strength and endurance training;
• Locomotor apparatus (bones) adaptation in response to health-enhancing physical exercise;
• Cardiorespiratory regulation and adaptations with regard to health-enhancing physical activity in aerobic performance;
• Fitness assessment, exercise testing, and prescription;
• Muscle strength assessment and testing;
• Neuromuscular adaptation in muscles and tendons in response to health-enhancing physical exercise;
• Energy metabolism in skeletal muscle during exercise: methodological considerations;
• Energy metabolism in skeletal muscle during exercise: practical applications;
• Physical activity, public health, and fitness: an approach from the point of view of epidemiology;
• Health and safety in sports and PA;
• Human nutrition in health, diseases, development, and aging: theoretical and practical applications;
• Nutrition and metabolism in health and exercise;
• Physical exercise applications in primary and secondary prevention of cardio-respiratory disease, neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disorders;
• Neuroendocrine adaptation in response to physical exercise;
• Medical risks of substance abuse;
• Genetic variability in health and diseases;
• Genetic basis of movement-related disorders;
• Genetic variability and gene-environment interactions in relation to movement and exercise;
• Molecular adaptation to exercise;
• Exercise omics

Additional tools: Introduction to Emerging Digital Technologies, Introduction to Descriptive Statistics, English Academic Writing (Blended), Italian for Foreign Students (Blended).

Books
Study material (mainly PDF files of the literature and monography) and virtual rooms for discussions between students and students and staff, is made available on the e-learn platform of Foro Italico University.

Teaching methods
The course, entirely in English, is designed to foster the development of autonomous learning skills, a central objective of the program. It is structured as an Intensive course with a condensed blended, in-campus teaching period of 3 weeks, which includes lectures, seminars, practical sessions, student-led presentations, condensed e-learning, distance tutoring, and individual study over 4 weeks, culminating in an examination.

Traditional face-to-face instruction is supported by online resources available through the Foro Italico University e-learning platform. These materials—such as selected readings, educational videos, and external references—are not intended to replace classroom teaching, but rather to serve as essential components of the learning process.
They are used to:

• Prepare students for active and engaged participation in face-to-face sessions
• Offer opportunities for further independent study and deeper exploration of key topics

Additionally, formative assessment is integrated throughout the course. Activities such as in-class discussions, low-stakes group work, and interactive tools (e.g., clicker questions) are employed to provide ongoing feedback, support understanding, and promote the progressive development of subject-specific skills.

The study program allows for the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools, permitting their use for language editing, while prohibiting their generative use. The University’s Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity regulations apply.

Credits
The programme adopts the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for the teaching units, with 1 ECTS credit equivalent to 25 hours of student workload. As a rule, one contact hr will be held to correspond to ~3 hr of the student’s work, accounting for the intensity of teaching, the amount of study materials, essays to write, exams, etc. For the evaluation of academic progress, the ECTS grading scale will be adopted within the consortium.

Students work loads (Total 375 hours):
Lectures and seminars: 103
Practical teaching and online learning: 22
Individual study: 224-245
Exam: 5 – 26

Multidisciplinary components
Experimental Biology (BIO/13, 2 ECTS)
Physiology (BIO/09, 4 ECTS)
Biomechanics (ING-INF/06, 1 ECTS)
Sports Medicine (MED/09, 3 ECTS)
Cardiology (MED/11, 2 ECTS)
Endocrinology (MED/13, 1 ECTS)
Movement Sciences (M-EDF/01, 2 ECTS)
Foreign language (L-LIN/02, 0 ECTS)

Verification of learning
The assessment occurs at the end of the curricular unit (7 weeks). It is meant to reflect the student’s mastery of the unit content and their capability to integrate and apply various knowledge.

The assessment method includes:

• Test: up to 10 multiple-choice and /or open questions on the entire module program
• An individually written short essay on a topic assigned randomly to the student.

The test verifies the knowledge acquired by the student concerning the entire module content, encompassing both lecture attendance and individual study.

The essay refers to an in-class or a 3-5 page (1,000-1,800 words) manuscript. It must represent, in an individual and original way, the student’s critical thinking concerning the chosen topic, demonstrating also the student’s capability to integrate and apply various knowledge. Essay general guidelines are available in the Moodle Learning Platform—available time: 24 hrs.

For both the Test and Essay, the program utilizes the online instruments available in the “Foro Italico” Moodle Learning Platform.

18 out of 30 points is the minimum threshold for both the test and the essay. The final mark will result from the following formula:

[(Essay’s points x 2.2) + Test’s points]/3