Biochemistry of Sport and Physical Activity   (427B2)

Academic year:

2025/2026.

Attendance requirements:

401B2 + 411B2

ECTS:

5

Study level:

Study program:

Teacher:

Milan R. Nikolić, Ph.D.
associate professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistants:

—

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: three hours of lectures (3+0+0)

Goals:

Introduction of students to the fundamental principles and concepts of biochemical bases of the influence of physical activity on specific metabolic pathways in the skeletal muscle/body, its positive and/or negative impact on maintaining homeostasis, as well as the possibilities of modulating these influences through diet, supplements, and doping agents.

Outcome:

After successfully mastering the course program, the student will be able to understand the basics of the impact of different types of physical activity on the human body, the possibility of their modulation through nutrition, dietary supplements in doping agents, as well as to choose the desired type and scope of physical/sports activity.

Teaching methods:

Lectures and seminar papers.

Extracurricular activities:

—

Coursebooks:

Main coursebooks:

1. Don MacLaren & James Morton. Biochemistry for sport and exercise metabolism, 2nd Edition, 2024; John Wiley & Sons Ltd.; ISBN: 9781119605041.
2. Dan Benerdot: Napredna sportska ishrana, 2010, DataStatus; ISBN: 978-86-7478-116-6.
3. Vraneš, Milan: Analitika sportskih suplemenata: praktikum sa elementima teorije. 2022; Novi Sad: Prirodno-matematički fakultet. ISBN: 978-86-7031-606-5.

Supplementary coursebooks:

• Power-point presentations from lectures; selected review papers.
• Marina Đorđević Nikić: Doping u sportu, Fakultet sporta i fizičkog vaspitanja, Univerzitet u Beogradu, 2004; ISBN 86-903805-1-5.
• Nancy Clark: Sportska prehrana - Priručnik za sportaše, trenere i rekreativce, Gopal, Zagreb, 2008; ISBN: 9789536730049.
• Slavimir Veljković i Mirjana Radenković: Fiziologija srca i mišića, Medicinski fakultet Niš, 2010; ISBN: 9788677462062.

Additional material:

http://www.chem.bg.ac.rs/~mnikolic/

Lectures:

10 points (3 hours a week)

Syllabus:

Thematic units

– Energy homeostasis in the human body: energy fuels, metabolic pathways important for physical activity, principles of their metabolic regulation

– Structure, activity, and function of different types of skeletal muscles in the human body

– Genetic predispositions and sports performances of the human body

– Importance (benefits) of regular physical activity for human health

– Types of physical activity and their impact on the human body

– General principles and pyramid of healthy human nutrition

– Specificities of nutrition for professional and recreational athletes

– Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance: Examples (whey proteins, creatine, amino acids, L-carnitine, caffeine, nitrates, buffering substances, etc.) and principles of expected action

– Prohibited substances and methods (doping agents) that enhance the physical performance of the human body: Classes (anabolic agents, peptide hormones, beta-2 agonists, hormones and metabolic modulators, diuretics and masking agents, stimulants, etc.) and general principles of their action

– Athlete's biological passport and biomarkers of physical activity

– Ethics in sports: values and principles

Semester papers:

30 points

Oral exam:

60 points