508948 - CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF SPORT

courses

ID:

508948

Duration (hours):

48

CFU:

SSD:

BIOCHIMICA

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (01/10/2025 - 16/01/2026)

Course Objectives

The course of Chemistry and Biochemistry of Sport is a module of the course Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology of Sport. The module aims to provide the student with the basic concepts for understanding at a molecular level the mechanisms of biological phenomena that underpin the cell and organism functions. During the course, students will study: 1) the main macromolecules in the cell, 2) the chemical reactions that occur during metabolism and 3) the molecular basis of muscle contraction. At the end of the course, the student will get the basis of bioenergetics and cell metabolism applied to movement, sport and physical training.

Course Prerequisites

The understanding of the topics covered in the teaching of Chemistry and Biochemistry requires that the student hold the introductory notions of general chemistry taught in high school.

Teaching Methods

Teaching consists of frontal lectures using power-point presentations. The slides shown during lectures, the detailed program and additional information are available in the KIRO platform. The lecturer is available for any clarification upon request. The student must attend at least 75% of the lectures.

Assessment Methods

The test of the Chemistry and Biochemistry of Sport module is made of one written test with 31 multiple choice questions about the whole course program. For each correct answer 1 point, while 0 point for each wrong answer. The final grade out of thirty is shown in the student’s reserved area. The student's CV will include a single grade for Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology of Sport, which is the average of the grades obtained for the Chemistry and Biochemistry of Sport module and the Pharmacology of Sport module.

Texts

D. MacLaren, J. Morton
Biochimica metabolica dello sport e dell’esercizio fisico (1st edition)
Editore: edi-ermes

M. Samaja, R. Paroni
Chimica e Biochimica (per le lauree triennali dell’area biomedica), 2nd edition.
Editore: Piccin

D.L. Nelson, M.M. Cox
Introduzione alla Biochimica di Lehninger, 5th edition.
Editore Zanichelli

Chemistry: Atoms and chemical bonds. Molecules. Water, solutions. The pH, acids and bases. Outline of chemical kinetics and thermodynamics. Carbon chemistry and main organic compounds. Biochemistry: Protein amino acids: structures and properties. Peptide bond; polypeptides and proteins. Classification and structure of proteins. Oxygen-carrying proteins: structure and function of myoglobin and hemoglobin:. Collagen: triple helix structure of fibrillar collagens. Collagen of the bone, tendon and cartilage. Enzymes. Classification of enzymes. Enzymatic catalysis; notes on coenzymes. Water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Introduction to metabolism; catabolism and anabolism. The biological importance of ATP. The energy charge of the cell. Biological oxidizing and reducing agents (NADH, NADPH and FADH2). The hormones and their roles. Biological membranes. Lipids: triglycerides, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, cholesterol. Membrane transport Carbohydrate metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and main control points. Glycogen metabolism. Krebs cycle. Oxidative phosphorylation. Oxidation of fatty acids. The catabolism of amino acids: the fate of the carbon skeleton and of the amino group. The urea cycle. The main cross-points of metabolism (glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate and acetyl-CoA). Metabolism of the brain, liver, muscle and adipose tissue. Integration of metabolism between muscle and liver: the lactate and alanine cycle. Muscle metabolism during a short or long exercise. Muscle fiber: structure and function. The molecular basis of muscle contraction.