Master in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

MSMR 501: Musculoskeletal System

This course introduces the human anatomy to the prospective sports medicine graduates. The components of the course include detailed description of musculoskeletal anatomy and arthrology of human body to understand their significance in the sports and warming up activities. This knowledge also forms a basis to understand the musculoskeletal injuries in sports and related activities. Along with the identification of the structures in the musculoskeletal system, movements produced by the musculature at different joints will be studied.

MSMR 503: Exercise Genetics, Physiology and Endocrinology

In this course, we will first look at the foundations of genetics starting with the human genome architecture, the role of coding and non-coding genes such as miRNA and ncRNA, we will examine the various types of mutations, discuss using examples, the differences between single gene and multifactorial disorders and the various modes of genetic inheritance. We will examine the strategies a cell regulates its gene expression and how when these strategies are disrupted, a disease state can arise. We will explore the growing field of epigenetics which bridges the external environment and its impact on cellular gene expression regulation through CpG island methylation and histone modification and using key examples illustrate its impact on human health and disease. This course will also teach the students about how performance in sports and exercise is impacted by not only physical factors but also by genetic, metabolic, and hormonal factors. Students will learn how exercise and dietary regimes may be modified to address the limitations imposed by genetic and metabolic factors.

We will discuss how performance in sports and exercise has been found to be associated with specific genetic variants impacting an athlete’s physical endurance, power and recovery and susceptibility to ligament, tendon and muscle injury.

Physiological, metabolite and hormonal changes that occurs in response to the physical stress during and after exercise will be addressed. Understanding how the body respond and recover form such stress is critical to enabling improvement in physical health and performance.

MSMR 503: Pharmacology in Sports and Rehabilitation

In this course, Masters of Sports Medicine students will attend the majority of the classes given in the Masters of Pharmacology and Toxicology (MPTox) course MPHT503, concurrently with the MPTox students. MPTox students will take this course in their 1st year, 1st semester. Masters of Sports Medicine students will take the course in their 2nd year, 1st semester. After completing approximately ¾ of the classes in the MPHT503 class, Masters of Sports Medicine students will continue this course separately until the end of the semester and this last portion of the course will focus on pharmacological issues unique to Sports Medicine. The course is designed this way so that the Masters of Sports Medicine students will develop a fundamental knowledge of pharmacology in order to move to more specific applications of pharmacology in the realm of sports medicine.

This first part of the course will focus on the basic principles and mechanisms of commonly used

drugs and how they exert their actions. Students will learn about drug Absorption, Distribution,

Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) and drug pharmacodynamics including drug-receptor

dynamics. Students will learn and apply commonly used pharmacological and toxicological

terminologies including agonist, antagonist (reversible, irreversible, competitive etc.), drug half-

life, volume of distribution, bioavailability, elimination rate, area under the curve and many other

relevant terms. These facets are an essential component of the students’ learning as they will enable them to assess pharmacological applications in the context of sports medicine.

The second part of the course will focus on specific applications of pharmacology in Sports Medicine. Students will learn about drugs and drug classes used to treat sports-related diseases and injuries. Students will learn about the risks of inadvertently using banned pharmacological agents and also the deliberate use of pharmacological agents to enhance performance in sport.

MSMR 505: Exercise and Biomechanics

This course will enable the students to understand how different muscles, bones, and tendons work together to produce motion. The course will cover how an understanding of Biomechanics can help in refining mobility techniques during sports and exercise.

This course will consist of lectures designed to use the knowledge of biomechanics to physical activities such as locomotion, exercise, sports. In practical sessions, students will be familiar and capable with the biomechanical methods and tool for evaluation of human movement performance features with the following aims: preventing injuries, improving movement efficacy, and measuring rehabilitation progress.

During the course, students: will acquire biomechanical skills to assess physical activities and sports performance; will be able to interpret biomechanistic information towards enhancing athletic performance and rehabilitation of athletes and non-athletes; will be capable to carry out quantitative and qualitative biomechanical analysis; will be to apply biomechanical skills on how to maximize performance, prevent injury, and evaluate new methods and training regimens.

Lectures and practical lessons will be accompanied by slides, models, videos, handouts prepared by using evidence-based scientific and clinical resources. Furthermore, small group discussions will allow to improve the concepts learned. Lab sessions will be dedicated to application of the data using instruments such as Kinovea ( https://www.kinovea.org/) motion analysis software, as well as practice of skills such as surface anatomy, manual muscle testing, palpation, range of motion evaluation, analysis and observation of movement and posture. Practical lessons will lead students through the procedure of critical review in the context of biomechanics.

MSMR 510: Biostatistics and Epidemiology

This course covers basic understanding of inferential biostatistics in application to sports medicine. This course addresses issues of descriptive analysis, hypothesis testing and doing bivariate analysis (t-test, chi-square test, etc.). Established and recently collected data sets will be analyzed using these methods. Evaluation is based on individual and group problem sets (including quizzes, and examinations). The course provides opportunities for real life case applications.

MSMR 701: Ethics and Professionalism

In sports medicine, the practice of ethics presents many unique challenges because of the unusual clinical environment of caring for players within the context of a team whose primary goal is to win. Ethical issues frequently arise because a doctor-patient-team triad often replaces the traditional doctor-patient relationship. Conflict may exist when the team's priority clashes with or even replaces the doctor's obligation to player well-being. Customary ethical norms that govern most forms of clinical practice, such as autonomy and confidentiality, are not easily translated to sports medicine. As such this course will introduce and discuss ethical principles and examples of how they relate to sports medicine.

MSMR 502: Nutrition in Sports and Exercise

This course will teach the students about the concepts of balanced diet and nutrition tailored for achieving specific fitness goals. Types of dietary regimes for losing body fat, gaining muscle/bone mass, and promoting recovery will be covered. This course aims to provide the students with basic nutritional concepts, via current research evidence, in relation to sports performance and overall health and well-being. Students will be able to apply the knowledge gained in basic dietary assessment, body composition and energy metabolism to propose suitable dietary regimes to improve health, sports performance and recovery. The students will discuss pre, during and post exercise recovery dietary recommendations. This course will also provide a broad overview of the types of sports foods and supplements, allowing the students to demonstrate an understanding of the challenges in making informed decisions about using supplementation to improve sports performance.

MSMR 506: Seminar in Sports Medicine

This course is an exercise in critical analysis of ongoing research in the areas of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. The course will focus on the current concepts in these areas, covered through reading and critical discussion of selected published scientific literature. The students will be assigned scientific papers to read, which they will then present and critically analyze in a classroom session. The evaluation will be based on participation during class and critical essay writing on topics based on the assigned papers.

MSMR 511: Introduction to Research Project

This course will teach the students how to search the literature and other scientific sources to develop a research project. The course, through student-supervisor interactions, will introduce the students to the concept of hypothesis generation and the development of experimental approach.

The course comprises two components, one focusing on quantitative and the other on qualitative research. In first half of the course, students will learn how to identify a topic for qualitative research, develop hypothesis, specific aims, and experimental plan to execute a quantitative research plan. In the second half, we will cover the basics of the qualitative research methods, including theoretical foundations, research designs, data collection, data analysis, and writing research results.

MSMR 508: Health Fitness and Wellbeing

This is a 4-week hands-on, introductory short course in the principles of health and physical fitness. The course will expose the students to the basic concepts in health, wellbeing, sports and physical fitness. The students will choose one of the 2 tracks: 1) Cardiorespiratory, and 2) Strength building. Both tracks will incorporate guidelines for healthy nutrition. The students will practically follow one of the two tracks, involving a fitness regime of 1-2 hours of guided exercises in the NU Sports Center. Additionally, they will be exposed to the theory of physical fitness and health (including health nutrition) through classroom sessions and self-learning activities. Students presenting with health challenges will also be encouraged to join a tailored track of this course, where they will learn about the positive influence of exercise on physical, psychological and social aspects of life. For this track, the physical activity exercises will be individualized to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks.

At the end of the course, to fully realize their fitness goals, students will be encouraged to continue their chosen health regime for an additional 8 weeks under the guidance of an NU trainer and faculty.

MSMR 509: Robots for Rehabilitation

This course will cover how the human musculoskeletal system is modeled and simulated using computers to design robotic exoskeletons that can assist in the rehabilitation of neurological and sports injuries. Students will learn how to use robotic technology to rehabilitate patients in recovering their lost motions and strengths. Topics covered include:

• Fundamentals of biomechanics of human motion
• Basic methods for manual physical therapy of sports and neurological injuries
• Development principles of robotic rehabilitation exoskeletons
• Control methods for robotic rehabilitation exoskeletons
• Alignment of robotic exoskeletons with human biomechanics
• Safety and ethical issues related to the clinical use of robotic exoskeletons
• Evaluation of exoskeletons for injured athletes and patients with neurological impairments

MSMR 514: Adaptive Physical Activity

This course covers principles of adaptive physical activity prescription for people with different age, physical capabilities and co-morbidities. Within this course students: understand the organizational and cross-disciplinary foundations of adapted physical activity and education; assess for various comorbid, disabling conditions and develop recommendations to improve quality of life through adapted physical activities, recreation and sport; prescribe physical education, adapted physical activity, recreation and sport activities for people with different age, physical capabilities and co-morbidities.

This course is designed those interested in sports sciences, adaptive physical activities, teaching of physical education, management of education, social support of people with special needs, sports medicine and rehabilitation.

MSMR 515: Nutrition for Life

This course will demonstrate what nutrition is through interactive work of students and by introducing the most important food components called nutrients. The important roles of nutrients as fuel for energy, growth and maintenance will be discussed and daily intake of most of these nutrients will be measured by students through different projects. The digestion, absorption and functions of some of these nutrients will be explained prior to each project. Various meals that originated from different cultures will be introduced to the class and several meals will be created by students. There will be showcases and presentations where students will talk about each meal and the benefits or risks of high or low consumption of each nutrient within the meal. The factors that drive our food choices such as taste and culture, social reasons and trends, cost, time will also be discussed. Nutrition through different lifecycles, nutrition in Kazakhstan and other cultures are also some of the topics in this course. Throughout the workshop students will work on individualized projects where they aim for healthy living in order to reduce stress, sleep better, lose weight, gain muscle or any other area that they want to see improvements in. The students will have the option to select their own goals.

MSMR 513: Internship in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (SMR) Internship will enable students to acquire skills in comprehensive diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of athletes, people of all ages with injuries, neuromusculoskeletal disorders, associated illness and disabilities.

Upon completion of this internship, students will have the knowledge, skills, and attitude for diversified client/patient-centered care. Based on their academic background and aptitude, students will be encouraged to choose an internship site that will provide them an opportunity to focus on specific areas of SMR, and explore prospective job possibilities.

MSMR 601: Psychology of Sports and Rehabilitation

This course will enable the students to understand how psychology plays a role in achieving optimal level of performance in sports. Students will also learn about the skills required to maintain patient motivation throughout an injury rehabilitation process.

MSMR 507: Management and Rehabilitation of Injury

This course will cover the rationales behind prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries among athletes and non-athletes. Importance of maintaining proper form and physical habits in preventing injury will be discussed. Mechanisms and techniques of rehabilitation involved in relieving pain, achieving recovery as well as exercise protocols for musculoskeletal injuries will be covered. The course provides the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, implement, and supervise of progressive reconditioning and healing programs. Students will learn how to examine the process of recovery and identify precise stages of healing to be able to prepare evidence-based programs. Methods comprise progression and sequencing, examination and evaluation, and application of soft tissue and joint mobilization; flexibility and range of motion, muscle endurance and strength exercises; agility, coordination, and balance activities as well as function return to do normal physical activities and for a full return to sport participation.

After completing this course, you will be able to: explain pathophysiological mechanism of common musculoskeletal injuries and their relation to pain and/or debilitation; evaluate the importance of maintaining physical form during sports and exercise to prevent injury; assess and diagnose musculoskeletal injuries, learned through exposure to patients, athletes, and clinical scenarios; design personalized exercise programs for relieving pain and achieving recovery; relate the significance of proper form and habit to preventing recurrence of injury; design basic exercise programs for different patient scenarios (diabetes, muscle atrophy, bone/cartilage damage, etc.) to accomplish successful rehabilitation.

Lectures and practical lessons will be accompanied by slides, models, videos, handouts prepared by using evidence-based scientific and clinical resources. Furthermore, small group discussions will allow to improve the concepts learned.

MSMR 603: Master Research Project

The course/research project will start in semester 1, year 2, and will culminate in the Master Research Project thesis, in semester 2, year 2. This course will enable students to develop advanced research skills in the field of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Students will utilize the fully functional and readily available laboratories at the School of Medicine and the Sports and Rehabilitation facilities at the NU Athletic Center to conduct their research under the guidance and supervision of qualified faculty from the School. The course aims are to enable the students to:

• Develop critical thinking skills.
• Generate hypotheses, and design experimental approaches to test them.
• Prepare a proposal for their master thesis project.
• Develop experimental skills required for executing the said project.

MSMR 602: Advances in Sports and Rehabilitation

In this course, students will learn about the new developments, both in terms of concepts and technology, in the areas of Sports and Rehabilitation. In the newly established, cutting-edge Rehabilitation facility in NU Athletic Center, students will also learn about technological advances made recently in the assessment of movement/mobility, and its application in improving athletic performance and in injury rehabilitation. The course will cover technical approaches and concepts related to mental as well as physical aspects of sports and rehabilitation. The course involves teaching elements in classroom as well as in laboratory, and therefore carries 8 ECTS credits.

The course comprises three units, focusing on practice and evaluation of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in the areas of: 1) Mental health, 2) Assessment and optimization of athletic performance, and 3) Sports informatics.

At the end of this course students will:

• Explain the rationale behind current approaches, and their application for achieving fitness.
• Apply new concepts in achieving optimal athletic/rehabilitation goals.
• In the NU Athletic Center, work with athletes/patients to assess athletic performance and non-athletic mobility.

MSMR 702: Master Research Project Thesis

Master Research Thesis will be culmination of the Master Research into a scientifically articulate finished project, ready to be presented and defended in front of a panel of experts. The students will apply their acquired critical thinking skills to carry out advanced scientific research. In addition to developing oral and written presentation skills, students will gain experience in critically evaluating their own scientific work in relation to published scientific literature in the area of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. The course will enable the students to:

• Critically analyze published scientific literature.
• Critically analyze data they have generated for their thesis research project.
• Present the results of their research in a logical and scientifically coherent manner.