IIT Madras launches 7 free online sports science courses on NPTEL platform

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched seven new online courses in sports science on the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) platform. The Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics at IIT Madras has introduced the courses. All the seven courses are free of cost. Interested students can apply at nptel.ac.in by February 19 and the classes will begin on the same day.

Students must have passed Class 12 in order to take these courses. The courses are relevant for students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s in sports sciences, physiotherapy, and physical education, and other related areas. Upon completing the courses, students can pursue diplomas or PG degrees in these areas.

While the courses are being offered online on the SWAYAM platform (swayam.gov.in), the final exam will be in-person centre-based and proctored for which students will have to pay a fee of Rs 1,000 per course.

The seven courses offered by IIT Madras are given below:

• Strength and conditioning for the Indian population
• Sports and performance nutrition
• Fundamentals of sports training, load management and recovery
• Essentials of sports Injury prevention and rehabilitation
• Human movement science
• Introduction to exercise physiology and sports performance
• Sports psychology

These courses will benefit coaches, athletes, trainers, physiotherapists, nutritionists, among others. Sports topics such as biomechanics, injury prevention, sports psychology, strength training for Indians, and cultural aspects of sports will be covered. The areas covered include exercise physiology, movement science, sports nutrition, injury prevention, training fundamentals, strength conditioning, and sports psychology.

Highlighting the importance of this course, professor Andrew Thangaraj, coordinator, NPTEL, IIT Madras, said, “This comprehensive set of courses will be a game-changer, addressing India-centric sports needs and promoting a well-rounded approach. There is a high demand for skilled personnel across sports domains with competitive sports expanding rapidly in India. These NPTEL courses equip learners to understand how to enhance performance, monitor diet and training frequencies, formulate recovery programs, and offer a holistic approach to sports science.”

Speaking about this course, professor Mahesh Panchagnula, co-principal investigator, Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics, IIT Madras, said, “These courses are for everyone. For anybody who is an enthusiast, a sports person, or who is interested in topics like strengthening, fitness, conditioning, sports, nutrition, and psychology.”