Chemistry of Sports
MIT's Experimental Study Group offers this seminar examining triathlon and sports performance through molecular and chemical biology. Students track their own physiology in a training journal, observing how exercise affects the body's systems over the term, while following a structured physical fitness program that builds toward a mini-triathlon at the course's end. The approach ties classroom biochemistry concepts, like energy metabolism and cellular response to exertion, directly to lived experience, using the students' own training data as course material. Course materials are available through MIT OpenCourseWare under a Creative Commons license, free to access with no certificate offered. The format suits students who want an experiential, small-group alternative to a standard lecture-based science class, blending self-experimentation with molecular explanation of athletic performance.