Question 1

A power athlete is unable to consume the recommended amount of carbohydrates during exercise due to gastrointestinal upset. What recommendation should be provided to this athlete?

Accepted Answer

It may be difficult for some athletes to consume a high amount of carbohydrates during training, but several studies have found that carbohydrate mouth washing for about 12 seconds every 7 to 10 minutes can improve performance.

Question 2

Which of the following are common nutritional mistakes made by athletes? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Athletes commonly focus on weight as opposed to the ratio of fat weight to lean weight. The body can only process a certain amount of nutrients at any given time, so eating frequently is important. Micronutrient needs are not increased significantly in athletes compared to the general population so rarely do they need to be supplemented if consuming a well-balanced diet. Failing to maintain adequate hydration and failing to consume enough calories are other common mistakes.

Question 3

What adaptations occur in highly trained endurance athletes that serve to increase aerobic power? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Highly trained endurance athletes have increased aerobic power due to metabolic adaptations that occur in response to exercise, including increased mitochondrial concentration in muscle cells, enhanced delivery of oxygen to working cells, and more efficient utilization of fuel.

Question 4

What are the two primary principles endurance athletes should follow to avoid extreme fatigue and optimize performance? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

To avoid extreme fatigue and optimize performance, the major nutritional principles for endurance athletes aim to optimize muscle and liver glycogen stores and enhance the efficiency with which glucose and fatty acids are converted to fuel.

Question 5

An Ironman triathlon participant is burning upwards of 3,500 calories per day during training sessions and is consuming approximately 3,000 calories. If this pattern persists over several weeks, what impact will it have on the athlete? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The athlete is in a state of low energy availability and at increased risk of decreased athletic performance, muscle wasting, depressed immune function, fatigue, and injury.

Question 6

Which of the following would be considered benefits of a hyperhydration protocol prior to intensive training? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

By consuming large amounts of fluids prior to exercise, the athlete increases fluid reserves and delays the onset of dehydration. The excess fluid also helps to offset increases in body heat (an especially serious concern when exercising in the heat) and maintain a high fluid volume status for optimal cardiac output. Excess fluid intake also leads to increased urination, which can offset the benefits of hyperhydration.

Question 7

Deficiency of which of the following vitamins could put an athlete at increased risk of anemia? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Deficiency of either B₁₂ or folate can cause anemia, which impairs the ability of the blood cells to deliver oxygen to the working cells and negatively impacts endurance performance.

Question 8

Why is it important that endurance athletes take in sufficient amounts of protein? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Sufficient protein intake is important to provide the amino acids to repair damaged muscle tissue following an intense workout. If carbohydrate intake is insufficient (less than 1.2 g/kg per hour for the first 3 hours after exercise), protein coingestion may help to enhance glycogen replenishment. Nitrogen balance studies suggest that endurance athletes need about 1.2 to 1.4 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to maintain neutral nitrogen balance even though protein turnover may become more efficient with improved endurance conditioning.

Question 9

What role does nutrition play for strength athletes? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Nutrition plays an important role in three primary domains for strength athletes: fueling sports and resistance training, optimizing recovery from training, and promoting muscular hypertrophy.

Question 10

Which of the following factors impact muscle protein synthesis and therefore muscle hypertrophy? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

To encourage muscle hypertrophy, several nutritional factors come into play: protein source, protein quality, timing of intake, and carbohydrate intake.

Question 11

Which of the following most accurately describes the research regarding the type of protein that should be consumed following a resistance workout to promote muscle hypertrophy? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Some evidence suggests that whey and soy protein-two high-quality and rapidly digested proteins-trigger an increase in muscle protein synthesis, while consumption of the slowly digested proteins casein and milk help to decrease muscle protein breakdown. Research is underway to understand which protein source ultimately is best to promote muscle hypertrophy. All four of these proteins are high-quality proteins that contain all of the essential amino acids.

Question 12

What are the major goals of recovery nutrition for power athletes? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The major goals of nutritional recovery for power athletes include glycogen and creatine resynthesis-which generally occurs rapidly, within 30 seconds to 1 minute-and protein repair and synthesis.

Question 13

Aerobic power generation is faster in the aerobic systems than in the anaerobic systems.

Accepted Answer

Because aerobic glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation require multiple chemical reactions to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the speed at which ATP is generated, referred to as aerobic power, is slower for the aerobic systems than for the anaerobic systems.

Question 14

Endurance athletes should avoid carbohydrates in the hour prior to exercise to avoid reactive hypoglycemia.

Accepted Answer

Historically, endurance athletes have been advised to avoid carbohydrates in the hour prior to exercise-the most convenient time for many athletes to consume a pre-exercise snack-due to concern for rebound or reactive hypoglycemia and diminished performance. However, evidence suggests that carbohydrate consumption in the hour before exercise provides more benefit than potential harm, though it probably does not provide the same performance boost as carbohydrates consumed at least 2 hours before the onset of exercise.

Question 15

A strength athlete who unintentionally loses weight during training is not eating sufficient calories to fuel optimal performance.

Accepted Answer

Some athletes may need to eat four to six meals per day and snacks in between meals to meet caloric needs.

Question 16

Some research indicates that consumption of carbohydrates prior to high-volume resistance training may maintain glycogen stores and improve work capacity, but consumption during activity is not recommended.

Accepted Answer

Some research suggests that consuming carbohydrates prior to and during high-volume resistance and strength training may help to maintain glycogen stores, leading to increased energy and work capacity.

Question 17

The speed at which adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is generated is referred to as _________________.

Accepted Answer

The aerobic systems have a nearly unlimited capacity to generate ATP; however, because aerobic glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation require multiple chemical reactions to generate ATP, the speed at which ATP is generated is referred to as aerobic power.

Question 18

Recovery nutrition strategies for strength athletes focus on carbohydrate intake to replenish ________ stores and protein intake to provide _____________ to support muscle hypertrophy.

Accepted Answer

Ideal macronutrient distribution for strength athletes relies on a balance of carbohydrate intake to replenish depleted glycogen stores and protein intake to provide a ready source of amino acids for muscle hypertrophy.

Question 19

During intensive training, caloric needs for power athletes are extremely high. The typical male power athlete requires _______ kcal/kg, and the typical female athlete requires _______ kcal/kg.

Accepted Answer

During intensive training, the typical male power athlete requires about 55 kcal/kg body weight and 40 kcal/kg body weight for females.

Question 20

Explain what happens physiologically when an athlete "bonks" or "hits the wall."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what happens physiologically when an athlete...

Quiz 9: Nutritional Strategies for Competitive Endurance, Strength, and Power Athletes