ATC Nutrition 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A basketball player experiences nausea and dizziness during a summer practice. His urine is dark yellow. The FIRST nutritional intervention is:
- Administer a protein shake
- Provide a high-carbohydrate gel
- Have him drink water or a sports drink immediately (Correct answer)
- Give a sodium tablet
Correct answer: Have him drink water or a sports drink immediately
Dark urine and symptoms indicate dehydration; immediate fluid replacement with water or a sports drink is the priority intervention.
Question 2: Which macronutrient ratio is MOST appropriate for an endurance athlete's training diet?
- 50% fat, 30% carbohydrate, 20% protein
- 60–70% carbohydrate, 15–20% protein, 15–25% fat (Correct answer)
- 40% carbohydrate, 40% protein, 20% fat
- 25% carbohydrate, 35% protein, 40% fat
Correct answer: 60–70% carbohydrate, 15–20% protein, 15–25% fat
Endurance athletes require high carbohydrate intake (60–70%) to fuel prolonged aerobic activity, with moderate protein and fat.
Question 3: Beta-alanine supplementation improves performance primarily by:
- Increasing VO2 max
- Buffering intramuscular hydrogen ions (H+) via carnosine synthesis (Correct answer)
- Enhancing fat oxidation
- Stimulating growth hormone release
Correct answer: Buffering intramuscular hydrogen ions (H+) via carnosine synthesis
Beta-alanine is a carnosine precursor; carnosine buffers intramuscular acidosis (H+ accumulation) during high-intensity exercise.
Question 4: An athletic trainer should refer an athlete to a Registered Dietitian (RD) when:
- The athlete asks about general hydration strategies
- Signs of disordered eating or a clinical nutrition disorder are identified (Correct answer)
- The athlete wants to increase vegetable intake
- General supplement labeling questions arise
Correct answer: Signs of disordered eating or a clinical nutrition disorder are identified
Disordered eating and clinical nutrition disorders require the expertise of a Registered Dietitian for assessment and treatment.
Question 5: Which dietary pattern is MOST associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk and is often recommended for overall athlete health?
- High-fat ketogenic diet
- Carnivore diet
- Mediterranean diet (Correct answer)
- Low-carbohydrate Atkins diet
Correct answer: Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins, has the strongest evidence for cardiovascular health benefits.
Question 6: Glycemic index (GI) refers to:
- The total carbohydrate content of a food
- How rapidly a food raises blood glucose relative to a reference food (Correct answer)
- The insulin response to a meal
- The fiber content of a carbohydrate food
Correct answer: How rapidly a food raises blood glucose relative to a reference food
Glycemic index ranks foods based on how quickly they raise blood glucose levels compared to a reference food (glucose or white bread).
Question 7: Which post-exercise recovery ratio of carbohydrate to protein has been shown to optimally promote glycogen resynthesis and muscle repair?
- 1:1 (carbohydrate:protein)
- 3:1 (carbohydrate:protein) (Correct answer)
- 5:1 (carbohydrate:protein)
- Equal parts all three macronutrients
Correct answer: 3:1 (carbohydrate:protein)
A 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio post-exercise has been shown to optimize both glycogen resynthesis and muscle protein synthesis.
ATC Nutrition 5
A basketball player experiences nausea and dizziness during a summer practice.
His urine is dark yellow.
The FIRST nutritional intervention is: