CDN Sports Nutrition & Performance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An endurance athlete asks about sodium intake during a 4-hour ultramarathon. What is the primary reason sodium supplementation is recommended?
- To enhance glycogen storage
- To prevent hyponatremia from excessive water intake (Correct answer)
- To increase VO2 max
- To reduce lactic acid buildup
Correct answer: To prevent hyponatremia from excessive water intake
Sodium supplementation during prolonged endurance events prevents hyponatremia, which can occur when athletes drink large volumes of plain water without replacing lost electrolytes.
Question 2: A cyclist wants to maximize fat oxidation during training. At what approximate exercise intensity (% VO2 max) does peak fat oxidation (Fatmax) typically occur in trained athletes?
- 20–30%
- 45–65% (Correct answer)
- 70–80%
- 85–95%
Correct answer: 45–65%
Peak fat oxidation (Fatmax) typically occurs at 45–65% VO2 max in trained endurance athletes, making moderate-intensity exercise optimal for fat burning.
Question 3: Which amino acid supplementation strategy is most supported by evidence for reducing exercise-induced muscle damage in strength athletes?
- Glutamine 20g pre-workout
- Leucine 5g post-workout
- BCAA 10g intra-workout (Correct answer)
- Tryptophan 2g pre-workout
Correct answer: BCAA 10g intra-workout
Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation intra-workout has the strongest evidence base for attenuating exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness.
Question 4: A female marathon runner presents with the female athlete triad. Which combination of findings is most consistent with this condition?
- High bone density, amenorrhea, high energy availability
- Low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, low bone mineral density (Correct answer)
- Overtraining syndrome, iron deficiency, high cortisol
- Amenorrhea, high estrogen, stress fractures
Correct answer: Low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, low bone mineral density
The female athlete triad consists of low energy availability (with or without disordered eating), menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density.
Question 5: A strength athlete is using periodization to peak for competition. Which nutritional approach best supports a hypertrophy mesocycle?
- Caloric deficit with 1.2g/kg protein
- Caloric surplus with 1.6–2.2g/kg protein (Correct answer)
- Caloric maintenance with 0.8g/kg protein
- Caloric deficit with 2.5g/kg protein
Correct answer: Caloric surplus with 1.6–2.2g/kg protein
A hypertrophy phase requires a moderate caloric surplus combined with 1.6–2.2g/kg/day protein to support muscle protein synthesis and lean mass gains.
Question 6: Which ergogenic aid has the strongest evidence for improving high-intensity, short-duration exercise performance by buffering intramuscular acidosis?
- Creatine monohydrate
- Beta-alanine (Correct answer)
- Caffeine
- HMB
Correct answer: Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine elevates muscle carnosine levels, which acts as an intracellular buffer against hydrogen ions, improving performance in high-intensity exercise lasting 1–4 minutes.
Question 7: A collegiate soccer player trains twice daily. What is the recommended carbohydrate intake range (g/kg/day) to support this level of training?
- 3–5 g/kg/day
- 6–10 g/kg/day (Correct answer)
- 10–12 g/kg/day
- 1–2 g/kg/day
Correct answer: 6–10 g/kg/day
Athletes with moderate-to-high training loads such as twice-daily sessions require 6–10 g/kg/day of carbohydrates to support glycogen replenishment and performance.
CDN Sports Nutrition & Performance 2
An endurance athlete asks about sodium intake during a 4-hour ultramarathon.
What is the primary reason sodium supplementation is recommended?