CDN Sports Nutrition & Performance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A triathlete completes a 90-minute session and wants to optimize glycogen resynthesis. What is the most effective post-exercise refueling strategy?
- High-fat meal within 4 hours
- 1.0–1.2g/kg carbohydrate within 30 minutes (Correct answer)
- Protein-only shake immediately post-exercise
- Fasting for 2 hours to enhance fat adaptation
Correct answer: 1.0–1.2g/kg carbohydrate within 30 minutes
Consuming 1.0–1.2 g/kg of carbohydrate within 30 minutes post-exercise maximizes glycogen synthase activity and accelerates glycogen resynthesis during the critical recovery window.
Question 2: Which form of iron is most bioavailable and best recommended for athletes diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia?
- Non-heme iron from plant sources
- Heme iron from animal sources (Correct answer)
- Iron oxide supplements
- Ferric iron supplements
Correct answer: Heme iron from animal sources
Heme iron from animal sources (meat, poultry, fish) has significantly higher bioavailability (15–35%) compared to non-heme iron (2–20%) and is the preferred dietary source for treating iron-deficiency anemia.
Question 3: A distance runner in heat training asks about fluid replacement guidelines. Which statement about sweat rate assessment is correct?
- Sweat rate is uniform across all athletes at about 1L/hr
- Sweat rate can be estimated by measuring pre- and post-exercise body weight changes (Correct answer)
- Urine color alone is sufficient to assess hydration before exercise
- Thirst is a reliable real-time indicator of sweat rate
Correct answer: Sweat rate can be estimated by measuring pre- and post-exercise body weight changes
Sweat rate is best estimated by measuring body weight before and after exercise, where each 1 kg loss approximates 1 L of fluid deficit, allowing individualized fluid replacement planning.
Question 4: Which macronutrient timing strategy most effectively enhances muscle protein synthesis (MPS) after resistance training?
- Carbohydrate loading 3 hours before training
- 20–40g high-quality protein within 2 hours post-training (Correct answer)
- Fat intake >30% of calories immediately post-training
- Protein intake only at breakfast regardless of training time
Correct answer: 20–40g high-quality protein within 2 hours post-training
Consuming 20–40g of high-quality protein within 2 hours post-resistance training optimally stimulates muscle protein synthesis by maximizing leucine-triggered mTOR signaling.
Question 5: A powerlifter wants to make weight for competition. Which weight-cutting method carries the greatest health risk and should be discouraged?
- Gradual caloric deficit over 4–6 weeks
- Acute dehydration via diuretics or sweating (Correct answer)
- Reducing dietary fiber to decrease gut weight
- Lowering carbohydrate intake to deplete glycogen
Correct answer: Acute dehydration via diuretics or sweating
Acute dehydration using diuretics or extreme sweating can cause electrolyte imbalances, cardiac arrhythmias, and impaired performance, and is the most dangerous weight-cutting strategy.
Question 6: An athlete training at altitude (>2000m) has increased which nutrient requirement significantly?
- Vitamin D
- Iron (Correct answer)
- Calcium
- Zinc
Correct answer: Iron
Altitude training increases erythropoietin production and red blood cell synthesis, substantially elevating iron requirements to support the accelerated demand for hemoglobin.
Question 7: Which dietary strategy best supports an athlete during a 5-day overreaching training block?
- Reduced total calorie intake to promote fat burning
- Increased carbohydrate and protein intake with adequate sleep (Correct answer)
- High-fat ketogenic diet to preserve glycogen
- Fasted training sessions to improve mitochondrial adaptation
Correct answer: Increased carbohydrate and protein intake with adequate sleep
During overreaching blocks, increasing carbohydrate intake to maintain glycogen and elevating protein to 1.6–2.2g/kg combined with sleep supports recovery and adaptation without maladaptive overtraining.
CDN Sports Nutrition & Performance 3
A triathlete completes a 90-minute session and wants to optimize glycogen resynthesis.
What is the most effective post-exercise refueling strategy?