CSN Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CSN facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which dietary assessment method best captures an athlete's usual intake over several months? → Food frequency questionnaire
2. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is partly used to do which of the following? → Resynthesize phosphocreatine and restore oxygen stores
3. A sprinter performs a maximal 6-second effort. Which energy system supplies the majority of ATP? → Phosphocreatine (ATP-PCr) system
4. What is the benefit of combining protein with carbohydrates post-exercise? → Enhances recovery and glycogen storage
5. How should patient consent be obtained for treatment protocols procedures? → Informed consent including risks, benefits, alternatives, and right to refuse
6. An endurance athlete has a serum ferritin of 18 ng/mL and normal hemoglobin. What is the most appropriate protocol? → Oral iron supplementation taken in the morning after training, plus heme iron food sources
7. When refeeding a severely malnourished athlete, which electrolyte is most closely monitored for refeeding syndrome? → Phosphate
8. When documenting a sports nutrition consult, why should vague terms like "ate poorly" be avoided? → They are not specific or measurable and can be misinterpreted
9. Which of the following is a chronic adaptation to regular aerobic exercise? → Increased capillary density
10. Which entry is the best example of objective data in an athlete's nutrition record? → Body mass decreased 1.8 kg from pre- to post-practice
11. What privacy protection applies to documentation standards records? → HIPAA and applicable state laws protect all patient health information
12. What quality improvement method applies to treatment protocols? → Continuous quality improvement using data-driven Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles
13. An athlete with hypertension asks about diet. Which evidence-based eating pattern is most appropriate? → The DASH diet
14. What role do mitochondria play in muscle cells during aerobic exercise? → Produce ATP
15. Which signaling pathway is most closely linked to muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise? → mTORC1
16. What is the standard of care for treatment protocols in clinical practice? → Evidence-based practice aligned with current clinical guidelines
17. Which method is considered the gold standard for measuring body composition in a clinical or research setting? → Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
18. Below which threshold of energy availability are athletes generally considered at high risk for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)? → 30 kcal/kg fat-free mass per day
19. Which of the following is an open-ended question suited to a consultation? → What does a typical training day of eating look like for you?
20. Which nutrient is most important for a strict vegan endurance athlete to get from a supplement or fortified foods? → Vitamin B12
21. Why might a 65-year-old masters athlete be advised to eat more protein per meal than a younger athlete? → Anabolic resistance makes aging muscle less responsive to smaller protein doses
22. What interdisciplinary collaboration principle applies to quality improvement? → Coordinated team-based care improves outcomes and reduces errors
23. An athlete's 25(OH)D level is 18 ng/mL. What is the appropriate response? → Vitamin D supplementation under medical guidance, then retesting
24. An athlete with type 1 diabetes has blood glucose of 300 mg/dL and ketones before training. What is the recommendation? → Postpone exercise and follow medical guidance to correct hyperglycemia
25. What is the role of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in supplementation? → Reduce muscle breakdown
26. How should patient consent be obtained for documentation standards procedures? → Informed consent including risks, benefits, alternatives, and right to refuse
27. How should patient consent be obtained for infection prevention procedures? → Informed consent including risks, benefits, alternatives, and right to refuse
28. Which hormone increases red blood cell production during altitude acclimatization? → Erythropoietin (EPO)
29. An athlete has GI distress in races after using a new gel. What is the best protocol? → Train the gut by practicing carbohydrate intake during training sessions
30. What quality improvement method applies to ethics and confidentiality? → Continuous quality improvement using data-driven Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles