Nutrition & Health Assessment Flashcards

A collegiate football lineman has a BMI of 32 kg/m² but a body fat of 14% by DXA. What is the best interpretation?

Answer: BMI overestimates fatness because it cannot distinguish lean mass from fat mass

BMI uses only height and weight, so muscular athletes are often misclassified as overweight or obese.

Which dietary assessment method best captures an athlete's usual intake over several months?

Answer: Food frequency questionnaire

An FFQ asks how often foods were eaten over a long period, so it reflects habitual intake.

A male distance runner's waist circumference is 104 cm. According to common US guidelines, what does this suggest?

Answer: Raised cardiometabolic risk, since it is above the 102 cm (40 in) male cutoff

For men, a waist above 102 cm (40 in) signals higher cardiometabolic risk.

Which lab marker best reflects body iron stores in an athlete who is otherwise healthy?

Answer: Serum ferritin

Ferritin drops early in iron depletion, before hemoglobin falls.

Why can a ferritin value look misleadingly normal right after a hard race?

Answer: Ferritin is an acute-phase reactant that rises with inflammation

Inflammation after intense exercise can raise ferritin and hide true iron depletion.

Which pre-participation screening tool is designed to flag people who need medical clearance before starting exercise?

Answer: PAR-Q+

The PAR-Q+ is a validated questionnaire that screens for health conditions needing medical review before activity.

An athlete's 3-day food record shows energy intake 30% below estimated needs, but body weight has held steady for months. What is the most likely explanation?

Answer: Under-reporting of intake, a common error in self-reported food records

Stable weight with very low reported intake usually means the athlete under-reported, which is common in self-reports.