Micronutrient Needs in Athletes Flashcards
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Below which serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is an athlete considered vitamin D deficient?
Answer: 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL)
A serum 25-OH vitamin D below 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) is defined as deficient by major guidelines, while values between 50–75 nmol/L may be insufficient for optimal musculoskeletal health in athletes.
Foot-strike hemolysis in distance runners primarily depletes which micronutrient over time?
Answer: Iron
Repeated foot-strike impact ruptures red blood cells in plantar capillaries; the released hemoglobin is degraded and iron is lost in urine as hemosiderin, gradually depleting iron stores.
Which food pairing best enhances absorption of non-heme iron from a plant-based meal?
Answer: Lentils served with vitamin C-rich bell peppers
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) converts ferric iron to the more soluble ferrous form and forms an absorbable complex, significantly increasing non-heme iron bioavailability.
What distinguishes iron deficiency anemia from sports anemia (dilutional pseudoanemia) in laboratory evaluation?
Answer: Serum ferritin
Serum ferritin is low in true iron deficiency anemia but remains normal or elevated in sports anemia, where the apparent low hemoglobin results from expanded plasma volume rather than iron depletion.
Indoor athletes and athletes training at northern latitudes are at greatest risk for deficiency of which micronutrient?
Answer: Vitamin D
Vitamin D is synthesized in skin upon UVB exposure; reduced sunlight due to geographic latitude or predominantly indoor training severely limits endogenous production and increases deficiency risk.
When assessing micronutrient status in a new athlete client, what is the recommended first step before ordering laboratory tests?
Answer: Conduct a 3–5 day dietary record with quantitative nutrient analysis
A multi-day dietary record analyzed against DRI values identifies specific dietary gaps first, allowing targeted lab testing and evidence-based supplementation recommendations rather than a shotgun approach.
Which athlete population carries the highest risk of calcium deficiency and stress fractures related to micronutrient and hormonal interactions?
Answer: Female athletes with low energy availability and functional hypothalamic amenorrhea
Low energy availability suppresses estrogen through hypothalamic amenorrhea, impairing calcium retention and bone remodeling; this combination — the core of the Female Athlete Triad and RED-S — dramatically elevates stress fracture risk.