CSSD Weight Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which formula BEST estimates resting metabolic rate (RMR) in athletes with high lean mass?
- Harris-Benedict equation using total body weight
- Mifflin-St Jeor equation using total body weight
- Cunningham equation using fat-free mass (Correct answer)
- Owen equation using total body weight
Correct answer: Cunningham equation using fat-free mass
The Cunningham equation uses fat-free mass as its primary variable and is more accurate for lean, muscular athletes than weight-based equations.
Question 2: A female gymnast is at 17% body fat and her coach wants her at 14%. The CSSD's BEST initial action is:
- Create a 750 kcal/day deficit diet immediately
- Assess current energy availability, menstrual status, and bone density before intervening (Correct answer)
- Recommend fat-free diet to lose weight quickly
- Tell the coach the athlete is already at a healthy weight
Correct answer: Assess current energy availability, menstrual status, and bone density before intervening
Before any weight loss plan, the CSSD must assess energy availability and health markers to rule out RED-S risk at further fat loss.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes the 'set point' theory as applied to weight management in athletes?
- Body weight is entirely controlled by willpower and dietary choices
- The body defends a preferred weight range through metabolic and hormonal adaptations (Correct answer)
- Athletes have no set point due to high training volumes
- Set point only applies to obese individuals, not athletes
Correct answer: The body defends a preferred weight range through metabolic and hormonal adaptations
The set point theory posits that the body regulates weight within a preferred range through adaptive changes in metabolism and appetite hormones.
Question 4: An athlete is using a weight loss app that recommends 1,200 kcal/day. A 75 kg male cyclist training 15 hours/week has a total energy expenditure of ~3,800 kcal/day. The CSSD should advise:
- The app is likely appropriate since it's a large deficit
- 1,200 kcal/day is dangerously inadequate and will impair performance and health (Correct answer)
- Reduce training load to match the 1,200 kcal intake
- Follow the app but add protein shakes
Correct answer: 1,200 kcal/day is dangerously inadequate and will impair performance and health
A 1,200 kcal intake for an athlete burning ~3,800 kcal/day creates a ~2,600 kcal deficit, which is extreme and will cause lean mass loss, fatigue, and injury risk.
Question 5: The thermic effect of food (TEF) contributes approximately what percentage of total daily energy expenditure in most individuals?
- 1–3%
- 5–10% (Correct answer)
- 15–20%
- 25–30%
Correct answer: 5–10%
TEF accounts for approximately 5–10% of total daily energy expenditure, representing the energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing food.
Question 6: Which dietary strategy has the STRONGEST evidence for reducing appetite while preserving muscle mass during weight loss in athletes?
- Very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet
- High dietary fiber and high protein intake (≥1.6 g/kg/day) (Correct answer)
- Meal replacement shakes as the sole food source
- Low-fat diet with moderate protein (~0.8 g/kg/day)
Correct answer: High dietary fiber and high protein intake (≥1.6 g/kg/day)
High protein intake combined with dietary fiber promotes satiety and protects lean mass during caloric restriction, supported by strong evidence.
Question 7: A college football lineman wants to reduce body fat while gaining muscle. The CSSD should explain that simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain (body recomposition) is MOST feasible when:
- The athlete is advanced and has trained for more than 5 years
- The athlete is detrained, new to resistance training, or returning from injury (Correct answer)
- The athlete is already very lean (<8% body fat)
- The athlete uses anabolic supplements
Correct answer: The athlete is detrained, new to resistance training, or returning from injury
Body recomposition is most achievable in individuals who are untrained, detrained, or returning from injury, as they have the greatest anabolic responsiveness.
CSSD Weight Management 3
Which formula BEST estimates resting metabolic rate (RMR) in athletes with high lean mass?