CSSD Weight Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which energy availability threshold is associated with impaired physiological function in female athletes according to the RED-S model?
- <45 kcal/kg FFM/day
- <30 kcal/kg FFM/day (Correct answer)
- <20 kcal/kg FFM/day
- <15 kcal/kg FFM/day
Correct answer: <30 kcal/kg FFM/day
Energy availability below 30 kcal/kg FFM/day is the established threshold associated with hormonal disruption and health consequences in female athletes.
Question 2: An athlete's body weight has plateaued despite maintaining a 400 kcal/day deficit for 8 weeks. The MOST likely physiological explanation is:
- The athlete is secretly overeating
- Adaptive thermogenesis has reduced total energy expenditure (Correct answer)
- The caloric deficit was never real due to measurement error
- Muscle gain is masking fat loss on the scale
Correct answer: Adaptive thermogenesis has reduced total energy expenditure
Adaptive thermogenesis causes the body to downregulate NEAT, RMR, and TEF in response to sustained caloric restriction, slowing weight loss over time.
Question 3: Which biomarker is MOST sensitive for detecting early metabolic adaptation to low energy availability in athletes?
- Serum albumin
- Total testosterone in males
- Triiodothyronine (T3) (Correct answer)
- Serum cortisol
Correct answer: Triiodothyronine (T3)
T3 is highly sensitive to energy availability and decreases rapidly with caloric restriction, making it a useful early marker of metabolic adaptation.
Question 4: A 65 kg female soccer player wants to lose 4 kg of fat in 8 weeks. Approximately what weekly caloric deficit is needed?
- 250 kcal/day
- 500 kcal/day (Correct answer)
- 750 kcal/day
- 1,000 kcal/day
Correct answer: 500 kcal/day
Losing 0.5 kg/week requires roughly a 500 kcal/day deficit (3,500 kcal ≈ 0.45 kg fat), totaling ~4 kg over 8 weeks.
Question 5: Compared to aerobic exercise, resistance training's contribution to acute caloric expenditure is generally:
- Higher per session due to greater muscle activation
- Lower per session but produces greater excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) (Correct answer)
- Equal per session when matched for duration
- Lower per session with negligible EPOC effect
Correct answer: Lower per session but produces greater excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)
Resistance training burns fewer calories acutely per session than aerobic exercise but generates greater EPOC, elevating metabolism for hours post-workout.
Question 6: A track athlete is completing a periodized weight loss plan. In which training phase should the caloric deficit be SMALLEST?
- General preparation phase
- Specific preparation phase
- Competition phase (Correct answer)
- Transition/off-season phase
Correct answer: Competition phase
During the competition phase, energy availability should be maximized to support peak performance, so the deficit should be minimal or eliminated.
Question 7: Which psychological factor is MOST strongly associated with long-term weight management success in athletes?
- External motivation from coaches and peers
- Rigid dietary rules and strict calorie counting
- Internal motivation and flexible dietary control (Correct answer)
- Fear of weight gain
Correct answer: Internal motivation and flexible dietary control
Internal (autonomous) motivation and flexible dietary restraint predict sustained behavioral change better than external pressure or rigid dietary control.
CSSD Weight Management 4
Which energy availability threshold is associated with impaired physiological function in female athletes according to the RED-S model?