ISSA Sports Nutrition & Exercise Performance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the optimal single-dose protein intake post-exercise to maximize muscle protein synthesis in most individuals?
- 5–10 g
- 20–40 g (Correct answer)
- 60–80 g
- 100+ g
Correct answer: 20–40 g
Research consistently shows that 20–40 g of high-quality protein post-exercise maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis, with amounts above this providing diminishing returns.
Question 2: The 'anabolic window' describes the post-exercise period considered most optimal for nutrient consumption. What is this window?
- 30 minutes to 2 hours post-exercise (Correct answer)
- 6–8 hours post-exercise
- 12–24 hours post-exercise
- Only during the final minutes of exercise
Correct answer: 30 minutes to 2 hours post-exercise
The anabolic window (approximately 30 minutes to 2 hours post-exercise) represents a period of heightened insulin sensitivity and elevated muscle protein synthetic response to nutrient intake.
Question 3: Which electrolyte is lost in the greatest quantity through sweat and is most critical to replace during prolonged exercise?
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Sodium (Correct answer)
- Magnesium
Correct answer: Sodium
Sodium is lost in the largest amounts through sweat and is the primary extracellular electrolyte regulating fluid balance, making its replacement essential during prolonged exercise.
Question 4: Exercise-associated hyponatremia in endurance athletes is most commonly caused by:
- Excessive sodium intake before the race
- Overhydration with hypotonic fluids such as plain water (Correct answer)
- Severe dehydration during the event
- Insufficient carbohydrate intake
Correct answer: Overhydration with hypotonic fluids such as plain water
Drinking excessive amounts of hypotonic fluid (plain water) dilutes blood sodium concentration, causing hyponatremia—a potentially life-threatening condition.
Question 5: Which type of carbohydrate is preferred for rapid glycogen resynthesis immediately after exercise?
- Fructose only
- Sucrose in low doses
- High-glycemic carbohydrates such as dextrose or maltodextrin (Correct answer)
- Low-glycemic, high-fiber carbohydrates
Correct answer: High-glycemic carbohydrates such as dextrose or maltodextrin
High-glycemic carbohydrates rapidly raise blood glucose and stimulate insulin secretion, accelerating glycogen resynthesis in the critical post-exercise window.
Question 6: What is the current evidence-based fluid intake recommendation for athletes during exercise to prevent dehydration?
- Drink as much fluid as possible at all times
- Drink only when thirsty with no set guideline
- Drink approximately 400–800 mL per hour adjusted to individual sweat rate and conditions (Correct answer)
- Drink exactly 200 mL every 30 minutes regardless of conditions
Correct answer: Drink approximately 400–800 mL per hour adjusted to individual sweat rate and conditions
Current guidelines recommend 400–800 mL/hr during exercise, individualized to sweat rate, environmental conditions, and exercise intensity to prevent both dehydration and overhydration.
Question 7: Which supplement has the strongest evidence for enhancing performance in high-intensity, short-duration activities through increased phosphocreatine availability?
- Caffeine
- Creatine monohydrate (Correct answer)
- Beta-alanine
- HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate)
Correct answer: Creatine monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is the most extensively researched ergogenic supplement, reliably increasing phosphocreatine stores to support high-intensity, short-duration performance and muscle adaptations.
ISSA Sports Nutrition & Exercise Performance 2
What is the optimal single-dose protein intake post-exercise to maximize muscle protein synthesis in most individuals?