Macro Coach Certification Macronutrient Science 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which fatty acid classification describes fats with two or more double bonds in their carbon chain?
- Saturated fatty acids
- Monounsaturated fatty acids
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (Correct answer)
- Trans fatty acids
Correct answer: Polyunsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) contain two or more carbon-carbon double bonds, making them liquid at room temperature and prone to oxidation.
Question 2: A client following a ketogenic diet is in nutritional ketosis. Which ketone body is produced in the greatest quantity?
- Acetone
- Acetoacetate
- Beta-hydroxybutyrate (Correct answer)
- Pyruvate
Correct answer: Beta-hydroxybutyrate
Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is the most abundant ketone in the blood during nutritional ketosis, comprising roughly 70-75% of circulating ketones.
Question 3: The glycemic index of a food is measured relative to which reference food?
- Sucrose
- White bread
- Glucose (Correct answer)
- White rice
Correct answer: Glucose
Glycemic index is defined relative to pure glucose (GI = 100), though white bread is sometimes used as an alternative reference in some systems.
Question 4: Which enzyme is responsible for the rate-limiting step in fatty acid synthesis?
- Fatty acid synthase (FAS)
- Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) (Correct answer)
- Citrate lyase
- Malonyl-CoA decarboxylase
Correct answer: Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)
Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the conversion of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA, which is the committed and rate-limiting step in de novo lipogenesis.
Question 5: When coaching an athlete for muscle gain, what approximate protein distribution per meal optimizes muscle protein synthesis across the day?
- Front-loading all protein at breakfast
- One large protein bolus at dinner
- Distributing 30-40g of protein across 4-5 meals evenly (Correct answer)
- Consuming protein only post-workout
Correct answer: Distributing 30-40g of protein across 4-5 meals evenly
Evenly distributing 30-40g of high-quality protein across multiple meals maximizes the total 24-hour MPS response compared to skewed distribution.
Question 6: Which monosaccharide is the primary fuel for red blood cells?
- Fructose
- Galactose
- Glucose (Correct answer)
- Ribose
Correct answer: Glucose
Red blood cells lack mitochondria and rely exclusively on anaerobic glycolysis using glucose as their sole energy substrate.
Question 7: A high-protein diet consistently above 2.2g/kg has been shown to cause kidney damage in:
- All individuals regardless of kidney health
- Athletes with high muscle mass
- Individuals with pre-existing kidney disease (Correct answer)
- Sedentary individuals only
Correct answer: Individuals with pre-existing kidney disease
High protein intake can accelerate progression of existing kidney disease, but current evidence does not support harm in healthy individuals with normal kidney function.
Macro Coach Certification Macronutrient Science 3
Which fatty acid classification describes fats with two or more double bonds in their carbon chain?