NCCPT Nutrition and Energy Systems 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a complete protein?
- Brown rice
- Black beans
- Eggs (Correct answer)
- Almonds
Correct answer: Eggs
Eggs are a complete protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids in adequate proportions.
Question 2: What happens to excess dietary protein that is not used for tissue synthesis?
- It is stored as glycogen in the liver
- It is excreted unchanged in urine
- The nitrogen is removed and the carbon skeleton is used for energy or stored as fat (Correct answer)
- It is directly converted to muscle tissue
Correct answer: The nitrogen is removed and the carbon skeleton is used for energy or stored as fat
Excess amino acids undergo deamination; the nitrogen is excreted as urea and the remaining carbon skeleton enters metabolic pathways for energy or fat synthesis.
Question 3: During the Cori cycle, lactate produced by working muscles is transported to the liver and converted back to:
- Fatty acids
- Ketone bodies
- Glucose via gluconeogenesis (Correct answer)
- Amino acids
Correct answer: Glucose via gluconeogenesis
In the Cori cycle, lactate is transported from skeletal muscle to the liver, where it is converted back to glucose through gluconeogenesis.
Question 4: Which macronutrient has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF)?
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Protein (Correct answer)
- Alcohol
Correct answer: Protein
Protein has the highest thermic effect (~20–30%), meaning the body expends more energy digesting, absorbing, and processing protein than carbohydrates (~5–10%) or fat (~0–3%).
Question 5: What is the primary function of phosphocreatine (PCr) in the ATP-PC energy system?
- To directly donate a phosphate group to ADP to rapidly regenerate ATP (Correct answer)
- To serve as a hydrogen carrier in the electron transport chain
- To act as a structural component of cell membranes
- To shuttle acetyl groups into the mitochondria
Correct answer: To directly donate a phosphate group to ADP to rapidly regenerate ATP
Phosphocreatine donates its phosphate group to ADP via creatine kinase, rapidly regenerating ATP during very high-intensity, short-duration activities.
Question 6: What dietary fat component is considered most harmful to cardiovascular health when consumed in excess?
- Monounsaturated fatty acids
- Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Trans fatty acids (Correct answer)
- Medium-chain triglycerides
Correct answer: Trans fatty acids
Trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol, significantly increasing cardiovascular disease risk.
Question 7: Which monosaccharide is the primary fuel for the brain under normal dietary conditions?
- Fructose
- Galactose
- Glucose (Correct answer)
- Ribose
Correct answer: Glucose
Glucose is the brain's preferred and primary fuel source under normal conditions, as it crosses the blood-brain barrier efficiently.
NCCPT Nutrition and Energy Systems 3
Which of the following is an example of a complete protein?