NSCA CSCS Performance-Enhancing Nutrition 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to NSCA guidelines, what is the recommended carbohydrate intake (g/kg body weight/day) for an athlete engaged in moderate-intensity exercise lasting 1 hour per day?
- 2–3 g/kg/day
- 5–7 g/kg/day (Correct answer)
- 8–10 g/kg/day
- 11–12 g/kg/day
Correct answer: 5–7 g/kg/day
Moderate-intensity exercise lasting approximately 1 hour daily requires 5–7 g/kg/day of carbohydrate to maintain glycogen stores.
Question 2: Sodium bicarbonate is used as an ergogenic aid primarily because it acts as an:
- Intracellular pH buffer reducing lactate production
- Extracellular buffer that enhances efflux of H+ from muscle cells (Correct answer)
- Osmotic agent increasing plasma volume before exercise
- Substrate for ATP resynthesis in the glycolytic pathway
Correct answer: Extracellular buffer that enhances efflux of H+ from muscle cells
Sodium bicarbonate increases blood bicarbonate levels, augmenting extracellular buffering capacity and facilitating H+ efflux from working muscle.
Question 3: Which branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is most strongly associated with stimulating the mTOR signaling pathway and muscle protein synthesis?
- Valine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine (Correct answer)
- Glutamine
Correct answer: Leucine
Leucine is the primary BCAA responsible for activating mTOR signaling and initiating muscle protein synthesis.
Question 4: An endurance athlete wants to use nitrate supplementation to improve performance. Which food source is richest in inorganic nitrate?
- Spinach
- Beetroot juice (Correct answer)
- Watermelon
- Tart cherry juice
Correct answer: Beetroot juice
Beetroot juice has among the highest concentrations of inorganic nitrate of commonly studied foods, typically providing 300–500 mg per 500 mL.
Question 5: What is the primary mechanism by which dietary nitrate improves exercise efficiency?
- Increased myoglobin oxygen-carrying capacity
- Reduced oxygen cost of submaximal exercise through enhanced mitochondrial efficiency (Correct answer)
- Augmented lactate clearance via the liver
- Elevated erythropoietin production
Correct answer: Reduced oxygen cost of submaximal exercise through enhanced mitochondrial efficiency
Dietary nitrate is converted to nitric oxide, which improves mitochondrial efficiency and reduces the oxygen cost of a given power output.
Question 6: Which of the following statements about iron supplementation in athletes is most accurate?
- All athletes should supplement with iron prophylactically during heavy training
- Iron supplementation is only warranted when blood ferritin confirms deficiency (Correct answer)
- Iron megadoses improve VO2max in athletes with normal iron stores
- Iron supplementation has no effect on endurance performance regardless of iron status
Correct answer: Iron supplementation is only warranted when blood ferritin confirms deficiency
Iron supplementation is recommended only when laboratory markers confirm iron deficiency, as excess iron can be harmful and does not enhance performance in replete athletes.
Question 7: The 'anabolic window' concept suggests that protein consumed immediately after resistance training is superior to delayed intake. Current research indicates this window is:
- Precisely 30 minutes and extremely narrow
- Broader than initially believed, extending up to several hours post-exercise (Correct answer)
- Only relevant for untrained individuals
- Eliminated entirely by pre-exercise protein intake
Correct answer: Broader than initially believed, extending up to several hours post-exercise
More recent evidence suggests the post-exercise anabolic window is several hours wide, especially when pre-exercise protein was consumed, making precise timing less critical than total daily intake.
NSCA CSCS Performance-Enhancing Nutrition 3
According to NSCA guidelines, what is the recommended carbohydrate intake (g/kg body weight/day) for an athlete engaged in moderate-intensity exercise lasting 1 hour per day?