NSCA CSCS Performance-Enhancing Nutrition 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 90 kg male athlete competing in a sport requiring multiple sprint bouts seeks to maximize phosphocreatine (PCr) resynthesis. Which loading protocol is most commonly studied for creatine?
- 3 g/day for 30 days
- 20 g/day for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g/day maintenance (Correct answer)
- 10 g/day indefinitely with no loading phase
- 50 g single dose followed by 5 g/day
Correct answer: 20 g/day for 5–7 days, then 3–5 g/day maintenance
The classic creatine loading protocol of 20 g/day for 5–7 days rapidly saturates muscle stores, followed by a 3–5 g/day maintenance dose.
Question 2: Glycerol hyperhydration before exercise in the heat is used primarily to:
- Increase blood glucose availability
- Expand plasma volume and delay dehydration (Correct answer)
- Lower core body temperature via sweat rate reduction
- Increase red blood cell production
Correct answer: Expand plasma volume and delay dehydration
Glycerol acts as an osmotic agent that increases total body water retention and expands plasma volume, helping maintain hydration during prolonged exercise in heat.
Question 3: Which vitamin is most commonly deficient in athletes who train predominantly indoors and may impair immune function and bone health?
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin D (Correct answer)
- Vitamin B12
Correct answer: Vitamin D
Indoor athletes frequently have low vitamin D status due to limited sun exposure, which can impair immune function, muscle function, and bone metabolism.
Question 4: HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) is a metabolite of which amino acid?
- Valine
- Leucine (Correct answer)
- Isoleucine
- Methionine
Correct answer: Leucine
HMB is produced from leucine metabolism in the liver and is proposed to reduce muscle protein breakdown and enhance recovery.
Question 5: An athlete asks about tart cherry juice for recovery. The primary proposed mechanism for its anti-inflammatory effects is its high content of:
- Vitamin C and zinc
- Anthocyanins and other polyphenols (Correct answer)
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Branched-chain amino acids
Correct answer: Anthocyanins and other polyphenols
Tart cherries are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, potentially accelerating muscle recovery.
Question 6: Carbohydrate mouth rinsing (without swallowing) has been shown to improve performance in exercise lasting approximately how long?
- Less than 15 minutes
- 30–75 minutes (Correct answer)
- 2–3 hours
- Greater than 4 hours
Correct answer: 30–75 minutes
Carbohydrate mouth rinsing appears most beneficial for exercise lasting roughly 30–75 minutes by activating central reward pathways without requiring gut absorption.
Question 7: What is the primary reason that fasted aerobic training is NOT generally recommended as a strategy for improving competition performance?
- It causes excessive cortisol suppression
- It reduces fat oxidation capacity over time
- It impairs high-intensity exercise capacity and may increase muscle protein catabolism (Correct answer)
- It dramatically increases gastrointestinal distress during races
Correct answer: It impairs high-intensity exercise capacity and may increase muscle protein catabolism
Fasted training compromises the ability to perform high-intensity efforts and can increase muscle protein breakdown, undermining both performance and adaptation.
NSCA CSCS Performance-Enhancing Nutrition 4
A 90 kg male athlete competing in a sport requiring multiple sprint bouts seeks to maximize phosphocreatine (PCr) resynthesis.
Which loading protocol is most commonly studied for creatine?