SafeSport Nutrition and Wellness 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which condition describes the health consequences when an athlete does not consume enough energy to support both training and basic body functions?
- Overtraining syndrome
- Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) (Correct answer)
- Exercise-induced anemia
- Metabolic alkalosis
Correct answer: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
RED-S occurs when dietary energy intake is insufficient to cover both exercise demands and the energy required for normal physiological functioning.
Question 2: A coach notices an athlete consistently skipping post-practice meals and making negative comments about their body. The most appropriate first step is to:
- Publicly praise the athlete's discipline to reinforce healthy habits
- Speak privately with the athlete and connect them with a sports dietitian or counselor (Correct answer)
- Increase practice intensity to distract the athlete
- Tell teammates to encourage the athlete to eat more
Correct answer: Speak privately with the athlete and connect them with a sports dietitian or counselor
Private, non-judgmental communication followed by referral to a qualified professional is the recommended response when disordered eating is suspected.
Question 3: Which of the following is a warning sign of disordered eating that coaches and staff should recognize in athletes?
- Eating a large pre-competition meal
- Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately after meals (Correct answer)
- Drinking sports drinks during long practices
- Requesting nutrition guidance from the coaching staff
Correct answer: Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately after meals
Frequent post-meal bathroom trips may indicate purging behavior, which is a recognized warning sign of bulimia nervosa.
Question 4: Under SafeSport guidelines, which statement about coaches commenting on athlete body weight is most accurate?
- Coaches may comment on weight if it is performance-related
- Coaches should never make unsolicited comments about an athlete's body weight or shape (Correct answer)
- Weight discussions are acceptable during private one-on-one meetings
- Weight feedback is appropriate only for contact sports
Correct answer: Coaches should never make unsolicited comments about an athlete's body weight or shape
Unsolicited comments about an athlete's body can contribute to disordered eating and psychological harm, which SafeSport guidelines seek to prevent.
Question 5: An athlete reports feeling dizzy, fatigued, and irritable during practice. These symptoms could most likely indicate:
- Overhydration
- Inadequate carbohydrate and calorie intake (Correct answer)
- Excess protein consumption
- Vitamin D toxicity
Correct answer: Inadequate carbohydrate and calorie intake
Dizziness, fatigue, and irritability are common signs of low energy availability or inadequate carbohydrate fueling before and during exercise.
Question 6: Which practice is considered a form of emotional abuse under SafeSport's nutrition and wellness framework?
- Providing post-practice snacks funded by the team budget
- Withholding food or fluids as punishment for poor performance (Correct answer)
- Encouraging athletes to eat a balanced diet
- Scheduling meal breaks during long travel days
Correct answer: Withholding food or fluids as punishment for poor performance
Withholding food or fluids as punishment is a form of emotional and physical abuse prohibited under SafeSport policy.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'intuitive eating' as it applies to athlete wellness?
- Eating only when performance metrics decline
- Responding to internal hunger and fullness cues to guide food intake (Correct answer)
- Tracking every calorie consumed during the training season
- Following rigid meal plans set by the coaching staff
Correct answer: Responding to internal hunger and fullness cues to guide food intake
Intuitive eating involves trusting the body's hunger and fullness signals, which supports a healthy relationship with food and reduces disordered eating risk.
SafeSport Nutrition and Wellness 2
Which condition describes the health consequences when an athlete does not consume enough energy to support both training and basic body functions?