SCS Nutrition & Performance Optimization 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A competitive wrestler cutting 5% body weight in 7 days before weigh-in should be counseled to avoid which practice due to serious health risks?
- Reducing refined sugar intake
- Sweating in a sauna for rapid fluid loss (Correct answer)
- Increasing protein intake to preserve muscle
- Eating smaller, more frequent meals
Correct answer: Sweating in a sauna for rapid fluid loss
Rapid fluid loss through sweating (rubber suits, saunas) can cause dangerous hypovolemia, electrolyte imbalances, and impaired thermoregulation, and has been associated with athlete deaths.
Question 2: Protein consumed before sleep has been shown to enhance overnight muscle protein synthesis. What amount and type is most supported by current research?
- 10 g whey protein immediately post-dinner
- 40 g casein protein 30 minutes before sleep (Correct answer)
- 20 g BCAA supplement before bed
- 5 g glutamine before sleep
Correct answer: 40 g casein protein 30 minutes before sleep
Research by Res et al. demonstrates that 40 g of casein protein before sleep is effectively digested overnight, stimulating muscle protein synthesis throughout the 7–8 hour fast and improving recovery.
Question 3: An athlete training at altitude (>2,500 m) for the first time has increased nutritional demands for which nutrient due to accelerated red blood cell production?
- Vitamin E
- Iron (Correct answer)
- Magnesium
- Selenium
Correct answer: Iron
Altitude exposure stimulates erythropoiesis through hypoxia-induced EPO release, significantly increasing iron requirements to support hemoglobin synthesis in the new red blood cells.
Question 4: Which strategy best describes 'train low, compete high' in the context of carbohydrate periodization?
- Train at low altitude, compete at sea level
- Perform some training sessions with low glycogen availability to enhance fat adaptation, then compete with full carbohydrate stores (Correct answer)
- Consume low-carb diet year-round and carb-load only on competition day
- Train with low protein intake and increase it before competition
Correct answer: Perform some training sessions with low glycogen availability to enhance fat adaptation, then compete with full carbohydrate stores
Train low, compete high involves strategically training with reduced carbohydrate availability to enhance cellular adaptations, then fully restoring glycogen for competition to combine metabolic efficiency with maximal energy availability.
Question 5: A sports nutrition label claims a product contains 5 g of BCAAs. Which three amino acids make up BCAAs, and which is the primary anabolic trigger?
- Alanine, glycine, glutamine; alanine is primary
- Leucine, isoleucine, valine; leucine is primary (Correct answer)
- Methionine, threonine, lysine; methionine is primary
- Glutamine, arginine, taurine; glutamine is primary
Correct answer: Leucine, isoleucine, valine; leucine is primary
BCAAs are leucine, isoleucine, and valine; leucine is the key anabolic trigger that activates the mTORC1 signaling pathway to initiate muscle protein synthesis.
Question 6: An athlete following a vegan diet needs to achieve complete protein in each meal. Which combination provides all essential amino acids?
- Rice + almonds
- Rice + beans (Correct answer)
- Bread + peanut butter only
- Corn + broccoli
Correct answer: Rice + beans
Rice (limiting lysine) and beans (limiting methionine) are complementary proteins that together provide all essential amino acids in adequate amounts for muscle protein synthesis.
Question 7: What is the primary physiological reason why athletes in weight-class sports should avoid severe caloric restriction in the final 48 hours before competition?
- It increases body fat percentage rapidly
- It depletes muscle glycogen and impairs neuromuscular function on competition day (Correct answer)
- It causes permanent hormonal disruption
- It increases muscle protein synthesis rate
Correct answer: It depletes muscle glycogen and impairs neuromuscular function on competition day
Severe caloric restriction in the final 48 hours depletes muscle and liver glycogen, directly reducing power output, reaction time, and muscular endurance during competition.
SCS Nutrition & Performance Optimization 5
A competitive wrestler cutting 5% body weight in 7 days before weigh-in should be counseled to avoid which practice due to serious health risks?