Chapter 14: Performance Nutrition

Question 1

Performance nutrition

Answer 1

combination of strategies to enhance performance through specific food and nutrient choices, timing, and quantities.

Question 2

Carbohydrates

Answer 2

primary fuel source during activity; exercise while carbohydrate-depleted increases stress hormones and reduce immune function; consumed in grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, dairy

Question 3

Glycogen

Answer 3

carbohydrate stored within muscle and liver tissue; depleted over two hours of exercise, or a 15-hour fast

Question 4

Fibre

Answer 4

non-digestible carbohydrate; soluble and

insoluble types; beneficial for healthy gut and immune system function.

Question 5

Glycemic Index (GI)

Answer 5

rating of carbohydrates based on how rapidly they raise blood sugar; higher-GI carbs raise blood sugar faster

Question 6

Glycogen supercompensation (carbohydrate loading)

Answer 6

can almost double muscle glycogen concentrations; most effective for intense endurance activities over 90 minutes; consume typical meals for 3 days followed by 3 days of a high-carb diet just before the competition

Question 7

Protein

Answer 7

supports growth and maintenance of body tissues; synthesizes enzymes, hormones, and other peptides; builds antibodies; maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, repairs exercise-associated muscle damage provides energy and glucose; consumed in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, dairy

Question 8

Gluconeogenesis

Answer 8

the metabolic pathway that generates glucose from non-carbohydrate substrates such as pyruvate, lactate, glycerol, and glucogenic amino acids.

Question 9

Whey proteins

Answer 9

collection of globular proteins isolated from whey, a by-product of cow’s-milk cheese making; the highest biological value of any protein

Question 10

Casein

Answer 10

predominate phosphoprotein accounting for nearly 80% of proteins in milk and cheese

Question 11

Essential amino acids

Answer 11

must come from food; cannot be synthesized by the body

Question 12

DAILY CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ATHLETES

Answer 12

Typical American diet: 4-5 g/kg/d
General training needs: 5-7 g/kg/d
Endurance training needs: 7-10 g/kg/d
Ultra-endurance training needs: 11 g/kg/d or more

Question 13

DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ATHLETES:
Moderately active adults

Answer 13

0.8 g/kg/d

Question 14

DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ATHLETES:
Strength athletes

Answer 14

1.6-1.7 g/kg/d

Question 15

DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ATHLETES:
Strength athletes (vegetarian)

Answer 15

1.7-1.8 g/kg/d

Question 16

DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ATHLETES:
Endurance athletes

Answer 16

1.2-1.4 g/kg/d

Question 17

DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ATHLETES:
Endurance athletes (vegetarian)

Answer 17

1.3-1.5 g/kg/d

Question 18

DAILY PROTEIN INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ATHLETES:
All exercising individuals

Answer 18

1.4-2.0 g/kg/d

Question 19

Fats

Answer 19

maintain function and elasticity of cell membranes, support structure and function of the nervous system, produce hormones, regulate body temperature, assist with vitamin and carotenoid absorption, protect vital organs; saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated types; consumed in meats, poultry, fish, oils

Question 20

DAILY FAT INTAKE GUIDELINES

Answer 20

• 20-35% of daily energy intake
 10% from saturated fatty acids
 10% poly-unsaturated fatty acids 
 10% mono-unsaturated fatty acids
• Very low fat (<15%) diets show no performance benefit

Question 21

Micronutrients

Answer 21

vitamins and minerals; play key roles in metabolism, bone health, haemoglobin production, immune function, and protection from oxidative damage

Question 22

TERMS RELATED TO DAILY NUTRIENT INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS:

DRI

Answer 22

Dietary Reference Intake—family of four nutrient reference values; RDA, AI, EAR, and TUL; primary goals are to prevent nutrient deficiencies and reduce risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, and cardiovascular disease

Question 23

TERMS RELATED TO DAILY NUTRIENT INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS:

RDA

Answer 23

Recommended Daily Allowance—average daily dietary intake level that adequately meets nutrient requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group

Question 24

TERMS RELATED TO DAILY NUTRIENT INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS:

AI

Answer 24

Adequate Intake—used when an RDA cannot be determined; recommended intake value based on observed or experimentally determined nutrient intake estimates of a group of healthy people

Question 25

TERMS RELATED TO DAILY NUTRIENT INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS: | EAR

Answer 25

Estimated Average Requirement—used to assess dietary adequacy; basis for the RDA; daily nutrient intake value estimated to meet half of a healthy individual’s requirement

Question 26

TERMS RELATED TO DAILY NUTRIENT INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS: | TUL

Answer 26

Tolerable Upper Level—highest level of daily nutrient intake not likely to pose a risk of adverse health effects for almost all individuals in the general population; potential risk of adverse effects increases as intake increases above TUL

Question 27

Antioxidants

Answer 27

nutrients that help remove free radicals from the body and reduce oxidative stress; e.g., vitamins E and C, beta-carotene, selenium; can become toxic at high doses

Question 28

Daily energy balance

Answer 28

when sufficient calories are consumed to match daily energy expenditure

Question 29

Inter-day energy balance

Answer 29

body composition can be impacted by meal and snack frequency; avoid energy deficits throughout the day by consuming smaller, more frequent meals

Question 30

Pre-exercise meal

Answer 30

should contain sufficient fluids to maintain hydration, be low in fat and fiber to encourage gastric emptying, be high in carbohydrates to optimize glycogen stores, contain moderate protein, and be made of familiar foods so as to not upset the stomach; consume meal with 200-300g carbs 3-4 hours before exercise

Question 31

Sports drinks

Answer 31

drinks containing 4-8% carbohydrates improve performance; use before morning workouts and for athletic events lasting longer than 1 hour

Question 32

Muscle fuel recovery

Answer 32

consume high-GI carbs and proteins in a 4:1 ratio within 30-45 minutes immediately after exercise to maximize glycogen replenishment, promote anabolic processes, and enhance recovery

Question 33

Insulin

Answer 33

the substance responsible for transporting glucose and amino acids into cells and initiating glycogen and protein synthesis; muscle cells are most insulin-receptive immediately after exercise

Question 34

Performance effects of hydration

Answer 34

dehydration of greater than 2% body mass can decrease aerobic exercise performance, visuomotor tracking, short-term memory, response time, coordination, attention, and mental focus

Question 35

FLUID REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES: | Before Exercise

Answer 35

14-22 oz. fluid 2 hours before exercise

Question 36

FLUID REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES: | During Exercise

Answer 36

6-12 oz. water or sports drink every 15-20 min of exercise

Question 37

FLUID REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES: | After Exercise

Answer 37

16-24 oz. water or sports drink for every pound of body weight lost during exercise

Question 38

Symptoms of dehydration

Answer 38

thirst, discomfort, fatigue, flushed skin, muscle cramps, apathy, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, chills, shortness of breath

Question 39

Hyponatremia

Answer 39

abnormally low levels of blood sodium; a.k.a. water intoxication; caused by overdrinking hypotonic fluids combined with excessive sodium loss (sweat)

Question 40

APPROPRIATE NUTRITIONAL DISCUSSION TOPICS FOR THE SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROFESSIONAL

Answer 40

• Food preparations methods • Healthy snacks • Statistical information on the relationship between chronic disease and the excesses of deficiencies of specific nutrients • Vitamins and minerals as essential nutrients • Food guidance systems: USDA MyPlate (www.choosemyplate.gov) • Carbohydrate, protein, and fat basics • Nutrients contained in foods or supplements • Importance of water and hydration status