CCSP Sports Nutrition Principles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete reports consuming a high-protein diet (3g/kg/day). What is the primary risk associated with chronic excessive protein intake in a healthy athlete?
- Increased skeletal muscle catabolism
- Potential renal stress and increased calcium excretion (Correct answer)
- Hypoglycemia during prolonged exercise
- Deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins
Correct answer: Potential renal stress and increased calcium excretion
Chronically excessive protein intake can strain renal function and promote calciuria, increasing fracture risk over time.
Question 2: Which amino acid is conditionally essential during periods of high-intensity training or physiological stress?
- Alanine
- Glutamine (Correct answer)
- Valine
- Serine
Correct answer: Glutamine
Glutamine becomes conditionally essential during intense exercise stress as demand exceeds the body's synthetic capacity.
Question 3: A cyclist competing in a 5-hour road race should primarily rely on which energy substrate during the final hour when intensity increases?
- Free fatty acids exclusively
- Muscle glycogen and exogenous carbohydrate (Correct answer)
- Dietary protein catabolism
- Ketone bodies
Correct answer: Muscle glycogen and exogenous carbohydrate
At higher intensities, muscle glycogen and ingested carbohydrate become the dominant fuels because fat oxidation cannot sustain the required ATP production rate.
Question 4: The thermic effect of food (TEF) is highest for which macronutrient?
- Carbohydrate
- Fat
- Protein (Correct answer)
- Alcohol
Correct answer: Protein
Protein has the highest TEF (~20–30%), meaning the body expends more energy digesting and metabolizing it compared to carbohydrate (~5–10%) or fat (~0–3%).
Question 5: Which index best describes the rate and magnitude of blood glucose rise after consuming a specific food compared to pure glucose?
- Respiratory exchange ratio
- Glycemic index (Correct answer)
- Insulin sensitivity index
- Nutrient timing ratio
Correct answer: Glycemic index
The glycemic index (GI) ranks foods on a 0–100 scale based on their postprandial blood glucose response relative to pure glucose.
Question 6: During the first 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, which substrate provides the GREATEST percentage of energy?
- Plasma free fatty acids
- Muscle triglycerides
- Muscle glycogen (Correct answer)
- Blood glucose
Correct answer: Muscle glycogen
Muscle glycogen is the predominant fuel source during the early phase of moderate exercise before fat mobilization increases.
Question 7: A sports chiropractor advises a marathon runner to consume 30–60g of carbohydrate per hour during a race. What is the primary physiological rationale?
- To prevent hyponatremia from water dilution
- To spare liver glycogen and maintain blood glucose (Correct answer)
- To stimulate growth hormone secretion
- To reduce lactate accumulation
Correct answer: To spare liver glycogen and maintain blood glucose
Exogenous carbohydrate during prolonged endurance exercise spares liver glycogen and sustains blood glucose, delaying fatigue.
CCSP Sports Nutrition Principles 2
An athlete reports consuming a high-protein diet (3g/kg/day).
What is the primary risk associated with chronic excessive protein intake in a healthy athlete?