Nutrition for Athletes Flashcards
Grade 11 · Health · Flashcards
Essential sports nutrition terms and concepts for optimizing athletic performance, recovery, and long-term health.
Flashcards
- Glycogen
- The storage form of glucose found primarily in skeletal muscle and the liver; the main fuel for moderate-to-high-intensity exercise, depleted after ~90 minutes of sustained effort.
- Carbohydrate periodization
- Strategically varying daily carbohydrate intake to match training intensity — higher on heavy training days to fuel performance, lower on rest/easy days.
- Muscle protein synthesis (MPS)
- The anabolic process of building and repairing muscle proteins following exercise; maximized when protein is distributed evenly across 3–4 meals and consumed post-exercise.
- Leucine threshold
- The minimum dose of the amino acid leucine (~2–3 g per meal) required to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis; high in whey protein, eggs, and meat.
- VO2 max
- The maximum rate of oxygen consumption during exercise; a key measure of aerobic fitness that is directly limited by iron status and cardiovascular efficiency.
- Hyponatremia
- Abnormally low blood sodium levels caused by drinking excessive plain water during endurance events; symptoms range from nausea to seizures and can be fatal.
- Phosphocreatine system
- The energy system that uses stored creatine phosphate to rapidly regenerate ATP for maximal efforts lasting 1–10 seconds; enhanced by creatine supplementation.
- Energy availability (EA)
- The dietary energy remaining after subtracting exercise energy expenditure, divided by fat-free mass; healthy EA is ≥45 kcal/kg FFM/day.
- RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)
- A condition of impaired physiological function caused by low energy availability; consequences include hormonal disruption, stress fractures, impaired immunity, and cardiovascular risk.
- Electrolytes
- Ionized minerals — primarily sodium, potassium, chloride, and magnesium — lost in sweat; essential for fluid balance, muscle contraction, and nerve signaling during exercise.
- Anabolic window
- The post-exercise period (roughly 30–60 minutes) during which muscle glycogen resynthesis and protein synthesis rates are elevated; consuming carbohydrates + protein accelerates recovery.
- Fat adaptation
- A metabolic state achieved through prolonged low-carbohydrate training that increases the body's capacity to oxidize fat; may benefit ultra-endurance athletes but impairs high-intensity performance.
- Beta-alanine
- An amino acid supplement that increases muscle carnosine, buffering hydrogen ions during intense exercise and delaying muscular fatigue; causes a harmless tingling (paresthesia) side effect.
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