Section A — Coach Food — Nutritional Science
This section covers the Associates chapter on Nutritional Science, Lessons 1 through 5: Macronutrient Biochemistry, Energy Balance and Metabolism, Micronutrients and Function, Nutrient Timing and Quality, and Food in Context. All material is already in the chapter — no new content.
Part A — Vocabulary (20 points, 2 points each)
Select the single best answer for each question.
1. Essential amino acid is best defined as:
A) Any amino acid the body uses in protein synthesis B) An amino acid the body cannot synthesize at all or cannot synthesize at rates adequate for need, and therefore must obtain from dietary protein C) A branched-chain amino acid D) An amino acid found only in animal protein
2. DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score) is:
A) A measure of caloric content B) The protein-quality scoring system endorsed by FAO that accounts for both amino acid composition and ileal digestibility C) An obsolete measure replaced by PDCAAS D) A measure of fat content in protein-containing foods
3. Leucine threshold refers to:
A) The minimum daily total protein requirement B) The per-meal leucine quantity (~2.5-3.0 g for adults) associated with maximal stimulation of muscle protein synthesis C) The maximum tolerated dose of leucine before toxicity D) The amino acid most depleted during exercise
4. Lipoprotein is best described as:
A) A protein dissolved in oil B) A spherical particle of phospholipid, cholesterol, triglyceride, and apolipoproteins that transports lipids through aqueous plasma C) A type of dietary fat D) An obsolete term for cholesterol
5. Glycemic index (GI) is:
A) The total carbohydrate content of a food B) A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods by their effect on postprandial blood glucose relative to a reference (typically glucose or white bread) C) A measure of fiber content D) The same as glycemic load
6. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is:
A) The energy expenditure of vigorous exercise B) The energy expenditure required to sustain physiological function at complete rest in a thermoneutral environment, fasted, and awake C) The same as Total Daily Energy Expenditure D) The energy expenditure of digestion
7. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to:
A) Energy expenditure during planned exercise B) Energy expenditure of all physical activity that is not formal exercise — fidgeting, posture maintenance, walking to class, daily-life movement C) The thermic effect of food D) The energy cost of cellular respiration
8. Metabolic adaptation (Levine, Rosenbaum) describes:
A) The body's adjustment to a new diet B) Reductions in resting energy expenditure and changes in hormonal regulation that follow sustained caloric deficits, partially explaining why long-term weight maintenance after weight loss is difficult C) Faster metabolism with caloric restriction D) A short-term effect that resolves within days
9. Bioavailability (in micronutrient context) is:
A) The total amount of a nutrient in a food B) The fraction of a nutrient that is absorbed and available for physiological use after digestion C) The same as solubility D) Always 100% for fat-soluble vitamins
10. Ultra-processed food (Monteiro NOVA classification, Group 4) is:
A) Any cooked food B) Industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances derived from foods and additives, with little if any whole food remaining C) The same as packaged food D) Any food that contains preservatives
Part B — Concept Comprehension (20 points, 2 points each)
Select the single best answer for each question.
11. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation for adult males is:
A) BMR = 66 + 13.7 W + 5 H − 6.8 A B) BMR = (10 × W) + (6.25 × H) − (5 × A) + 5 C) BMR = 655 + 9.6 W + 1.8 H − 4.7 A D) BMR = body weight × 24
12. Animal proteins are generally rated higher than plant proteins on DIAAS principally because:
A) Animal proteins contain more calories per gram B) Animal proteins have a more complete essential amino acid profile and higher ileal digestibility, particularly with respect to lysine and methionine content C) Animal proteins are more recently studied D) Plant proteins are unsafe
13. mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) is activated principally by:
A) Carbohydrate intake B) Resistance exercise stimulus and leucine availability above threshold C) Aerobic exercise alone D) Sleep
14. Saturated fat replaced isocalorically with polyunsaturated fat in controlled trials:
A) Has no effect on cardiovascular outcomes B) Lowers LDL-cholesterol and is associated with reduced cardiovascular event rates in meta-analyses; the saturated-fat-and-heart-disease relationship is more nuanced than older framings suggested, but the polyunsaturated replacement signal is robust C) Raises LDL-cholesterol D) Has been definitively disproven
15. Vitamin D's principal endogenous source for most adults is:
A) Dietary intake from fortified dairy B) Cutaneous synthesis from 7-dehydrocholesterol catalyzed by UVB radiation, modified by latitude, season, skin pigmentation, age, and clothing/sunscreen C) Liver synthesis without external input D) Gut bacteria synthesis
16. The "anabolic window" — the idea that protein must be consumed within 30 minutes post-exercise for muscle growth — is best characterized as:
A) Strongly supported by primary research B) Substantially overstated in popular framing; the relevant window is broader (several hours), particularly when protein has been consumed in the meal preceding exercise (Aragon and Schoenfeld 2013) C) An obsolete concept with no biological basis D) Validated only for endurance athletes
17. The Garaulet and Scheer 2013 International Journal of Obesity finding showed:
A) Total caloric intake is the only predictor of weight loss B) Timing of food intake (earlier vs later in the day) predicted weight loss effectiveness even at matched caloric intake — suggesting circadian effects on metabolic outcomes C) Late eating produces better outcomes D) Meal timing has no effect
18. Coach Food Associates' framing of the modern food environment is:
A) All modern food is healthy B) A mismatch between the food environment humans evolved with and the modern engineered food supply, with the engineered supply optimized for palatability and shelf life rather than satiety and nutrient density — without prescribing any specific dietary pattern C) Strict carnivore is the only acceptable diet D) All processed food is poison
19. Eating-disorder vigilance at adult depth, as developed in this chapter, emphasizes:
A) Strict calorie counting for everyone B) That nutrition education must reject body-modification framings, redirect to function and capacity, recognize warning signs (restriction patterns, ritualization, food anxiety, body checking, exercise compulsion), and route distress to qualified clinicians — with verified resources cited including 988, Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741), and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders (866-662-1235) C) That eating disorders are only an adolescent concern D) That tracking macros causes eating disorders
20. The chapter's posture on the carnivore diet is:
A) Endorsement B) Descriptive engagement — the chapter teaches the framework's nutrient-density and bioavailability claims honestly while noting the substantial gaps in long-term randomized controlled evidence and identifying populations for whom the framework is not appropriate; no prescription C) Outright rejection without engagement D) Promotion as optimal
Part C — Application (30 points, 6 points each)
Write 3-5 complete sentences for each question.
21. BMR/TDEE math. A 22-year-old male, 75 kg, 180 cm tall, moderately active (factor 1.55). Calculate his BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then estimate his TDEE. Show your work.
22. Describe the leucine threshold concept and its implications for protein distribution across meals. Why does the research support roughly even distribution of protein across 3-4 daily meals over concentrated intake at one or two meals?
23. Explain metabolic adaptation per Levine, Rosenbaum, and Hall. Why does long-term weight maintenance after weight loss involve more than calorie counting, and what does this teach about the limits of any prescriptive caloric formula?
24. Safety recognition. A college roommate has been skipping meals, exercising compulsively, expressing intense body-image distress, and showing the food-ritualization patterns described in Lesson 5. Walk through what the chapter teaches about recognition and the verified resources to mention, naming the correct active helplines and identifying which older resource you should not cite.
25. Apply the chrononutrition research (Garaulet, Scheer, Wehrens) to explain why meal timing — not just macronutrient distribution — matters for metabolic outcomes. Cross-reference Coach Light Associates' synchronizer position to support your answer.
Continue to Section B — Coach Brain.