Diet, Nutrition and Supplements | Edexcel A-Level Physical Education (9PE0)
Diet, Nutrition and Supplements
- 63 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 1: scientific principles of physical education
- Component 1
Diet, Nutrition and Supplements is examined in Component 1, Scientific principles of physical education.
It covers energy balance, nutrients and optimal weight, hydration, electrolytes and sports drinks, legal supplements and their effects and carbohydrate loading and fuelling around exercise.
Sample questions from Diet, Nutrition and Supplements
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Energy balance, nutrients and optimal weight
How much energy does a gram of carbohydrate, fat and protein provide?
Show the answer
Carbohydrate and protein each provide about 4 kcal (17 kJ) per gram. Fat provides about 9 kcal (37 kJ) per gram. -
Energy balance, nutrients and optimal weight
What is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)?
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RED-S is a condition caused by energy intake that is too low for the body's needs. RED-S can impair bone health, hormones, immunity and performance. -
Hydration, electrolytes and sports drinks
Why is an isotonic drink suited to a half-marathon runner?
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An isotonic drink supplies fluid, sodium and carbohydrate at once. The runner stays hydrated and fuelled without slowing fluid absorption. -
Hydration, electrolytes and sports drinks
How should fluid intake be managed during a long event?
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A performer should drink at regular intervals to keep mass loss under about 2%. Isotonic drinks supply fluid, sodium and carbohydrate together. -
Legal supplements and their effects
How does caffeine enhance performance?
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Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, raising alertness and reducing the perception of effort. Caffeine may also increase fat use, sparing glycogen. -
Legal supplements and their effects
What is beta-alanine, and how does it delay fatigue?
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Beta-alanine raises the level of carnosine in muscle. Carnosine buffers hydrogen ions inside the muscle, delaying fatigue in intense efforts of about one to four minutes. -
Carbohydrate loading and fuelling around exercise
Which performers would benefit from carbohydrate loading?
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Endurance performers in events lasting over about 90 minutes benefit, such as marathon runners, triathletes and road cyclists. A 400 m runner would gain nothing. -
Carbohydrate loading and fuelling around exercise
What should a performer eat in the two-hour window after exercise, and why?
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A performer should eat carbohydrate with some protein, ideally in the first hour. Glycogen resynthesis is fastest in this period, and protein starts muscle repair.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Energy balance, nutrients and optimal weight | Energy balance, daily energy expenditure and BMR, energy per gram of each nutrient, a worked energy intake, optimal weight for a marathon runner and a prop, power-to-weight ratio, rapid weight loss, RED-S, and the roles of each nutrient. | 16 |
| Hydration, electrolytes and sports drinks | Electrolytes, hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic drinks and when to use each, plain water in long events, hyponatraemia, hydrating before, during and after exercise, worked sweat loss and rehydration figures, and monitoring hydration. | 16 |
| Legal supplements and their effects | Dietary supplements, creatine and its side effects, caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, nitrates and beetroot juice, beta-alanine, protein supplements, glucose gels, and the risk of supplements for a drug-tested athlete. | 16 |
| Carbohydrate loading and fuelling around exercise | Dietary manipulation, the traditional and modified methods of carbohydrate loading and their drawbacks, pre-event meals, the glycaemic index, carbohydrate during long events, the recovery window, carbohydrate-to-protein ratios and daily protein needs. | 15 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,108 questions with their answers.