NASM Nutrition Certification (EXAM)

SCOFF questionnaire

Basic yet reliable set of five questions that help assess whether an eating disorder exists.

Do you make yourself Sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
Do you worry that you have lost Control over how much you eat?
Have you recently lost more than One stone (14 lbs) in a 3-month period?
Do you believe yourself to be Fat when others say you are too thin?
Would you say that Food dominates your life?

Scientific Method

The process of formulating explanations about the natural world and testing those explanations with experiments and data.

1. Identify a Problem
2. Formulate a hypothesis
3. Design a study to test the hypothesis
4. Collect data
5. Discard or change the hypothesis OR continue testing

Evidence-Based Practice

A three-pronged approach to working with clients, which consists of making decisions based on the weight of the scientific evidence, field observations, and individual client needs and preferences.

Prediction

An expected outcome generated from a hypothesis

Theory

A hypothesis or set of hypotheses for which a large body of high-quality evidence has been accumulated.

Hierarchy of Evidence

1. Systematic Reviews
2. Randomized Controlled Trials
3. Observational Research
4. Peer Reviews
5. Non-Peer-Reviewed Media, including anecdotes

Anecdote

an account of a person's experience or event

Uncontrolled Variable

A variable in an experiment that a scientist makes no effort to manipulate or account for.

Primary Research

Original research where scientists perform experiments and collect data - this is in contrast to secondary research where scientists analyze data that has already been collected or published elsewhere.

Observational Research

Research in which a researcher observes ongoing behaviors to determine correlation.

Correlation

A relationship between two or more variables.

Randomized Control Trial (RCT)

A type of scientific study/trial where participants are randomly assigned into different groups - one or more will be the intervention to be tested and one will be the control group. Groups are randomized and a control is used in an attempt to reduce potential bias in the trial.

Independent Variable

The variable scientists manipulate in an experiment.

External Validity

The ability to generalize the results of a study.

Systematic Review

A review where scientists systematically gather all research on a topic and evaluate it based on predefined criteria and rules.

Meta-Analysis

A statistical analysis of a group of studies to assess the overall weight of the evidence.

Empirical

Based on observation or experience.

Test-Retest Reliability

The ability to get similar results when something is measured under the same conditions.

Reliability

The consistency of a measure.

Validity

The assessment of whether a tool is measuring what it is supposed to measure.

Selection Bias

A sample of people under study is not representative of the larger population that scientists are looking to make inferences about.

Retrospective

Describes a study that looks backward in time.

Recall Bias

The inability to accurately remember past behaviors.

Health

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Homeostasis

The tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.

Disease

A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms, affects a specific location, and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.

Noncommunicable Disease

A noncommunicable disease (NCD) is a medical condition or disease that is not caused by infectious agents; it can refer to chronic diseases which last for long periods of time and progress slowly.

Communicable Disease

Infectious diseases caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that can be spread (directly or indirectly) from one person to another.

Wellness

The fluid process of improving the emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual components of life, dynamically leading to a better state of health and well-being.

Obese

A high degree of excess body fat - a BMI greater than 30.

Biometrics

The technical term for measurements and calculations related to human physical characteristics.

Satiety

A feeling of fullness and satisfaction.

Palatability

The degree of pleasure or taste provided by a food - a highly palatable food is one that is tasty and pleasant to consume.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

The energy currency of life.

chemical compound that provides energy to drive muscle contraction, transmission of nerve impulses, and the vast majority of chemical reactions that facilitate human life.

Metabolism

Chemical processes occurring within the body to convert food to energy.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

represents the increase in energy expenditure after consuming a meal.

Thermic Effect of Activity (TEA)

accounts for the most variability of daily energy expenditure.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or exercising.

Lipogenesis

The biological process of combining free fatty acids with glycerol to form triglycerides.

Lipolysis

The biological process of breaking stored triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol.

Glycogenolysis

The process of breaking down the glycogen molecule into its individual glucose units for entry into the energy pathways.

Gluconeogenesis

A metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates such as lactate, glycerol and glucogenic amino acids.

Leptin

A hormone produced by adipose (fat) cells that acts as a satiety factor in regulating appetite.

Ghrelin

A hunger-arousing hormone secreted by an empty stomach.

CCK (cholecystokinin)

hormone released in the gastrointestinal system and is responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein.

NPY (neuropeptide Y)

neurotransmitter found in several brain areas, most notably the hypothalamus, that stimulates eating behavior and reduces metabolism, promoting positive energy balance and weight gain.

Insulin

hormone produced by the pancreas that is released when blood glucose levels are high, promoting the uptake of glucose for fuel or storage as glycogen. Insulin helps keeps blood-sugar levels from getting too high, also referred to as hyperglycemia.

Glucagon

hormone that is released when blood sugars decrease below a certain threshold. It stimulates the breakdown of stored glucose (glycogen) in the liver, releasing additional glucose into the bloodstream for fuel.

ATP-PC system

energy system producing ATP during high intensity, short duration exercise. Phosphocreatine decomposes and releases large amount of energy used to construct ATP. provides energy for muscle contraction for up to 10 seconds.

Anaerobic Glycolytic System

Glucose is used for fuel and is either blood glucose or muscle glycogen, broken down in to pyruvic acid, when there is insufficient oxygen it then is transformed into lactic acid. Energy up to 2 minutes.

Aerobic Energy System

virtually unlimited capacity for making ATP, uses carbs, fat, protein for fuel. Slow to produce ATP. Lasts anywhere from 2 minutes to a few hours.

Acid-Base Balance

The process of achieving, or the state of, equilibrium between acidic and alkaline molecules.

Cell Signaling

Process of communication between cells by biological messengers to govern cellular function.

Organic Molecules

Chemical structures containing only carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or nitrogen.

Amino Acids

The organic building blocks of proteins containing both a carboxyl and an amino group.

Essential Amino Acids (EAA)

Amino acids that are necessary for bodily functions but cannot be synthesized by the body and, therefore, must be obtained in the diet.

Phenylalanine
Valine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Isoleucine
Methionine
Histidine
Arginine*
Lysine
Leucine

Branched Chain Amino Acid

The three essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) which are abundant in skeletal muscle tissue and named for their branch-like structure.

conditionally essential amino acids

amino acids that are normally considered nonessential but become essential under certain circumstances when the body's need for them exceeds the ability to produce them.

nonessential amino acids

amino acids that the body can synthesize & normally do not need to be obtained in the diet.

protein synthesis

Process of joining amino acids with peptide bonds to form proteins.

dehydration synthesis

The joining of two large molecules by removing one hydrogen from one molecule and a hydroxyl group (OH) from another molecule and then binding the two larger molecules together on the newly freed bonds.

Peptide Bond

The bond between two amino acids, occurring between the carboxyl group of one and the amino group of the other.

Hydrolysis

Breakdown of one large molecule into two smaller molecules via the donation of one hydrogen and one hydroxyl group from water to the smaller molecules, respectively.

Dipeptide

Two amino acids bonded together

tripeptide

3 amino acids

oligopeptide

4-9 amino acids

Polypeptide

chain of 10 or more amino acids

Denaturation

changing the shape of a protein but not its primary structure.

Denaturation occurs in response to many factors such as temperature, pH, and enzymes, all of which are at work during protein digestion and absorption.

For most protein-dense foods, this process begins with cooking the food.

Gastrin

A hormone released when food is ingested to stimulate release of digestive fluids.

Pepsinogen

A proenzyme secreted by the stomach as a precursor to pepsin.

Pepsin

An enzyme in the stomach that begins breaking peptide bonds.

Duodenum

It is the first section of the small intestine where some digestion occurs, and it is located immediately after the stomach and leads into the jejunum.

Secretin

A hormone that stimulates the liver and pancreas to produce bile and bicarbonate; inhibits gastrin release.

Cholecystokinin

A hormone secreted by the duodenum that causes release of enzymes and bile.

protease enzymes

Enzymes in the small intestine that break long peptide chains into shorter peptide chains.

Peptidase

An enzyme that breaks down small peptides.

Aminopeptidases

Enzymes that cleave individual amino acids from a peptide chain so they may be absorbed.

Hepatic Portral Vein

The vein that transports blood from the spleen, stomach, pancreas, and the intestinal tract to the liver.

Collagen

A protein formed of a triple-helix structure with great tensile strength, found primarily in skin, muscles/connective tissue, and bones.

Tensile Strength

Ability of a material to resist breaking under tension.

Elastin

A protein with high elasticity, found mainly in the skin.

Keratin

A protein found in hair and nails.

sodium-potassium pump

A protein found on the cell membrane that transports sodium and potassium to create electrochemical gradients across the membrane.

Albumin

A protein found in the blood stream that helps draw water into the blood vessel from surrounding tissue.

Hemoglobin

An iron-containing protein found on red blood cells, binds oxygen and other molecules for transport in the blood.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

Amount of nutrient needed to meet the needs of almost all individuals in an age-sex group.

Protein Quality

The quantity of essential amino acids found in, and the digestibility of, a protein.

Complete Protein

A protein that contains sufficient quantities of all essential amino acids.

Complementary Protein

Two incomplete proteins that, when comsumed together, mimic a complete protein by providing all essential amino acids.

Starches

Grains, corn, rice barley, vegetables, beans, and wheat

Sugars

Sweets (candy), sugar (cane sugar), fruit, and milk

Monosaccharides

They define the single sugar units of glucose, fructose, and galactose and represent the absorbable forms of carbohydrates for the body.

Disaccharides

They define pairs of sugar units. The three nutritionally important ones to humans are sucrose, maltose, and lactose.

Polysaccharides

They define glucose chains longer than 10 units in length, but they can be as large as several thousand glucose units in length.

Oligosaccharides

They define sugar units ranging from 3 to 10 units in length and are largely indigestible to humans.

typically found in legumes

Sucrose

one glucose molecule joined with one fructose molecule. Examples include cane sugar, brown sugar, and date sugar. Sucrose contributes as a primary sugar in most fruits.

Lactose

comprised of one glucose molecule joined with one galactose molecule. It is only found in dairy products.

Maltose

comprised of two glucose molecules. Examples include corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and molasses.

Amylose

A straight-chain and digestible form of starch containing glucose molecules.

Amylopectin

A branched-chain and digestible form of starch containing glucose molecules.