Athletic and physical performance depends heavily on nutrition and hydration. Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source during exercise, particularly for higher-intensity activity, while protein supports muscle repair and recovery afterward. Hydration affects nearly every bodily function during exercise — even mild dehydration (as little as 2% of body weight lost through fluid) can measurably reduce physical and cognitive performance, making consistent fluid intake before, during and after exercise important.
Example
An athlete preparing for a long training session might eat a carbohydrate-rich meal a few hours beforehand for sustained energy, sip water regularly throughout, and consume a protein-containing snack afterward to support muscle recovery — timing nutrition around the demands of the activity.
Key terms
Carbohydrates:
The body's primary fuel source, especially during higher-intensity exercise.
Hydration:
Maintaining adequate fluid levels in the body.
Recovery:
The body's process of repairing and adapting after exercise.
Questions
1. Carbohydrates are the body's:
Primary fuel source, especially during exercise
Least important nutrient for exercise
Only source of hydration
Never used for energy at all
2. Protein primarily supports:
Muscle repair and recovery
Hydration only
Nothing related to physical performance
Only bone colour
3. Hydration affects:
Nearly every bodily function during exercise
Only how thirsty a person feels, with no other effect
Nothing related to physical performance
Only body temperature, with no other effect
4. Even mild dehydration can:
Measurably reduce physical and cognitive performance
Always improve athletic performance
Have no effect on performance whatsoever
Only affect performance in extremely hot climates
5. Recovery refers to:
The body's process of repairing and adapting after exercise
A type of pre-exercise warm-up only
Something that only applies to professional athletes
A term unrelated to exercise
6. A carbohydrate-rich meal before exercise is intended to provide:
Sustained energy
Immediate dehydration
No benefit at all
Only muscle repair, with no energy benefit
7. Consistent fluid intake is recommended:
Before, during and after exercise
Only after exercise has fully finished
Never during any type of exercise
Only once per week regardless of activity
8. Why might carbohydrates be prioritised as fuel specifically during higher-intensity exercise?
The body can access energy from carbohydrates more quickly than from other fuel sources during intense effort
Carbohydrates are never used as fuel during any type of exercise
Protein is always the fastest energy source during high-intensity activity
Fuel source has no connection to exercise intensity at all
9. Why is protein particularly emphasised after exercise, rather than only before?
It supports the repair and rebuilding of muscle tissue that occurs during recovery
Protein has no role in muscle repair or recovery at all
Protein should only ever be consumed before exercise, never afterward
Recovery does not involve any repair of muscle tissue
10. Why might losing as little as 2% of body weight through fluid loss noticeably affect performance?
Even mild dehydration can impair processes like temperature regulation, concentration and physical output
A 2% fluid loss has no measurable effect on any bodily function
The body is completely unaffected by fluid loss until reaching extreme dehydration
Fluid loss only ever affects thirst, with no other physiological impact
11. Why might an athlete plan their nutrition timing around a training session, rather than eating at random times?
Timing nutrition can help ensure adequate energy availability during exercise and support recovery afterward
Timing of nutrition has no effect on athletic performance or recovery
Meal timing is only ever relevant to professional, elite athletes
Random eating always produces identical results to planned nutrition timing
12. Why might cognitive performance (like concentration and decision-making) be affected by dehydration, not just physical performance?
The brain, like muscles, relies on adequate hydration to function optimally
Dehydration only ever affects muscles, never the brain
Cognitive performance has no connection to hydration levels at all
Only physical, never mental, performance is affected by fluid intake
13. Why might athletes in endurance sports (like long-distance running) need a different nutrition approach than athletes in short, high-intensity sports?
Different exercise durations and intensities place different demands on the body's energy and hydration needs
All types of exercise require an identical nutrition and hydration approach
Exercise duration has no connection to nutritional or hydration needs
Endurance sports never require any consideration of nutrition or hydration
14. Why might overhydrating (drinking excessive water without adequate electrolytes) during prolonged exercise also pose a health risk?
It can dilute the body's sodium levels, potentially leading to a dangerous condition called hyponatraemia
Drinking more water than necessary always has zero negative health effects
Overhydration is impossible for the human body to experience
Electrolyte balance has no connection to fluid intake during exercise
15. Why might individual nutrition and hydration needs vary between different athletes, even doing the same sport?
Factors like body size, sweat rate, exercise intensity and environmental conditions all influence individual requirements
Every athlete has exactly identical nutrition and hydration needs regardless of any factor
Individual variation has no real bearing on sports nutrition planning
Nutrition needs are determined solely by the sport, with no individual variation at all
16. Why might poor nutrition and hydration habits during adolescence have effects beyond immediate athletic performance?
Habits formed during this period can influence long-term health, energy levels and relationship with food into adulthood
Nutrition and hydration habits during adolescence have no connection to future health
Only immediate, short-term effects are ever relevant to nutrition choices
Adolescent nutrition habits are always completely reset once adulthood begins
17. A sports drink containing electrolytes is generally most useful during:
Prolonged or intense exercise involving significant sweat loss
Complete rest with no physical activity at all
Sleep only, with no relevance to exercise
Situations with no fluid loss occurring at all
18. Why might skipping meals before a training session negatively affect performance, even if an athlete is not yet feeling hungry?
Without adequate fuel already in the system, energy availability during exercise can be compromised
Meal timing before exercise has no measurable effect on performance
Skipping meals always improves performance regardless of hunger levels
The body always has unlimited stored energy regardless of recent meals
19. Why might a coach encourage athletes to practise their competition-day nutrition plan during training, rather than trying something new on the day itself?
Testing nutrition strategies beforehand helps identify what works well for that individual's body without risking issues on an important day
Nutrition strategy has no connection to how an athlete performs on competition day
It is always best to try a completely new nutrition approach for the first time during competition
Training and competition always require an identical, one-size-fits-all nutrition plan
20. Why might endurance athletes sometimes use a strategy called "carb-loading" in the days before a major event?
Increasing carbohydrate intake beforehand can help maximise the body's stored energy reserves for a long event
Carb-loading has no effect on stored energy or endurance performance
This strategy is used specifically to reduce an athlete's available energy
Carb-loading is only ever relevant immediately after exercise, never before
21. Why might relying on thirst alone to guide fluid intake during intense exercise be an unreliable strategy for some athletes?
Thirst can lag behind the body's actual hydration needs, meaning a person may already be somewhat dehydrated before feeling thirsty
Thirst is always a perfectly precise, immediate indicator of hydration status
The body never experiences any delay between fluid loss and the sensation of thirst
Hydration needs have no connection to how thirsty a person feels
Answer key (parent copy)
1. Primary fuel source, especially during exercise
2. Muscle repair and recovery
3. Nearly every bodily function during exercise
4. Measurably reduce physical and cognitive performance
5. The body's process of repairing and adapting after exercise
6. Sustained energy
7. Before, during and after exercise
8. The body can access energy from carbohydrates more quickly than from other fuel sources during intense effort
9. It supports the repair and rebuilding of muscle tissue that occurs during recovery
10. Even mild dehydration can impair processes like temperature regulation, concentration and physical output
11. Timing nutrition can help ensure adequate energy availability during exercise and support recovery afterward
12. The brain, like muscles, relies on adequate hydration to function optimally
13. Different exercise durations and intensities place different demands on the body's energy and hydration needs
14. It can dilute the body's sodium levels, potentially leading to a dangerous condition called hyponatraemia
15. Factors like body size, sweat rate, exercise intensity and environmental conditions all influence individual requirements
16. Habits formed during this period can influence long-term health, energy levels and relationship with food into adulthood
17. Prolonged or intense exercise involving significant sweat loss
18. Without adequate fuel already in the system, energy availability during exercise can be compromised
19. Testing nutrition strategies beforehand helps identify what works well for that individual's body without risking issues on an important day
20. Increasing carbohydrate intake beforehand can help maximise the body's stored energy reserves for a long event
21. Thirst can lag behind the body's actual hydration needs, meaning a person may already be somewhat dehydrated before feeling thirsty