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Learning Activity 1 Instructions

Title: Carbohydrate and Endurance Sports

Objective: To apply knowledge of carbohydrate metabolism to endurance sports

As Confucius once said: “I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.”

Gaining knowledge is the first step of learning, but it is taking this information and applying it that shows mastery. This Learning Activity will help you make the bridge of knowledge to application.

We read and hear so much about carbohydrates. For example, in the last month or so, how many times have you heard: carbs are bad, there are good carbs and bad carbs, or don’t eat potatoes because they are loaded with carbohydrates. This class, however, will prove these statements wrong. After all, the majority of the foods created by God were laden with carbohydrates. For avid endurance athletes, carbohydrates are the main energy source. Your goal, based upon the given scenario below, is to create appropriate dietary guidelines that will increase available energy for this athlete. Responses are to be scientifically sound, based upon current literature, and cited when appropriate. Based on the current literature, provide well-thought-out explanations to the following 4-5 talking points. Use the following bolded talking points as headings to your responses.

1. The physiological response of carbohydrate loading in sports.

2. The process of carbohydrate loading.

3. The advantages and disadvantages of various carbohydrate loading techniques.

4. The timing, amount, and listing of appropriate food sources for carbohydrate loading.

5. Any additional information needed to explain the why, how, when, and what of carbohydrate loading.

In your submission be sure to include/provide the above corresponding numbered talking points prior to each of your answers/responses. Do not count the words in the questions in your total word count; count only your responses in the word count.

Scenario: The athlete is a 28-year old male wanting to run marathons. He is in good health. He has been running 5K and 10K races for the past two years but is afraid of “hitting the wall” or experiencing some other exhaustive phenomenon.

The required length of this Learning Activity is 500–600 words, and should include a minimum of 2 current peer-reviewed sources. If appropriate, information may be bulleted. Formatting should be consistent with the AMA style guide. This Learning Activity is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 3.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2 INSTRUCTIONS

Title: What to drink?

Objective: Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of hydration.

Instructions: What happens when you forget to water a house plant? If you have ever seen a Peace Lily after a dry spell, you know. A lack of water causes a plant loses its rigidity. This creates a visual of what happens to cells without proper hydration. Even though a living creature will not droop like a plant, it will “wilt” when it comes to exercise output. Even a small decrease in bodily fluid can have an impact on physical performance.

Various aspects of hydration have been studied through the years, and as a result guidelines on this topic have been developed. For this Learning Activity, describe, from current literature, strategies supporting adequate fluid intake during sports activities. Then, use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of various beverages for hydration purposes.

In this Learning Activity, your goal is to determine which popular sports drinks meet hydration guidelines. Responses are to be scientifically sound, based upon current peer – reviewed literature, and cited when appropriate. To demonstrate your comprehensive understanding, based on the current literature, provide well-thought-out explanations to the following 6 talking points. Use the following bolded talking points as headings to your responses.

1. Discussion of effect of dehydration on performance and health

2. Hyponatremia

3. Strategies and guidelines for hydration

4. Optimal composition of beverages, especially during exercise

5. Optimal composition of sports drinks on the market including a comparison of these for hydration

6. Comparison of common beverages on hydration such as water, fruit juices, soda, sports drinks and energy drinks

The required length of this Learning Activity is 500–600 words, and should include a minimum of 2 current peer-reviewed sources. Formatting should be consistent with the AMA style guide. This Learning Activity is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 5.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 3 INSTRUCTIONS

Title: Lose weight, lose weight, lose weight, lose weight…

Objective: To understand weight issues among female athletes.

Many sports, such as running, gymnastics, and figure skating require a lean body for better performance. Excess weight requires more energy for overall movement, and it can detract from turns, aerials, or other directional changes. Therefore, within the population of athletes participating in these types of sports, weight loss can be a constant struggle, and the methods used for weight loss can be detrimental to health and performance.

For this Learning Activity, read the scenario below and write a paper that addresses issues with female athletes and weight loss. Based on the current literature, provide well-thought-out explanations to the following 4 topics. Use the following 4 headings to help guide your responses.

1. The health risks of very low calorie diets for athletes.

2. The health risks specific to eating disorders.

3. The female triad.

4. Weight loss recommendations and rationale.

Scenario: The athlete is a 17-year old female gymnast. She is constantly told by her coach to lose weight and sees how fellow athletes skip meals or even purge to accomplish this. She has begun to do the same, but has noticed a decrease in physical stamina. So, she doesn’t feel this is the best method of dropping a few pounds and would like help with this problem.