Nutrition and First Aid
What the domain covers
This domain combines sports nutrition and emergency first aid. The exam tests nutrient functions, energy values, deficiency diseases, pre-event nutrition and the correct immediate response to injury or illness.
Core content
- Macronutrients: carbohydrates 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g and fat 9 kcal/g. Water and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are also essential.
- A balanced diet supplies energy and nutrients in the right proportions.
- Deficiency diseases: vitamin A and night blindness; vitamin B1 and beriberi; vitamin C and scurvy; vitamin D and rickets; iron and anaemia; iodine and goitre.
- Pre-event meal: high carbohydrate, low fat and low fibre, about 2–3 hours before competition; hydrate before, during and after.
- First aid: DRABC (danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation). Adult CPR uses 30 compressions to 2 breaths. RICE for soft-tissue injury: rest, ice, compression, elevation.
Worked example
An athlete sprains an ankle. Apply RICE: stop activity, apply ice wrapped in cloth for about 15–20 minutes, compress with a bandage and elevate the limb. Do not apply ice directly to skin for long periods. The reasoning limits swelling and pain while avoiding tissue damage.
Traps that cost marks
Giving food or drink to an unconscious person; using the wrong CPR ratio; applying ice directly for long periods; and confusing RICE with heat treatment in the first 48 hours.