NASM CSNC case studies

NASM CSNC · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) is one of the credentials NASM lists among its "Level Up Your Credentials" courses and describes as its "2ND MOST POPULAR COURSE." It is a nutrition-coaching credential rather than a dietetics license, so it is aimed at personal trainers, group instructors, wellness staff, and health-minded professionals who want to add structured nutrition coaching and habit-based behavior change to the services they already offer clients. It also suits candidates who hold a NASM-CPT and want to broaden client support: NASM publishes a testimonial from a professional who added the CNC on top of the CPT "in order to help my clients achieve their goals in a broader way." Expect the exam to test four areas in roughly equal measure: nutrition science foundations, behavior change and coaching psychology, client assessment and program design, and professional practice, scope of practice, and ethics. The NASM CSNC case studies are 5 cases and about 3,558 words.

Marathoner with Low Ferritin, Normal Hemoglobin, and a Blood-Donation Habit

Priya, 26, is training for her second marathon at 70–80 km/week, with two threshold sessions weekly. She is 58 kg, 168 cm, BMI 20.5.

771 words, about 4 min 2

Rotating-Shift Client Who Wants the Plan, Not the Conversation

Marcus, 38, is a warehouse shift supervisor who works rotating 12-hour shifts (two weeks days, two weeks nights). He wants to lose 8 kg before his brother's wedding in 14 weeks.

731 words, about 4 min 3

Type 2 Diabetes, a Steep Deficit, and an A1c That Will Not Move

Daniel, 44, is 180 cm, 96 kg (BMI 29.6), waist 104 cm. Diagnosed type 2 diabetes 3 years ago, A1c 7.8%, on metformin 1000 mg twice daily; also hypertension on lisinopril 20 mg.

704 words, about 4 min 4

A Week of Privacy, Consent, and Role-Boundary Failures in an Online Practice

You run a solo online coaching practice. Six months in, you discover the following in one week: (a) your client portal is a shared Google Drive folder where each client's intake form, food logs, and a recent lab PDF are visible to anyone with the link, which you have posted in a public Facebook group to attract clients; (b) you posted a before/after photo of a client with her face visible and her name in the caption - she signed a general services agreement but nothing about marketing; (c) a client's registered dietitian emails you asking to coordinate, and you are not sure whether to respond because you 'don't want to step on toes'; (d) a client asks you to write a letter supporting her insurance claim for medical nutrition therapy.

548 words, about 3 min 5

CKD, Warfarin, and a Request to Endorse a Plan You Cannot Own

A client, Rosa, 61, has stage 3b chronic kidney disease (eGFR 38 mL/min/1.73 m²), type 2 diabetes, and atrial fibrillation on warfarin. Her nephrologist told her to 'watch protein and potassium' but gave no numbers.

804 words, about 4 min