NASM FNS flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Scope of practice

The legally and ethically defined boundary of what a nutrition coach may do: educate, coach behavior, and refer. Diagnosing disease and prescribing therapeutic diets require licensed clinicians.

Continuing education units

Credits required to renew a fitness or nutrition credential within a defined cycle; failing to earn them means the certification lapses and cannot be represented as current.

Evidence hierarchy

Ranking of research by strength: systematic reviews and meta-analyses at the top, then randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case reports, and expert opinion at the bottom.

Informed consent

A client's voluntary agreement after being told the purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives, confidentiality limits, and the right to stop at any time.

Transtheoretical model

Behavior-change model describing stages from precontemplation through contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance; coaching strategy is matched to the client's current stage rather than assumed.

Self-determination theory

Motivation framework stating that satisfying autonomy, competence, and relatedness increases intrinsic motivation, while controlling language and pressure reduce it.

SMART goals

Goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Behavior goals describe actions the client controls, while outcome goals describe results such as weight.

Motivational interviewing

A client-centered counseling style using open questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summaries to evoke the client's own reasons for change rather than arguing for them.

Change talk

Client statements expressing desire, ability, reasons, or need to change. It predicts behavior change, so the coach evokes and reinforces it instead of arguing against sustain talk.

Self-efficacy

A person's belief in their capability to execute a behavior. It is built through mastery experiences, modeling, verbal persuasion, and interpretation of physiological states.

Relapse framing

Treating a lapse as normal learning data rather than failure, and helping the client re-enter the action stage with adjusted strategies and restored confidence.

Energy per macronutrient

Carbohydrate and protein supply about 4 kcal per gram, fat about 9 kcal per gram, and alcohol about 7 kcal per gram. These values drive energy-density calculations.

Essential amino acids

Nine amino acids the body cannot synthesize in adequate amounts: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Leucine triggers muscle protein synthesis.

Glycemic load

A measure of a food's blood glucose impact that accounts for portion: glycemic index multiplied by grams of available carbohydrate, divided by 100.

Dietary fiber

Indigestible carbohydrate. Adults generally need about 25-38 g per day with adequate fluid; soluble fiber affects cholesterol and glycemic response more than insoluble fiber.

Fatty acid saturation

Classification by double bonds: saturated has none, monounsaturated has one, and polyunsaturated has two or more. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential.

Energy balance

The relationship between energy intake and expenditure. Sustained weight change requires a deficit or surplus, though rate and body composition are modified by adherence and training.

Body mass index

Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. It screens populations for weight status but misclassifies muscular clients because it does not measure body fat.

Waist circumference risk

A central-adiposity screen: readings above 102 cm (40 in) in men and above 88 cm (35 in) in women are commonly used thresholds for elevated cardiometabolic risk.

Skinfold measurement

A body-composition method using calipers at defined sites with a specific equation. Consistency of technician, caliper, and protocol matters more than any single reading.

24-hour dietary recall

A quick interview-based intake assessment covering the previous day. It depends on memory and may not represent usual intake, so multiple recalls improve accuracy.

Food record reactivity

The tendency of clients to change what or how much they eat because they are recording it, which can bias multi-day food records used for intake assessment.

Readiness-to-change assessment

A questionnaire or interview that identifies the client's stage of change and confidence before a nutrition plan is written, so the plan matches behavioral readiness.

Kinetic chain checkpoints

Five observation points during exercise: feet and ankles, knees, lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, shoulders, and head. Deviations indicate mobility or stability limitations.

Knee valgus

Inward collapse of the knees during a squat or landing. Cue knees over the second and third toes and strengthen gluteus medius and hip adductors.

Excessive forward lean

A squat compensation often caused by limited ankle dorsiflexion or hip flexion, or overactive hip flexors and gastrocnemius. Address mobility before adding load.

Arms fall forward

An overhead squat compensation suggesting tight latissimus dorsi and teres major or weak scapular stabilizers. Cue thoracic extension and scapular retraction.

Tempo notation

Numbers giving seconds per movement phase, such as 4/2/1 for eccentric, isometric hold, and concentric. Slower eccentrics are used in stabilization phases.

OPT model phases

Five phases: stabilization endurance, strength endurance, muscular development, maximal strength, and power. Phases two through five repeat at higher intensity in later cycles.

Phase 1 acute variables

Stabilization endurance training uses 12-20 repetitions, 1-3 sets, a 4/2/1 tempo, 0-90 seconds rest, and low-to-moderate loads around 50-70 percent of one-repetition maximum.

Strength endurance pairing

Phase 2 supersets a moderate-load strength exercise with a stabilization exercise for the same muscle group, such as a bench press followed by a stability ball push-up.

Power phase training

Phase 5 uses 1-10 repetitions at 30-45 percent of one-repetition maximum or body weight, explosive tempo, and 3-5 minutes rest, after a strength base is built.