NESTA Sports Nutrition Specialist key terms

The relationship between total energy taken in from food and drink and total energy expended through resting metabolism, digestion, physical activity, and growth. A positive balance supports weight gain; a negative balance supports weight loss.

The energy a body uses at complete rest to maintain breathing, circulation, cell turnover, and organ function. It typically accounts for the largest share of daily energy expenditure and is influenced by body size, composition, age, and hormonal status.

The sum of all energy a person uses in a day, combining resting metabolism, the thermic effect of food, deliberate exercise, and incidental daily movement. Practitioners estimate it to set calorie targets for athletes.

The energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing nutrients, usually estimated at roughly ten percent of intake. Protein has the highest cost among macronutrients, followed by carbohydrate, then fat.

Energy burned through everyday movement that is not planned exercise, such as walking, fidgeting, standing, and household tasks. NEAT varies widely between individuals and can meaningfully shift daily energy expenditure.

The energy left for normal body functions after subtracting exercise energy expenditure from dietary intake, often expressed per kilogram of fat-free mass. Persistently low availability impairs hormones, bone, immunity, and performance.

A state in which remaining energy after training is insufficient to support optimal physiological function. It can occur even when intake looks adequate, and it underlies menstrual disturbance, bone loss, and impaired recovery.

A syndrome caused by prolonged low energy availability that affects metabolic rate, menstrual function, bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health. It can impair performance and occur in any sex or body type.

A nutrient needed in large amounts that supplies energy or building material: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Alcohol also provides energy but is not considered an essential macronutrient.

A macronutrient made of amino acids that builds and repairs muscle, connective tissue, enzymes, and hormones. Athletes generally need more than sedentary adults, spread across meals to support muscle protein synthesis.

One of nine amino acids the body cannot make in sufficient amounts and must obtain from food. Their presence, especially leucine, strongly triggers muscle protein synthesis after a meal or supplement.

A branched-chain amino acid that acts as a key signal for muscle protein synthesis. A meal or dose providing roughly two to three grams is often cited as a threshold for stimulating an anabolic response.

The process by which the body builds new muscle protein from amino acids. It rises after protein intake and resistance exercise, and net muscle gain requires synthesis to exceed muscle protein breakdown over time.

The practice of distributing protein intake across the day and around training to maximize muscle protein synthesis and recovery. Even spacing of roughly twenty to forty grams per meal is commonly recommended.

A macronutrient that serves as the primary fuel for high-intensity exercise and is stored as glycogen in muscle and liver. Adequate intake supports training quality, central nervous system function, and recovery.

The storage form of carbohydrate in muscle and liver. Muscle glycogen fuels contractions during intense work, while liver glycogen helps maintain blood glucose between meals and during exercise.

A ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose compared with a reference food. It helps practitioners choose foods for pre-exercise fuel, rapid post-exercise recovery, or steady glucose release.

A strategy of increasing carbohydrate intake and tapering training in the days before endurance competition to maximize muscle glycogen stores. It is most useful for events lasting longer than about ninety minutes.

A macronutrient that provides concentrated energy, supports absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and supplies essential fatty acids. It is the dominant fuel at low exercise intensities and during long events.

A fatty acid the body cannot synthesize and must obtain from food, namely linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. They support cell membranes, inflammation regulation, and cardiovascular health.

A vitamin or mineral required in small amounts for energy metabolism, oxygen transport, bone health, immune function, and tissue repair. Athletes with high needs or restricted diets may be at risk of shortfalls.

A mineral central to hemoglobin and myoglobin, which carry and store oxygen. Endurance athletes and menstruating individuals face elevated risk of deficiency, which impairs aerobic performance and recovery.

A fat-soluble vitamin and hormone precursor involved in calcium absorption, bone health, immunity, and muscle function. Status depends largely on sun exposure and dietary intake, and deficiency is common in indoor athletes.

Maintaining adequate body water to support blood volume, temperature regulation, joint lubrication, and nutrient transport. Needs vary with sweat rate, climate, clothing, and exercise duration and intensity.

The volume of fluid lost through sweating per hour of activity, often estimated by weighing before and after exercise. Knowing it helps practitioners design individualized fluid replacement plans.

A mineral salt such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, or chloride that conducts electrical signals and maintains fluid balance. Sodium is the electrolyte lost in largest quantity through sweat.

A dangerously low blood sodium concentration that can occur when fluids are overconsumed relative to sodium losses during prolonged exercise. Symptoms include nausea, confusion, headache, and in severe cases collapse.

A substance, food, or technique used to enhance performance, recovery, or training adaptation. Claims should be evaluated against research evidence, legality, safety, and anti-doping rules before recommendation.

A compound stored in muscle as phosphocreatine that helps regenerate energy for brief, intense efforts. Supplementation can increase strength and lean mass and is among the most studied ergogenic aids.

A stimulant that reduces perceived exertion and improves alertness and endurance performance at moderate doses. Timing and individual tolerance matter, and high doses can cause jitters, sleep disruption, and gastrointestinal upset.

Independent laboratory certification of a supplement for banned substances and label accuracy. Recommending certified products reduces, though does not eliminate, the risk of an inadvertent anti-doping violation.

The first structured step of client assessment, gathering health history, goals, training load, dietary patterns, and readiness to change. It identifies red flags and determines whether referral to another professional is needed.

A sign or symptom suggesting a condition beyond the practitioner's scope, such as disordered eating, unexplained weight loss, chest pain, or amenorrhea. It requires prompt referral rather than nutrition coaching.

The legally defined boundaries of what a certified professional may assess, advise, or treat. Sports nutrition specialists educate and coach within limits and refer medical nutrition therapy to licensed clinicians.

The process of explaining assessment procedures, confidentiality, fees, and limits of service so a client can voluntarily agree to work together. It should be documented before data collection begins.

The measurement of body dimensions such as height, weight, circumferences, and skinfolds. Standardized technique and consistent conditions improve reliability when tracking change over time.

The proportion of fat mass to fat-free mass in the body. It is assessed with methods such as skinfolds, bioelectrical impedance, or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, each with distinct assumptions and error.

A retrospective interview method in which a client reports everything eaten over a recent period, often twenty-four hours. It is quick but depends on memory and may not represent usual intake.

A prospective record in which a client logs foods, amounts, and timing as they are consumed, often over several days. It reduces recall error but may be altered by the act of recording.

A structured survey asking how often and in what amounts a client consumes listed foods over weeks or months. It captures habitual patterns well but is less precise for quantifying single-day intake.

A goal written to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This format turns broad intentions into concrete targets a client can track and a coach can review.

The deliberate planning of nutrient intake across training phases to match fuel and recovery demands. Intake may shift between higher-carbohydrate training days and lower-carbohydrate rest days.

Scheduling food and fluid intake around training, competition, and recovery windows to support performance and adaptation. It includes pre-event meals, intra-event fueling, and post-exercise recovery nutrition.

The period after exercise during which muscle is especially responsive to protein and carbohydrate intake. Current evidence suggests a wider window than once thought, with total daily intake mattering most.

The cumulative physical stress of training, combining intensity, duration, and frequency. Nutrition plans should scale energy and carbohydrate intake to match changes in load.

The process by which a person adopts and sustains new habits, influenced by motivation, confidence, environment, and social support. Coaching strategies are selected to match a client's stage of readiness.

A framework describing readiness to change across stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Interventions are matched to the client's current stage rather than assumed readiness.

A collaborative conversation style that uses open questions, reflective listening, and affirmation to strengthen a client's own reasons for change. It avoids confrontation and respects client autonomy.

A person's belief in their capacity to carry out a specific behavior successfully. Higher self-efficacy predicts better adherence, and it can be built through mastery experiences, modeling, and encouragement.

Systematically tracking one's own behavior, such as food intake, hydration, or training, to raise awareness and measure progress. It is one of the most consistently effective behavior change techniques.

A range of irregular eating behaviors and distorted thoughts about food, body, or weight that fall short of a clinical diagnosis but still harm health. Practitioners screen for it and refer when present.

Individualized nutrition treatment for a diagnosed medical condition, delivered by a licensed clinician such as a registered dietitian. Sports nutrition specialists refer rather than provide this level of care.