“Outline the post-performance dietary considerations of an endurance athlete” is question 25 from the 2014 HSC PDHPE exam. “Outline the post-performance dietary considerations of an endurance athlete” is worth 3 marks.
The definition for “outline” is provided in the marking criteria for this question. For 3 marks you need to sketch in general terms the post-performance dietary considerations of an endurance athlete in your answer.
Below is a sample answer for “Outline the post-performance dietary considerations of an endurance athlete” that does just that. It sketches the post-performance dietary considerations for an endurance athlete in general terms.
Endurance athletes, such as a marathon runner or a tri-athlete need to ensure that their post-performance consumption promotes recovery and adaptation, while at the same time promotes their safety.
Endurance athletes specifically need to ensure that they replace any fluid lost during performance. This can be achieved by the athlete weighing themselves before and after performance and then consuming the weight in Kg as litres of water over the next 12 hours to restore hydration.
Endurance athletes also need to replace glycogen stores. This is done by consuming simple sugars soon after the event and a complex carbohydrate meal (such as brown rice) around 1 hour after performance. This will help to replace the glycogen stores quickly.
Protein can also help recovery, to repair any minor muscle tears that may have developed throughout the event. An egg could provide such protein and should be eaten with the complex carbohydrate meal.
The sample answer above is much longer than is needed for a 3 mark question and would possibly better fit a describe rather than outline for 4-5 marks. It could be shortened to something like the below sample answer:
An endurance athlete, such as a marathon runner has the following post performance dietary requirements. They should replace the fluid lost by drinking the amount of weight they lost in Kgs in water as Litres. They should also consume some simple carbohydrates such as white bread straight after the event, followed by a meal with complex carbohydrates and protein (such as tuna and brown rice) around an hour after performance. This will help them to recover and adapt after the marathon.
You should note that both sample answers for “Outline the post-performance dietary considerations of an endurance athlete” have explicit examples and gives the post-performance dietary requirements for endurance athletes. The answers also directly relate the dietary requirements to faster recovery for the athlete.
