Those who passed the NASM FNS, do you feel like a specialist?

[Crsk]

I'm about 30% through and enjoying it but when it comes to metabolic pathways I'm completely confused i.e

"To extract energy from fat, first triglycerides are separated into glycerol and fatty acids. Next, beta-oxidation breaks down the fatty acids to yield acetyl CoA, NADH, and FADH2. The acetyl CoA enters the citric acid cycle, producing more NADH and FADH2. The NADH and FADH2 molecules deliver their high-energy electrons to the electron transport chain to make ATP."

This confuses me, no matter how much I read it. I love learning, I print stuff from the sticky threads, have numerous books on the body and nutrition but something like above just don't stick, then I get paranoid it'll pop up.

So, do you feel confident in answering clients questions should one ask something out of the blue like above?

Thanks

[Goose102]

To really understand metabolic pathways in depth, it's takes a bit more studying. To be well-rounded, you'll need to know the definitions of glycerol, acetyl CoA, etc... and what their functions are within the body, how they're formed, and knowledge of the other metabolic pathways.

But the best thing about the NASM exam (regarding these pathways) is that it will not require you to have an in-depth knowledge of them. Read the section multiple times and try to understand all of the pieces as a whole. The paragraph you typed out is basically stating how fat (existing and from a food source) produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the primary chemical found in the body that produces energy for muscular contractions, etc...

Literally make notecards of each paragraph. Leave key words as "blanks" on the front of the notecard and put the answers on the back. Read through the cards and try to remember each word correctly. Then make notecards of each of these words and their respective definitions. =Profit???

No client will ever ask you a question regarding any of this info.

Sources: my brain.

[Crsk]

To really understand metabolic pathways in depth, it's takes a bit more studying. To be well-rounded, you'll need to know the definitions of glycerol, acetyl CoA, etc... and what their functions are within the body, how they're formed, and knowledge of the other metabolic pathways.

But the best thing about the NASM exam (regarding these pathways) is that it will not require you to have an in-depth knowledge of them. Read the section multiple times and try to understand all of the pieces as a whole. The paragraph you typed out is basically stating how fat (existing and from a food source) produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the primary chemical found in the body that produces energy for muscular contractions, etc...

Literally make notecards of each paragraph. Leave key words as "blanks" on the front of the notecard and put the answers on the back. Read through the cards and try to remember each word correctly. Then make notecards of each of these words and their respective definitions. =Profit???

No client will ever ask you a question regarding any of this info.

Sources: my brain.

Thanks Goose, very helpful. I understood the Fat>ATP but it's everything in between and trying to remember each of the reactions/numbers. But there's only one way I'm going to learn it. I'm glad I'm not meant to know all of this right away, I'll get my head back in the book.

p.s thanks for the flash card tip.

[Goose102]

Thanks Goose, very helpful. I understood the Fat>ATP but it's everything in between and trying to remember each of the reactions/numbers. But there's only one way I'm going to learn it. I'm glad I'm not meant to know all of this right away, I'll get my head back in the book.

p.s thanks for the flash card tip.

No problem. At least with that flash card tip, you will be able to memorize the paragraphs from the book. That way you'll have enough knowledge to connect correct answers to test questions. Physiology is a deep dive and I've studied it for years. I understand how confusing it can be. But at the end of the day, just remember you're learning facts. NASM will not include any math/chem questions that you'll have to calculate (at least I don't think). Just memorize it. Good luck!

[Crsk]

No problem. At least with that flash card tip, you will be able to memorize the paragraphs from the book. That way you'll have enough knowledge to connect correct answers to test questions. Physiology is a deep dive and I've studied it for years. I understand how confusing it can be. But at the end of the day, just remember you're learning facts. NASM will not include any math/chem questions that you'll have to calculate (at least I don't think). Just memorize it. Good luck!

Awesome. I'll definitely try this. I've booked in for the NASM CES which is another this will be perfect for.

Thank you.