Mighty Meathead Quiz: Test Your Muscle Building Knowledge

[01dragonslayer]

Test your knowledge of training, nutrition and supplementation with this true/false quiz from Elliot Reimers. Do you have a degree in Swole-ology, or failing Gains 101?
Being a recent graduate, I find myself still stuck in “school mode”. I know, most people yearn for the last day of school like they’re disciples of Alice Cooper, but I’d surmise a part of many graduates still burns with desire to return to the academic setting at one point or another.
I mean come on, who didn’t enjoy those all-night study sessions that sucked your eyeballs right out of their sockets? Alright, maybe those weren’t the fondest of memories, but you get the point.
Given this, I have taken the feedback from a previous bodybuilding/fitness quiz and composed this new and improved “Brains vs. Brawn” exam to assess your knowledge on all things training, nutrition and supplementation. This time around, the questions will be exclusively true/false-based so as to keep the reader engaged and the scoring simple.
Don’t get too cocky though; this mental workout will challenge even the mightiest of meatheads. So grab your shaker cup, take a swig of your pre-workout supplement and prepare to train…your brain that is.

Questions: (each worth one point)​

1. True or False? The largest muscle in the human body is the latissimus dorsi (mid/lower back).
2. True or False? Glutamine is one of the three (3) branched-chain amino acids found in nature.
3. True or False? Both casein and whey proteins are found in animal-derived milk.
4. True or False? Atrophy refers to the growth of tissue.
5. 
   True or False? The breakdown of carbohydrates to generate cellular energy (ATP) is known as glycolysis.
6. True or False? Traditional cardiovascular training, such as jogging, is a form of aerobic exercise.
7. True or False? Fats are a nonessential nutrient for humans (i.e. we can survive without eating them).
8. True or False? The type of joint that allows for the greatest range of motion is known as a ball-and-socket joint, like that of the shoulder region.
9. True or False? Insulin is a highly anabolic hormone.
10. True or False? Mixing protein, fats and/or carbohydrates will alter the overall glycemic load of a meal.
11. True or False? Sucrose (table sugar) is an example of a monosaccharide.
12. True or False? Anti-catabolic and anabolic processes are essentially the same thing.
13. True or False? A kilocalorie (dietary calorie) is the amount of energy it takes to raise 1kg of water by 1 degree Celsius.
14. True or False? Many “pre-workout” supplements contain the stimulant drug caffeine.
15. True or False? A pull-up is differentiated from a chin-up by having a pronated grip orientation.
16. True or False? An “empty calorie” does not contain energy.
17. True or False? Lipolysis is the process of liberating lipids and breaking them down into free fatty acids.
18. True or False? A common phenomena experienced in the days following intense resistance training is delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
19. True or False? The deltoids are comprised of two distinct regions: the anterior and posterior heads.
20. True or False? The by-product of creatine is nitrocreatine.
21. True or False? Since D-aspartic acid has been shown to increase testosterone levels it is classified as a steroid.
22. True or False? There are nine essential amino acids for humans.
23. True or False? There is no such thing as “toning” a muscle.
24. True or False? The eccentric portion of the bench press involves lowering the bar to the chest.
25. True or False? Omega-3 fatty acids are monounsaturated fats (they contain one double bond at the omega carbon position).
26. True or False? All amino acids contain nitrogen.
27. True or False? Dumbbell curls are an example of a multi-joint exercise.
28. True or False? Arnold Schwarzenegger holds the IFBB record for most Mr. Olympia wins.
29. True or False? Powerlifting and Strongman events are actually the same thing.
30. True or False? Your body can only digest up to 50g of protein in one feeding.
31. True or False? High-intensity interval training is a form of anaerobic exercise.
32. True or False? You can’t overdose on a water-soluble vitamin (like vitamin C) because you simply excrete out any excessive amounts.
33. True or False? Technically speaking, dietary carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient.
34. True or False? Gynecomastia (more eloquently known as “bitch tits”) occurs when there is an excessive amount of androgens relative to estrogens in males.
35. True or False? Chronically elevated cortisol levels are indicative of adrenal fatigue.
36. True or False? The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of an individual’s body-fat percentage relative to their height.
37. True or False? Fat cells are inert and serve simply to insulate/protect underlying tissues.
38. True or False? The bench press is an example of a multi-joint exercise.
39. True or False? Beta-alanine and alpha-alanine are both nonessential amino acids.
40. True or False? Nootropics are supplements/ingredients that serve to enhance neurological/brain processes.
41. True or False? Gluconeogenesis refers to the generation of energy from glucose molecules.
42. True or False? The base molecule in ATP is adenine.
43. True or False? The triceps brachii muscle is an antagonist of the biceps brachii.
44. True or False? The resiliency of many connective tissues (like skin) is due to the protein elastin.
45. True or False? Soy protein contains a higher leucine proportion than whey protein.
46. True or False? Cholesterol is a modified steroid.
47. True or False? Proteases are enzymes that serve to synthesize proteins from amino acids.
48. True or False? Tendons are connective tissues that serve to conjoin muscles to bones.
49. True or False? Casein protein is rapidly digested, almost as quickly as whey protein.
50. True or False? Creatine must be supplemented with since it is not found in foods.

What's Your Meathead IQ?​

After you’ve completed the quiz, use the answer key below to assess your level of aptitude:
0-10 pts: The fact that you were able to successfully navigate to this webpage yet still achieve a score this terrible is disconcerting.
11-20 pts: Consider some remedial courses, bro.
21-30 pts: Justification of the term “meathead”.
31-35 pts: If it’s any consolation, at least you didn’t fail.
36-40 pts: Ahh, there is a brain in that noggin’ of yours.
41-45 pts: You’re either A) A Google-searching cheat or B) A four-eyed nerd with really-ripped abs.
46-50 pts: Congratulations, Dr. Brawn.

Answers:​

1. False: The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the human body.
2. False: The three BCAAs are leucine, isoleucine and valine.
3. True
4. False: Hypertrophy refers to growth; atrophy refers to decrease in size.
5. True
6. True
7. False: Fat is an essential nutrient; we must obtain it through diet.
8. True
9. True
10. True
11. False: Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of fructose and glucose
12. False: Anti-catabolic refers to something that protects against breakdown which is not the same as an anabolic process.
13. True
14. True
15. True
16. False: An empty calorie still contains energy; it just lacks the micronutrient content like vitamins/minerals/antioxidants/etc.
17. True
18. True
19. False: There are actually three regions: anterior, posterior and medial heads.
20. 
    False: The by-product is actually creatinine.
21. False: DAA is an amino acid, not a steroid.
22. True
23. True
24. True
25. False: They are actually polyunsaturated fatty acids.
26. True
27. False: DB Curls are an isolation/single-joint exercise (assuming proper form).
28. False: Arnold won 7 Mr. Olympia titles, the record is 8 held by Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney.
29. False: Powerlifting is a measure of your strength in the bench press, deadlift and/or squat. Strongman involves more hybrid power events like atlas stone lifts, keg throws, etc.
30. False: Your body does not arbitrarily stop digesting protein at the 50g mark.
31. True
32. False: Technically, water-soluble vitamins do still contain a level of toxicity, but it is extremely high.
33. True
34. False: Gyno is actually caused by the inverse situation (i.e. excess estrogens relative to androgens).
35. False: If your cortisol is elevated, this would actually be a state of hyper-adrenal activity.
36. False: The BMI is actually a measure of bodyweight (not body-fat) to height.
37. False: Fat cells are living cells like any other cell and even secrete certain hormones, called adipokines.
38. True
39. True
40. True
41. False: Gluconeogenesis is the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate moieties, such as amino acids.
42. False: It’s actually the nucleoside Adenosine, not the nucleotide Adenine.
43. True
44. True
45. False: Whey protein actually contains much more leucine (proportionally) than soy protein.
46. True
47. False: Proteases actually serve to breakdown/hydrolyze peptides/proteins.
48. True
49. False: Casein protein is digested much slower than whey proteins.
50. False: Creatine is actually found in moderate amounts in certain foods like beef, tuna and salmon.