GLOSSARY

Food Checklist A list used to identify whether selected foods were consumed or are usually eaten; coverage depends on the list's design.

A food frequency questionnaire asks how often specified foods were consumed over a defined period. Quantitative and semi-quantitative versions add different forms of portion information. A questionnaire must suit the foods, language and population being studied; a list missing local staples or sports products can create systematic error. These tools can rank patterns or habitual exposure but are less suited to precise timing or single-day intake. A short screener answers a narrower question and should not be treated as a complete dietary assessment.

Usual intake describes a longer-term average rather than the intake of one isolated day. Day-to-day variation includes real differences between training, rest and competition days as well as measurement noise. Repeated observations should cover relevant conditions and be collected with a suitable method. Averaging a few unusual days can still give a misleading estimate. For the athlete, preserve useful information about distribution and timing: an acceptable weekly energy average can coexist with repeated underfueling around demanding sessions.

Choose a dietary assessment method according to the question, population and resources. A recent intake record can explore meal timing around training; a frequency questionnaire can describe longer-term patterns. Neither automatically establishes exact habitual intake. Combine food details with training, access, symptoms, medication and relevant measurements. Explain uncertainties and what the method cannot answer. Good assessment produces a decision that can be reviewed, rather than an impressive nutrient report whose apparent precision exceeds the quality of the information collected.