In this interactive online course you will answer questions and solve problems designed to help you understand and apply the basic principles of supplementation. The course is supplemented with readings that are provided online.

Throughout the five-day training session, you will assume the role of a newly hired fitness trainer at Fitness, Inc. As part of your professional responsibilities, you'll be working with Jennifer Maxwell, the company's registered dietitian, to learn about supplementation for training and performance so that you might responsibly answer members' questions.

The online study guide is not just printed material transferred into digital form. It is designed to present a meaningful opportunity to interact with the course subject matter in a way that facilitates learning.

Day 1: Evaluating Dietary Supplements - You will learn how to identify the steps to evaluate dietary supplements and to apply the steps to the examples provided. The day will conclude with a brief quiz over key concepts.

Day 2: Creatine Monohydrate - You will be able to describe creatine monohydrate, summarize the scientific research, judge the safety and effectiveness of creatine monohydrate, and determine the type of athlete who may benefit from this supplement. Jennifer will give you a quiz over the day's material.

Day 3: Supplements and the Strength Athlete - You will be able to describe, summarize the scientific research for, and judge the safety and effectiveness of protein, androstenedione, chromium picolinate, and ephedra supplements. A brief quiz is included to help you assess your progress.

Day 4: Supplements and the Endurance Athlete - You will be able to describe, summarize the scientific research for, and judge the safety and effectiveness of iron, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Before moving on to Day 5, you'll need to complete a short quiz.

Day 5: Supplements and the Recreational Athlete - You will be able to describe, summarize the scientific research for, and judge the safety and effectiveness of calcium, pyruvate, ginseng, and St. John's wort. The day concludes with a quiz to help you prepare for the final course test.

Finally, you will take the online course test, which covers material from the interactive course and from the reading assignments.

System Requirements

This course is designed to work best when your computer and Internet browser are configured to the following technical requirements and setup specifications:

• Internet Explorer 5.5+ (Windows), Netscape Navigator 7.1+, Mozilla 1.7+, or Firefox 1.0+.
• Computer monitor preferences set for 640 X 480 resolution or larger.
• Adobe Flash Player version 5+. To download the free Flash Player, click on the button below.
• Adobe Reader version 7+. To download Acrobat Reader, click on the button below.
• Browser pop-up blockers disabled.

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