How much an athlete weighs can aff ect their speed, endurance, and power, while the amounts of muscle and fat a person has will infl uence strength, agility, and appearance. Athletes oft en try to lose or gain weight to optimize performance.
Those involved in activities in which small, lean bodies off er an advantage—such as gymnastics and certain running events—may restrict food intake to maintain a low body weight. Athletes involved in sports such as football or rugby may try to gain weight and strength to give them a competitive advantage. Those involved in sports with weight classes may aim for a specific weight to be at the high end of a lower weight class.
Athletes’ concerns about body weight and their proportions of muscle and body fat may lead to unhealthy weight-loss practices or eating disorders. Regardless of their sport, athletes should aim for a healthy weight.
This is a weight that can realistically be maintained, allows for improvement in exercise performance, minimizes the chance of injury or illness, and reduces the risk of chronic disease. Weight changes, whether to increase or decrease body weight, should be accomplished slowly in the off-season or at the beginning of the season, before competition begins.
To gain weight, a person must increase energy intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day. This can be accomplished by snacking on high-calorie foods and beverages, such as cheese, peanut butter, fruit juices, and ice cream.
Muscle-building exercises should be increased to ensure that lean tissue is gained, rather than fat. The rate that weight is gained will depend on the person’s genetic makeup, how many extra calories are consumed, and the type of training program that is followed.
To lose weight and remain healthy, a person must reduce energy intake enough to allow gradual weight loss while maintaining a healthy diet. Decreasing normal calorie intake by 10% will allow weight loss without feelings of hunger or deprivation. For example, if an athlete’s normal intake is 3,000 calories per day, decreasing this by 300 calories (the amount in a cup of ice cream) should cause a slow weight loss.
To preserve muscle and other lean tissue and enhance fat loss, weight loss should take place at a rate of 1/2 to 2 pounds (0.2 to 1 kg) per week, and activity levels should be maintained or increased. Dieting to maintain an unrealistically low weight may threaten nutritional status, health, and athletic performance.
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