Isagenix Nutrition concerns for weight conscious sports
Key nutritional interest of many athletes (sportsmen and women) is to reduce body weight and fat.
In sports involving subjective outcomes (eg gymnastics, diving and body building ), a lean and trim athlete has a higher aesthetic appeal. Although some body shapes and physique are held as perfect and ideal for many sports, each athlete must be realistic in setting targets for the weight and fat loss programs they undertake.
Challenges occur for the athlete whose training does not involve high-energy expenditure. For example, the athlete who undertakes lengthy training sessions based on skill and agility. It is difficult to create the energy deficit needed to reduce weight and body fat when basal energy needs are low or moderate.
This might lead to restrictive eating, resulting in dehydration and fuel depletion, which may mar training performance and increase the risk of injury and accidents, rather than achieve effective loss of body fat.
In many combative sports (boxing, wrestling, martial arts), some strength sports (weight lifting) and lightweight rowing, competition involves weight divisions that attempt to provide a match between athletes of equal size and performance.
In such sports, some athletes try to lose weight before the competition (and its pre-event weigh in), to qualify for a lighter weight division than their habitual/normal body weight and gain advantage over a smaller opponent. These strategies might expose the athlete to health and performance risks arising from dehydration, fuel depletion, inadequate nutrient intake, and psychological stress.
A number of strategies can be used for athletes in weight conscious Sports.
These include:
Asking for professional advice from an expert such as a sports dietitian to set realistic goals for weight and fat loss attempts and a suitable long-term eating plan.
The athlete in skill-based sports should seek their coach’s input to introduce or increase aerobic workouts that can increase overall energy expenditure without harm to key training sessions. Athletes who compete in weight division sports should settle for a weight category close to the training weight that can be achieved with a safe and healthy plan. Final “fine tuning” of weight prior to the event should not involve changes of >1-2% body weight, and should be undertaken without resort to extreme techniques of dehydration and fasting.
Athletes in weight conscious sports may be at higher risk of disordered eating and eating disorders than other athletes or the sedentary population. It is important that athletes who develop warning signs of such problems are refereed at an early stage for expert team-based advice.
These are some of the strategies, which can be used by athletes and their coaches to ensure that they achieve their optimal nutritional requirements and competition weight without compromising on their health.
Dr Onywera is a lecturer at Kenyatta University, Department of Exercise, Recreation and Sport Science. He is also a founder member of the International Centre for East African Running Science .ISAGENIX SOEZ TEAM