Body Composition and Weight

The strength-to-weight ratio is a critical factor in overcoming resistance (drag) associated with sport, and in many sports the marker of success is related to the athlete's appearance (e.g., diving, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics). Common strategies athletes use for weight loss are counterproductive, however; they may temporarily lower weight, but at the cost of an undesirable change in body composition. Ideally, the athlete should understand the best strategies for overcoming sport-specific resistance while enhancing the capacity to sustain power output during practice and competition. This requires an understanding by athletes of how to achieve ideal weight without losing muscle and power and without increasing body fat percentage in the process. In addition, athletes and their coaches must understand the risks associated with the cyclic weight-loss patterns often experienced by many female and some male athletes. These risks include the development of eating disorders and the associated bone-density problems. The bone-density problems lead to stress fractures, which ultimately may take the athlete out of the sport. At the very least, poorly achieved weight loss nearly always reduces muscle mass and increases fat mass, making it more difficult for the athlete to steadily attain top performance.

This chapter helps athletes understand weight loss and body composition issues so they can apply the appropriate strategies to achieve the optimal strength-to-weight ratio for their sports. In addition, the chapter provides an up-to-date review of the methods commonly used for assessing body composition, with the aim of helping athletes better understand what the values derived from these methods really mean. Finally, this chapter discusses eating disorders and how they can develop from the cyclic weight-control strategies so often followed by athletes.

Weight Loss and Body Composition

Body Composition