From fat to thin: weight control of athletes

Athlete weight control strategies

Although most athletes have a year-round fitness plan, some athletes always have weight issues upon arrival at the field or at the beginning of the season, either overweight or underweight. The athletic potential of athletes who do not reach their ideal competitive weight will be affected. They did not realize that proper nutrition and a good weight control plan play an important role in sports performance.

Weight loss

The demand for energy varies from person to person, depending on the athlete's age, gender, weight, and level of activity. It can be simply understood as maintaining a balance between energy intake and expenditure. When there is an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, weight will change. In order to lose weight, the intake of calories should be less than the consumption. In short, you must eat less, exercise more, or do both. For an average athlete, to lose one pound of weight, they need to run 35 miles or reduce their calorie intake by 3500 calories, both of which are clearly difficult to achieve. To know the correct weight loss method, the following formula can be used:

3500 calories ÷ 7 days/week=500 calories/day.

Eating 500 fewer calories per day will reduce one pound of weight per week, consuming 250 fewer calories per day, and consuming an additional 250 calories through exercise or training can also reduce one pound of weight per week. It is worth pointing out that healthier and more balanced weight loss methods should be adopted. When both dietary and exercise methods are used simultaneously, weight loss is successful. The recommended safe weight loss method for athletes is to lose no more than 2-3 pounds per week.

Sharp weight loss meal

Some athletes seek ways to quickly lose weight. During the entire season interval, their weight exceeded 10 pounds and they wanted to lose this weight within a week, making acute weight loss novel foods very popular because they can promote temporary and rapid weight loss/loss. In fact, rapid weight loss meals and other popular weight loss meals can reduce lean weight, water, and stored energy without reducing body fat. As a result, most athletes who consume this type of food experience fatigue too early on competition days due to a lack of energy, making it difficult to unleash their potential for competition. For safe and effective weight loss, it is important to consume a variety of foods according to the dietary guidelines pyramid. To provide energy for exercise, a high carbohydrate diet should be fully consumed. Reduce fat intake to reduce energy, rather than consuming extremely low energy weight loss meals.

Gain weight for muscle strength and endurance

In order to gain weight, athletes need to consume more energy than they need for daily training and daily life. This may sound simple, but in reality, it's not because gaining weight takes more time than losing weight. Family genetic history plays a major role in the physical development of athletes, and athletes with a familial lean physique are not like those who can change their body shape and become muscular. However, improving nutrition and scientific weight gain training can increase their likelihood of gaining weight. As they age, many young athletes will naturally increase their weight.

The key to gaining weight

By doing high-intensity strength training several times a week and consuming additional energy, muscles can grow. For every pound of muscle gain, athletes need to consume an additional 500-1000 kilocalories per day. This additional heat should come from a variety of foods, such as milk, meat, fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Persistence is a key factor. Adding meals between three meals a day is necessary for gaining lean weight. Athletes who wake up late and skip breakfast lose the opportunity to increase extra energy in their diet. When athletes want to gain weight, they should eat more after they are full, which can be a little more than usual. Tea snacks or extra meals can be added, such as peanut butter sandwiches and a cup of low-fat milk. Drink sports nutrition supplements, milk ice cream drinks, or serve as a snack during meals. In this way, weight can be increased. Low calorie and large volume foods, such as corn, grains, and salad, should be restricted as they provide limited energy. Whether it's weight loss or gain, knowing how to control weight will benefit athletes in the long term and enable them to fully unleash their athletic potential.