Unhealthy weight control/loss practices are a serious and ongoing problem in sport, especially in aesthetic and weight-bearing sports, like running and triathlon. Too often, athletes are pressured by media, coaches and competitors to change body composition in order to boost performance. There's the mentality that you have to be thin to wind.
But if losing weight was a guarantee to performance improvements, why don't more athletes excel at sport after they experience some type of weight loss?
Many athletes are told (or assume) that they would be more successful in a sport if they lost weight or changed body composition. Regardless of the performance outcome, athletes who are asked or told to lose weight.change body composition are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as fasted workouts, skipping meals, replacing higher calorie foods for calorie-free/diet foods, fasting/cleansing/detoxing, using weight loss supplements, diuretics or laxatives and/or overexercising. While a short period of performance enhancements may be seen, most athletes end up with broken bones/stress fractures, hormonal issues, amennorhea (females), fatigue and burnout. Far from the performance improvements that are told to happen from weight loss!
Although I am not a sport psychologist (like my amazing friend Dr. G), feeling the need to lose weight can be a form of emotional abuse. Whether you are told to lose weight from a coach, you are constantly comparing yourself to other people or your inner critic is telling you that you would be a better/faster/happier athlete if you lost weight, you may not be aware of the emotional trauma that you are enduring and how it affects your confidence and self-worth.
How can we change the mindset of so many athletes/coaches that weight loss = performance improvements?
- It starts with the coach - who is directly involved with an athlete's physical and mental development. Many coaches and experts wrongly place their own attitudes, thoughts, strategies and personal experiences with weight, dieting and body image on their athletes. Athletes need a coach who is a good role model, promoting positive self-image and healthy dietary and fueling strategies. Coaches need to recognize that an athlete is more than just a body and athletic success does not result from a number on the scle or body image.
- Weight is a sensitive and personal issue for many athletes. You can't look at someone and tell if he/she has underlying issues with food and body image. Unfortunately, many coaches and experts do not realize how certain words can affect an athlete. For example, if a coach tells his athlete that its bad to eat carbs after 6pm and the athlete eats a slice bread at 6:05pm, the athlete may feel like a bad person. When a nutrition "expert" suggests to an athlete that weight loss will improve performance, that athlete will spend a considerable amount of energy trying to change body composition (often through quick fixes and extreme approach). If a coach makes a snarky comment about an athlete's size, the athlete may feel an overwhelming sense of distress - overlooking strengths and becoming obsessed with weaknesses.
- Coaches need to see an athlete as more than an object - consider how an athlete's lifestyle choices, mental and physical health, emotions and individual development can contribute to performance. It's absolutely wrong and unjust to assume that if an athlete weighs less, he/she will become a better athlete. We must stop assuming that when an athlete looks differently, he/she will perform differently.
- You can't perform at your best if you are not in optimal health. Because most athletes do not seek out professional guidance from a sport dietitian, there is no one to closely monitor and watch over an athlete for extreme behaviors. A sport dietitian can also clear up misinformation and debate against unhealthy dietary practices that may sabotage performance and health.
As a coach, sport RD and athlete, I take performance and health very seriously. I never ever tell my athletes to lose weight - ever!
We must stop viewing weight as a performance limiter or as the best next step toward athletic greatness. There are many ways to boost performance, like eating "enough", fueling properly, timing food with workouts, strength training, mental strength, quality sleep, good recovery practices and consistent training. While weight loss may lead to performance improvements, we can't assume that reducing body fat will benefit every athlete. There are no shortage of cases where athletes have experienced a temporary boost in performance in the initial phases of changing body composition but eventually suffer from eating-disorder/disordered eating symptoms, overtraining, hormonal issues, menstrual irregularities (female athletes), low bone density, a weakened immune system, chronic injuries and a performance decline (or a sporting career cut short) overtime.
Sports are designed to build self-esteem, boost confidence, promote physical strength, improve skills and teach life lessons. As an athlete, you should do what you like to do, which is participate in the sport you love. It's hard to love what you can do with your body when you are underfuled, undernourished and underappreciated.
If an athlete feels the need to lose weight (for whatever reason), he/she should be the one to voice the concern and the next step is to consult with a sport dietitian - an outside voice to provide non-judgemental, practical, realistic, effective and safe information. With proper education, support and guidance, athletes are more likely to stay in good mental and physical health, experience athletic excellence and maintaint great enjoyment for sport for many years.
Athletes - love your amazing body and be sure to thank it. Rest it, respect it, nourish it and fuel it daily.