With extreme
energy restrictions, both muscle and fat mass are lost, which may
adversely influence an athletes performance. athletes optimal
competitive body weight and relative body fatness should be determined
when an athlete is healthy and performing at his or her best
Body composition and weight are 2 of the many factors that
contribute to optimal exercise performance. Taken together, these 2
factors may affect an athletes potential for success within a given
sport. Body weight can influence an athletes speed, endurance, and
power, whereas body composition can affect an athletes strength,
agility, and appearance. Most athletes require a high
strength-to-weight ratio to achieve optimal athletic performance, and
because body fat adds to weight without adding to strength, low body
fat percentages are often emphasized within many sports (25). However,
too little body fat results in deterioration of health and performance
(22,26). Athletic performance cannot be accurately predicted based
solely on body weight and composition (27).
The primary reason for determining an athletes body
composition is to obtain information that may be beneficial in
improving athletic performance (28). Therefore, the determination of an
athletes optimal body weight and composition for health and
competition should be done individually, because these factors are
strongly influenced by age, sex, genetics, and the requirements of the
sport. Yet, some sports dictate that athletes make changes in body
weight and composition that may not be optimal for the athlete. For
example, weight-class sportssuch as wrestling or lightweight
rowingmay require athletes
to lose or gain weight to qualify for a specific weight category.
Sports
with an aesthetic componentsuch as dance, gymnastics, and figure
skatingmay
pressure athletes to lose weight and body fat to have a lean physique,
although
their current weight for health and performance may be optimal. With
extreme
energy restrictions, both muscle and fat mass are lost, which may
adversely
influence an athletes performance. Thus, an athletes optimal
competitive
body weight and relative body fatness should be determined when an
athlete
is healthy and performing at his or her best (29).
Body Composition and Sport Performance
Percentage of body fat values for athletes varies depending on
the sex of the athlete and the sport itself. Male athletes with the
lowest estimates of body fat (less than 6%) include middle-distance and
long-distance runners and bodybuilders, whereas male basketball
players, cyclists, gymnasts, sprinters, jumpers, triathletes, and
wrestlers average between 6% to 15% body fat (26,30). Male athletes
involved in power sports such as football, rugby, and ice and field
hockey have slightly more variable body fat levels (6% to 19%). Female
athletes with the lowest estimates of body fat (6% to 15%) participate
in bodybuilding, cycling, triathlons, and running events; higher fat
levels are found in female athletes participating in racquetball,
skiing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball (10% to 20%) (26,30).
The estimated minimal level of body fat compatible with health is 5%
for males and 12% for females (31); however, optimal body fat
percentages for an individual athlete may be much higher than these
minimums and should be determined on an individual basis. Athletes who
strive to maintain body weight or body fat levels that are
inappropriate, or have body-fat percentages below these minimal levels,
may be at risk for an eating disorder or other health problems related
to poor energy and nutrient intakes (8,11,18,22,23,32-34).
Assessment of Body Composition
Methods for assessment of body composition are based on either
a 2-component or a multicomponent model and use several different
measurement techniques. Two-component models divide the body into
either fat mass (all lipids within the body) or fat-free mass (the
remainder after fat is subtracted). The multicomponent model divides
the body into 3 or more components. For example, the 3-component model
divides the body into fat mass and 2 components of fat-free mass (bone
mineral and lean tissue). The criterion methods most commonly used to
assess components of body composition in athletes are
based on a 2-component or a multicomponent model. Though a
multicomponent
criterion model is preferred for assessing body composition because it
provides more accurate estimates, measurement techniques required for
this
model are not readily available to most athletes. A 2-component
criterion
model typically uses hydrodensitometry (hydrostatic weighing) or
plethysmography
(BODPOD) measurement techniques, and a 3-component model uses
dual-energy
x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurements. The most common methods used
to measure body composition in field or clinical settings include
anthropometry
(skinfolds), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and near-infrared
interactance. These field methods are validated using either
2-component
or multicomponent criterion models (35). When using these field
methods,
care should be taken in choosing the appropriate validated prediction
equation
for estimating body composition based on an athletes demographics
(age,
sex, level of adiposity, ethnicity, and physical activity) in order to
obtain accurate estimates (36).
Enzymes for Low
Carb Diets?
I was wondering if and how enzymes supplements that break down fat and
protein impact the efficiency of a ketogenic diet?
How to Balance a
Low Carb Diet
We need to be careful in supplying all needed nutrients, both to
balance the diet and to compensate for the changes caused by the diet
Russian Low Carb
Soup Recipe
Okroshkas are Russian cold soups. The name originates from the
Russian kroshit which means to chop
Big Fashion
Today, over 50% of American women wear a size 14 or larger; yet, it
often seems that the entire world is oriented around the size 2 model
Bodywork
Many people avoid the healing therapy of massage because they perceive
the process as being embarrassing or threatening
Do I Need Supplements?
Micronutrients play an important role in energy production, hemoglobin
synthesis, maintenance of bone health, adequate immune function, and
the protection of body tissues from oxidative damage
Survive
The Holiday Season
Low-carb dieters often dread the winter holidays. They envision
temptations such as fudge, croissants and obscenely enormous cinnamon
buns lurking in places
Dropping
103 lbs Was a Matter of Life or Death
For most of us, weight loss is a matter of better-fitting clothing and
more energy. For featured slimmer Dean W., losing weight was a
frightening matter of life or death
How
to Be a Burning Fat, Building Muscle Machine
Honestly you really can melt away inches. Its not marketing hype and
its not based on some strange supplement or magic formula. Its
grounded in physiology and is based on fact
How Can I Have Fruits on a Low Carb Diet?
You love living a low-carb lifestyle, but you also love fresh fruit.
Well guess what? Theres no dilemma
Doing Atkins:
Whats My Problem?
My sister and I are both doing Atkins, but she is losing weight much
more quickly than I am. Whats my problem?
Facts about Weight Loss Products and Programs http://dietandbody.com/article1199.html
Looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight? Youre not alone. An
estimated 50 million Americans will go on diets this year. And while
some will succeed in taking the weight off, very fewperhaps 5
percentwill manage to keep all of it off in the long run
Relaxation Responce http://dietandbody.com/article1189.html
The great clinical success of the at least 37 studies of the
Relaxation Response, conducted starting as early as 1970s serves for
scientific support of this idea
Is Deep Breathing Dangerous? http://dietandbody.com/article1188.html
Simply increasing or decreasing the breathing rate and depth, the body
manages to adjust its chemistry to any changes in environmental
condition and swings in metabolic rate
Breathing Awareness Exercise http://dietandbody.com/article1161.html
Breathing meditation can be the important part of psychological and
spiritual impacts of repetitive movements
Moldavian Chorba Soup. A Low Carb Recipe http://dietandbody.com/article1139.html
Historically, Moldavian culture is the result of many influences such
as from Greece, Turkey, and Slavic peoples
Adding Oomph to a Boring Diet http://dietandbody.com/article1119.html
The Cabbage Soup Diets idea is pretty much the same as the
catabolic
diet. Some feel that, though the diet is effective in helping them lose
weight, its boring
Facts about Weight Loss Products and Programs http://dietandbody.com/article1199.html
Looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight? Youre not alone. An
estimated 50 million Americans will go on diets this year. And while
some will succeed in taking the weight off, very fewperhaps 5
percentwill manage to keep all of it off in the long run
Relaxation Responce http://dietandbody.com/article1189.html
The great clinical success of the at least 37 studies of the
Relaxation Response, conducted starting as early as 1970s serves for
scientific support of this idea
Is Deep Breathing Dangerous? http://dietandbody.com/article1188.html
Simply increasing or decreasing the breathing rate and depth, the body
manages to adjust its chemistry to any changes in environmental
condition and swings in metabolic rate
Breathing Awareness Exercise http://dietandbody.com/article1161.html
Breathing meditation can be the important part of psychological and
spiritual impacts of repetitive movements
Moldavian Chorba Soup. A Low Carb Recipe http://dietandbody.com/article1139.html
Historically, Moldavian culture is the result of many influences such
as from Greece, Turkey, and Slavic peoples
Adding Oomph to a Boring Diet http://dietandbody.com/article1119.html
The Cabbage Soup Diets idea is pretty much the same as the
catabolic
diet. Some feel that, though the diet is effective in helping them lose
weight, its boring
Chocolate:
Did you know? Facts and recipes
Most people enjoy chocolate and agree that it tastes wonderful, yet
they also have misconceptions about its effect on health. Here are some
facts about chocolate that you may not know
With extreme
energy restrictions, both muscle and fat mass are lost, which may
adversely influence an athletes performance. athletes optimal
competitive body weight and relative body fatness should be determined
when an athlete is healthy and performing at his or her best
