Weight Loss for Health & Sport Performance Flashcards
What does a comprehensive program for weight loss include? (3)
1- balanced nutrition, kcal restriction
2- aerobic and resistance exercise
3- behaviour modification
When would you ideally want an athlete to lose weight when needed?
during off-season
What are chronic vs. acute strategies for weight loss?
Chronic strategies: things that take weeks-months to achieve
Acute strategies: days/hours/weeks leading up to “make weight”
What must be considered for weight loss?
*comprehensive program
individual differences in metabolic rate (ideally measure RMR)
genetics
environment
timeline?
What is the first thing lost when you are losing weight?
body water
How does the %LBM lost differ with fast vs. slow weight loss?
Increased %LBM lost with fast weight loss
decreased %LBM lost with slow weight loss
What is considered “slow” weight loss?
<1% of bodyweight lost per week - preserves performance and FFM
What causes the initial drop in BW in weightloss?
glycogen/CHO and water
Who should be involved in weight loss program?
athlete, coach maybe, physician (medical monitoring), parents maybe, sports psychologist or mental trainer
What are some strategies to support safe practices of weight loss for sport?
include minimal competition weight classification based on preseason body composition, and prohibition of unhealthy weight loss techniques
What is the difference between acute and chronic weight loss?
Chronic: strategies implemented over several weeks or months to reduce FM while maintaining or gaining FFM
Acute: intentional manipulation of total body water glycogen stores and GI tract contents over a period of hours or days
A weight loss meal plan would practically have an energy deficit of what?
~500-750kcal/day
Athletes who want to gain lean body mass and increase 1RM strength during a weight loss period combined with strength should aim for a weekly bodyweight loss of what?
0.7%
Why should protein content be kept high for weight loss?
Maintain muscle protein synthesis and prevent muscle breakdown
also helps us feel full for longer
Even when trying to lose weight, how often should we eat? Why?
Eat every 3 hours because of thermic energy of food and wanting to maintain metabolic rate
Why should we limit fluids to only milk/alternatives and water? Why is this important?
important in order to limit calories
What is different about macronutrient intake for weight loss?
increase protein intake, decrease fat and CHO intake may be beneficial
decrease CHO intake (~40% kcal) and increase protein intake, helpful in preserving LBM
Why increase protein intake?
greater feeling of fullness/satiety compared to CHO or fat
TEF is higher for protein
increase in metabolic cost for ~6hr post meal
maintenance of lean muscle mass would impact resting energy needs (metabolism)
What is a low-energy dense diet?
one that is high in whole fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and incorporates low-fat dairy, legumes/beans, and lean meats and fish
diet that is overall lower in fat and redcues or eliminates beverages containing kcal, especially sweetened or alcoholic beverages
Do you want to eat more energy dense or less energy dense foods for weight loss?
more low-energy dense foods
Do low energy dense or high energy dense diets increase satiety?
low energy dense - can eat more with the same amount of calories
How might weight loss impact performance?
short vs. long-term weight loss
strength, power, speed vs aerobic, anaerobic endurance
blood glucose and muscle glycogen levels
decreases in lean muscle tissue
should occur during off-season
Weight loss in the off season is not always possible. What are some weight class sports?
wrestling
taekwondo
boxing
rowing
In what types of sports does body weight and composition play an important role?
aesthetic
weight class
technical
endurance
What are methods for weight loss in sport?
frequent fasting
major kcal restrictions
increased exercise (primarily cardio)
severe fluid restriction
heat training
cardio training in rubber suits
vomiting
diuretics (WADA banned)
What are ways of ‘making weight’?
reduce muscle and liver glycogen (low carb, exercise)
reduce water retention (low salt diet, decrease sodium intake)
reduce fecal GI bulk (low fiber, low residue)
remove water from intra and extracellular space (heat, exercise)
What are the potential negative consequences of ‘making weight’?
- can we recover water losses before competition?
- dehydration
- lean tissue
- negative impact on RMR from weight cycling
- cognitive abilities, mood, RPE
- chronic, repeated restriction - turning negative relationship with food
- impact on bone health
- impact on performance
- death
What is the timeline for recovery after weight loss?
time frame is based on severity of the weight loss
4-48hrs to fully recover from dehydration
12-48hrs to replenish muscle glycogen
What is the impact on health for extreme weight loss?
decreased cognition
electrolyte imbalance
decreased body fluids
poor glycogen storage
impairment in thermoregulation
cardiovascular impairment
death
What are the negative impacts of chronic weight loss?
micronutrient deficiencies
decreased RMR
decreased
concentration of sex hormones (REDs)
decreased markers in bone synthesis
decreased lean body mass
impact on growth and development with adolescent athletes
disturbed relationship with food/eating
For recovery after weight loss, fluid consumed should be what % of fluid deficit?
150% of the fluid deficit to allow for ongoing urine and sweat losses during recovery period
What are the goals for post weight-in for weight class sports?
carbs, electrolytes, fluids, complete low fat and lean proteins
Research has found that the best refuelling practice between weigh in and competition is what?
between 60-80% carbohydrates and includes some lean protein
Are acute weight loss strategies effective for sport? What did the research say?
Research in one case showed that it was not effective
What are the rule changes to weight class sports?
prohibited use of extreme dehydration methods
increased in weight allowance of 6lb to each weight class
weigh-ins closer to event/comp
When is the weigh-in for wrestling for USports and National/International events?
night before event - USports
2hrs before - Nat/International
When are the weigh-ins for light weight rowing and boxing?
couple of hours before event
What would a safe, effective, and realistic weight loss look like?
reduced in kcal, supply essential nutrients
wide variety, include healthy fats
fits lifestyle
slow rate of weight loss
supplements when needed
What is the danger for young athletes with weight loss?
can impair performance
increase injury and infectious disease risk
delay physical maturation
development of disordered eating practices
Quick losses of 5% BM are shown to result in what?
reduced physical performance
abnormalities of bone metabolism
impairments in cognitive function
increased susceptibility to heat illness and illness in general
prolonged and repeated –> can cause nutritional deficiencies and limit lean tissue growth
recommend and help support a gradual weight loss
