Question

Ian is an 18 year old gymnast training at a private gym with many other male and female gymnasts. He is competing at an advanced level and is likely to make the next Olympic team. Lately he has been finding some of his balance and strength moves on the rings and parallel bars more difficult. He has gone through a bit of a growth spurt and has gained about 5 pounds over the last year. He suspects the weight gain is causing his performance difficulties. He decides to try a weight loss program that will help him lose weight before his next big competition in 6 weeks. He is not sure how many calories to consume and therefore arbitrarily decides to eat 1500 calories per day.

1) Describe the main guidelines athletes should follow to lose weight without decreasing sport performance.

2) Which assessments are required to determine whether Ian needs to lose weight?

3) What type of diet and exercise plan would you recommend for Ian?

4) What additional concerns do you have for Ian's health and sport performance?

Answer 1

Assessments required to lose Ian’s body weight :

• A program for the purpose of losing weight should permit the loss of weight to be fat loss and the gain of weight to be muscle mass.
• Weight loss should be coupled with an appropriate training program (both strength and conditioning).
• Wight loss program should be incorporating a well-balanced diet with adequate energy (calories), carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
• Weight loss accomplished by over exercising.
• Prolonged fasting; fluid reduction; vomiting; or using anorexic drugs, laxatives,diuretics, diet pills, insulin, stimulants, nutritional supplements, or other legal or illegal drugs and/or nicotine should be prohibited at all ages.

. Diet :

Ian should eat three meals and a snack per day. Day should be start with a fiber-rich cereal with skim milk and fresh fruit, or a bagel with peanut butter and a cup of orange juice. Follow up with lunch of a tuna sandwich on whole-wheat bread, also with fruit, or a large vegetable-rich salad and a small turkey sandwich with a cup of skim milk. Dinner could consist of poultry or seafood combined with a baked potato, mixed vegetables and skim milk. Along with this, a pre-workout snack of a small bran muffin or yogurt mixed with cereal should take.

Exercise :

i) Safe and appropriate aerobic exercise will facilitate weight and body fat loss.

ii) Right type of cardio exercise really helpful for losing weight.

Gymnastics is an aesthetic sport that requires speed, power, and coordination. Dietary assessments of high-level gymnasts indicate that many of these athletes consume less than the recommended amount of energy and some nutrients for their age and training load. It is particularly important that young gymnasts consume sufficient energy and nutrients to meet the demands of growth, training, competition, and tissue maintenance. Circumstances that may adversely affect the gymnast's short- and long-term health include low energy availability, disordered eating behaviors, and eating disorders. Some gymnasts cross the line from dieting and use of pathogenic weight loss methods to serious, diagnosable eating disorders.

From these aspect Ian should take care of his health and diet. Ian should avoid added sugar and should intake more fiber that can help him to reach his body fat goals. Gymnasts should aim to eat no less than 1.4–1.8 grams of carbs per lb (3–4 g/kg) each day. Higher protein intakes help limit the amount of muscle lost during a period of weight loss. Gymnasts should aim to consume 0.8–1.2 g/lb (1.8–2.7 g/kg) of protein each day.

In this way Ian can easily loses his body weight and also avoid eating disorder.