GCSE Physical Education Optimum Weight

Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson pupils should: Optimum weight and why it varies according to height, gender, bone structure and muscle girth How optimum weight can affect performance and participation in physical activity

Optimum Weight Optimum is defined as the ‘most favourable’ or ‘best’. Most sports people get to know the weight at which they perform best and try and stay as near to that weight as they can. Optimum weight can also be found using the BMI Index

Factors Affecting Optimum Weight Many factors affect optimum weight, such as: Height Gender Bone structure Muscle girth Genetics

Height How would height affect optimum weight?

Height Taller people are usually, although not always, heavier than shorter people

Gender How would gender affect optimum weight?

Gender Men and women have a different body composition Men tend to have more muscles and larger bones Therefore males and females have different charts to find their optimum weight

Bone Structure How would bone structure affect optimum weight?

Bone Structure Everybody has a different bone structure, sometimes referred to as frame size Height cannot determine a persons bone structure Comments such as ‘broad shoulders’ and ‘thick wrists’ refer to the bone structure of a person

Muscle Girth How would muscle girth affect optimum weight?

Muscle Girth As with bone structure, people naturally have different muscle girth In most cases, muscle girth increases with training Because muscle weighs more than fat, some BMI index charts will show a performer with a large muscle girth as being overweight

Genetics How would genetics affect optimum weight?

Genetics Body weight and shape are largely passed on through the genes from parent to child The body composition of a performer is bound by genetics, but with training, can be changed

Optimum Weight in Sport The optimum weight for a performer depends on the sport they are competing in, this is why different somatotypes are suited to different sports Rugby and horseracing are examples of performers needing completely different optimum weights in order to perform at the highest level

Losing Weight Many people need to lose weight to reach their optimum weight In some sports, such as boxing and horseracing, it is necessary to lose weight quickly in order to ‘make’ the weight they are fighting or riding at

Learning Objectives (Revisited) By the end of this lesson pupils should: Optimum weight and why it varies according to height, gender, bone structure and muscle girth How optimum weight can affect performance and participation in physical activity

Thank you Any questions, please do not hesitate to ask