1. Body Composition  Refers to all of the components that make up the body  Divided into 2 main categories:  Fat mass  Fat-free or lean body mass  Includes muscle, bone, fluids, and organs  Most athletes are interested in the ratio of fat mass to total body mass which is commonly expressed as percent body fat.

2.  Essential fat is the minimum amount of fat necessary for proper physiological function  Essential fat for males = 3% of body weight  Essential fat for females = 12% of body weight  9% is considered sex-specific fat  This is fat needed for proper hormonal and reproductive function.

3. NORMS  Females (%) Caution: < 13 Excellent:14-18 Good: 19-23 Average:24-29 Overfat: 30-36 Obese: >36  Males (%) Caution: <5 Excellent: 6-11 Good: 12-16 Average: 17- 23 Overfat: 24-29 Obese: >29

4. Errors in Measuring Body Composition  Body fat cannot be directly measured except by chemical analysis of human cadavers  All other methods “estimate” or “predict” body composition  All methods also have potential technical error in the assessment method itself

5. Body Composition Methods  Body Mass Index (BMI)  Hydrostatic (underwater) Weighing  Plethysmography (Bod Pod)  Skin-fold Calipers  Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)  Near Infrared Reactance (NIR)

6. Weight Gain In order to gain or lose weight, proper exercise and diet must be combined in the right ways.  The extra calories should primarily come from extra carbohydrates  Carbohydrates fuel your muscle so the muscles can perform intense muscle- building exercise.  Protein intake increase by 14grams per day to provide necessary amino acids for muscle growth

7.  Finding the time to eat can be the biggest challenge to boosting caloric intake.  Pack portable snacks  Eat frequently throughout the day  Eat an extra snack  Eat larger than normal portions at mealtime  Eat higher calorie foods.

8.  Taking the prescribed 500-1000 additional calories per day should cause some weight gain. It is vital to include muscle-building resistance exercise (weight workouts) to promote muscular growth rather than just fat deposits. It is vital to include muscle-building resistance exercise (weight workouts) to promote muscular growth rather than just fat deposits. It is recommended to have body fat routinely measured, to be sure that weight gain is mostly muscle, not fat. It is recommended to have body fat routinely measured, to be sure that weight gain is mostly muscle, not fat.

9. Weight Loss  Muscle weighs more than fat  When an individual begins an exercise program in an effort to lose weight he or she may find the scale is not showing significant weight loss  However, it is likely that body composition is changing  Fat may be decreasing while muscle is increasing  For this reason some form of body composition analysis should be utilized rather that body weight itself -measurements

10.  Body fat is stored energy  In order to decrease body fat one must burn more calories that he or she eats forcing the body to use these energy stores (fat)  It should be noted that every human body is different and fat is stored at different rates for each person  Storing fat can be effected by genetics, emotion, health, etc

11.  Exercise regularly, but do not over-exercise.  Too much exercise may lead to injury, fatigue, and irritability.  Exercise will be more satisfying when it is for fun and fitness, not simply for burning off calories.

12. Crash Diets  Weight loss fads are common in today’s world  These techniques usually focus on restriction of calorie intake and usually have an individual eating foods that vary from their usual choices  Such diets are unsuccessful because losing body fat and keeping it off requires a behavior change that can continue throughout the person’s life!

13. Rapid Weight Loss In Sports  Sports that have weight categories are at risk for unhealthy weight loss tactics  Examples include wrestling, boxing, martial arts, and lightweight rowing  Other sports in which physical appearance may be judged may also be at risk  Examples include gymnastics, figure skating, horse racing, and cheerleading

14.  Studies are also showing that the weight “cycling” of these athletes is leading to lowered metabolic rate as aging occurs and an increase likelihood of being over weight later on in life  Many states are implementing rules to limit such tactics in order to create a safer environment for the athletes

15. Eating Disorders Eating disorders affect more that 8 million Americans at any given time  All forms of eating disorders can be fatal  1 in 10 people will die as a direct result of their eating disorder   Males can get eating disorders but the vast majority are females

16. Signs of Eating Disorders   Social isolation.   Lack of confidence in performance.   Ritualistic eating behaviors, such as cutting food into small pieces and playing with it.   Obsession with calories.   Obsession with weight.   Distorted body image.   Wearing layers of baggy clothing to hide thinness.   Nervous at mealtime, avoidance of eating in public.   Patterns of leaving the table directly to go to the bathroom.   Running water in the bathroom after meals to hide the sound of vomiting.   Significant weight loss.  Obsession with grades.  Obsession with organization of personal space.  High emotions; tearful, uptight, overly sensitive, restless.  Signs of malnutrition.  Menstrual irregularities.  Loss of hair.  Light-headedness.  Blood-shot eyes.  Inability to concentrate.  Chronic fatigue.  Hyperactivity – compulsive exercise beyond normal training.  Decrease in performance.  Recurrent overuse injuries and stress fractures.  Depression

17. Anorexia Nervosa  People with anorexia restrict their caloric intake for long periods of time and deliberately starve themselves, resulting in loss of body weight of at least 15%.  They have an intense fear of becoming obese as well as a distorted body image.  Weight loss is achieved by avoiding food, frenzied exercise, or both.

18. Bulimia Nervosa  A cyclical pattern of binge-eating associated with some type of purging  Purging takes on different forms:  Fasting  self-induced vomiting  excessive exercising  enemas or diuretics.

19. The Female Athlete Triad  A term used to describe three interrelated conditions that can occur in competitive women athletes:  1. Low energy availability which may be caused by disordered eating  2. Amenorrhea  3. Osteoporosis

20. 1. Low Energy Availability  This may be the result of simply trying to prevent any added fat in order to keep body weight low  This athlete may or may not have the same psychological risk as a similar athlete with disordered eating  Can occur in sports in which a low body weight is desirable  Gymnastics, ballet, distance running, etc

21. 2. Amenorrhea  The absence of menstruation for 3 or more consecutive months  Caused by high energy expenditure and can be coupled with low energy intake  This alters the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and estrogen which control the menstrual cycle

22. 3. Osteoporosis  Low bone mineral density  Low estrogen secretion interferes with the females ability to store calcium in the bones  this increases the athletes susceptibility to fractures; especially stress fractures

23. Long Term Effects of the Female Athlete Triad  If not treated, the energy deficit can result in the following sever health problems:  Long term osteoporosis  Cardiac arrest  Electrolyte imbalance  Severe dehydration  Suicide

24. Prevention of Eating Disorders Any victim of an eating disorder must be approached and handled extremely carefully. Referral for medical treatment is essential! Many athletes think that by restricting their food intake to lose weight they will exercise better, look better, and enhance their overall performances. Ironically, this can actually result in depleted fuel stores, amenorrhea, stress fractures, fainting, weakness, fatigue, and ultimately impaired performance.

25. QUESTIONSQUESTIONSQUESTIONSQUESTIONS  Eating disorders would fade if people could learn to love their bodies. As a society we must:  Dispel the myth that thinness equals happiness and success.  Discourage the notion that the thinnest athlete is the best athlete.  Love our bodies for what they are, rather than hate them for what they are not.  Emphasize fit and healthy as more appropriate goals than slender and skinny.