Question

Case Study, Chapter 8, Managing Weight and Body Composition in Athletes:

Jeremiah has always been very active, participating in three sports throughout high school. He

never thought about his weight and, if anything, had trouble finding enough food to maintain

weight. He is now beginning his collegiate career as an athlete on the men’s tennis team. He has

always been able to sustain a high performance level and is adjusting to his new training and

class routine in college. Since coming to college, he’s noticed some weight gain and that it may

be affecting his performance. He wants to make sure he’s in optimal shape for the season and is

considering a very low calorie diet to lose the weight quickly. He goes to a dietitian on campus

for help.

Questions:

1. What are some disease or performance issues associated with a chronically low energy

availability? (List at least 3.)

2. Which components of weight should Jeremiah focus on for weight loss/weight gain?

3. Provide some advantages to assessing body composition instead of total body weight.

Answer 1

1.some problems associated with chronically low energy availablity are malnutrition like stunting ,wasting,etc....vitamin deficiency like beriberi,scurvy,rickets etc....mineral deficiency like iron deficiency anemia ,osteoporosis etc.......

2.the total fat component of weight should be focussed on.

3.body composition is better over total body weight becauseit tells us about the actual muscle mass,actual amount of fat in the body ,hydration status of the body.