At some point in his / her sport career an elite or multi-sport athlete may struggle with unintentional weight loss. I see this occur most often with:
The start of a new season
Increased intensity of practices or increased number of practices
Another sport is added into the schedule (in addition to the sport already participating in)
A growth spurt occurs simultaneously with any of these
Why does this happen?
The weight loss usually occurs because there is a sudden increase in energy expenditure that is not compensated for with an increase in energy intake.
What are physical concerns of unintentional weight loss in young athletes?
Weight loss, whether intentional or unintentional, means that the body is in a calorie deficit. If the athlete is not intentional about food choices, it can also mean that the body is at a nutrition deficit. Calorie and nutrient deficits can set the athlete up for injury due to numerous factors such as: decreased focus, decreased energy, decreased bone strength, decreased muscle mass, and decreased strength and power. It can also lead to injuries like stress fractures and other medical complications.
What are mental health concerns of unintentional weight loss in young athletes?
Losing weight can put those young athletes already predisposed to disordered eating or eating disorders at greater risk of developing a full clinical eating disorder.. It’s also important to realize that an underfueled brain tends to be an anxious brain. This can especially be concerning for athletes already managing anxiety, OCD, depression, etc.
what are some Nutrition Strategies to Stop the Weight Loss in Young Athletes?
Now that we know the risks associated with weight loss in the young athlete, I want to share some general strategies for halting the loss and helping your athlete turn things around. Then I’ll provide some troubleshooting tips as well.
If your athlete is struggling with unintentional weight loss three things you can look at initially and work to implement are:
Make sure the athlete is eating three balanced meals a day.
These meals need to contain: (1) protein, (2) quality carbohydrates like whole grains , starchy vegetables, dairy and fruit, (3) some color from non-starchy vegetables that the athlete likes, and (4) healthy fats.
So so so many teen athletes skip meals, either breakfast, lunch or both. Work with your athlete to figure out how they can get these meals in each day. Remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy! And, in the beginning, something is better than nothing.
Example: Turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, sliced avocado + an apple + Kind bar OR for breakfast a Greek yogurt + berries + granola
Make sure the athlete is eating 3 snacks a day.
Young student athletes are so busy that they often forget about or don’t make time for snacks. However, snacks are incredibly important for a young student athlete.
If you can get two different food groups in a snack, that is ideal in this scenario (unless it’s during or right before exercise in which case easy-to-digest carbohydrates are key).
Examples: whole grain crackers + cheese stick or apple slices + peanut butter
Bump up the energy and nutrient density of the foods in the meals and snacks.
Some athletes may already be getting 3 meals and 3 snacks and still seeing weight loss. In this case we can look at changing up the food choices. There is no room for rice cakes in the diet of a young student athlete that is loosing weight.
Examples: trade out rice cakes, pretzels, and low-fat yogurt for nut & seed granola bars, a piece of whole grain toast topped with peanut butter, a PB&J sandwich, a 2% or whole milk yogurt, or fruit + a full fat cottage cheese mini cup
Additional ideas when the athlete has consistently implemented the initial recs but still needs a calorie boost:
Choose meals and snacks that you can add a bunch of ingredients to like:
Oatmeal (make with whole milk, add peanut butter, honey, dried or fresh fruit)
Smoothies (make with whole milk and/or Greek yogurt, juice, fresh/frozen fruit, peanut butter, honey, etc.)
Focus on your drinks.
While we typically recommend water, the athlete struggling with unintentional weight loss is encouraged to include other beverages like sports drinks, milk, chocolate milk, orange juice (try calcium-fortified), or tart cherry juice. All of these add calories but also nutrition benefits for the elite young student athlete.
Sudden unintentional weight loss in the young athlete is absolutely something to stop, examine and act on. I encourage you to give these suggestions a try if your young athlete is struggling with unintentional weight loss. If you want help along the way and need more tailored guidance, please reach out to me through my contact page. I would love to work with you and your athlete!
Happy Fueling!
Taylor