title: Gaining and losing weight in athletics.
abstract: Participants in many sports, such as wrestling, gymnastics, and light-weight crew, attempt to reduce body weight to achieve a maximum ratio of muscle strength to body weight. Such weight reduction should result only from reduction in excess body fat. In most instances, weight reduction should be achieved at a rate of no more than 1 kg a week, through a modest reduction in diet and a moderate increase in exercise. More rapid weight reduction by starvation and dehydration compromises strength and endurance. Athletes attempting to gain weight should increase weight as muscle mass, not fat. Muscle mass is increased only through muscle work supported by an appropriate increase in food intake. No food, vitamin, drug, or hormone will increase muscle mass. It is recommended that the high caloric diet required to support muscle growth from increased work should be low in animal fats and cholesterol.
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D013178:Sports Medicine
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins