Obviously, the muscle weight contributes to top athletic performance in most sports. Although some weight is desirable (muscle weight), some is less desirable (fat weight). A scale provides a meaningless number because it doesn't indicate the composition of the weight. The fat measurement helps put in perspective the proportion of an athlete's body that is muscle, bone, essential fat, and excess flab. When I counsel athletes who have a poor concept of an appropriate weight, I measure their body fat rather than rely on scales and height and weight charts. To determine whether you fit this underweight category, search the Web for "body mass index calculator" and you'll find many websites where you can use to assess your BMI. When an athlete's BMI is less than 18.5, I need to rule out the possibility of anorexia. If you have normal musculature, an appropriate BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. In my counseling practice, I use BMI to determine who is too thin. Yet, in a study of 28 collegiate hockey players, the average BMI was 26 (overweight), but the average body fat was a lean 13 percent (Ode et al. In the general population, people with a BMI greater than 25 are considered to have excess body fat and to be at risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other medical concerns. Hulky football players, weightlifters, and other power athletes who have lots of muscle mass easily get ranked as obese (BMI greater than 30) this is generally far from the truth. Although you may want to lose more fat for cosmetic reasons, you should know that losing the initial few pounds, or kilograms, is a meaningful accomplishment.Īlthough some people believe that determining body mass index (BMI) is a good way to screen for overfatness in athletes, it is actually a poor one because it is a ratio of body weight to height it accounts for body mass, not body fat. If you weigh 200 pounds (91 kg), losing just 10 to 20 pounds (5 to 10 kg) is enough to improve your health status and significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. If you are significantly overweight, your initial target should be to lose just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight. The best weight goal is to be fit and healthy rather than starved and skinny. Pay attention to the genetic design for your body, and don't struggle to get too light. A man who is 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) could appropriately weigh 106 + 60 = 166 pounds (48 + 27 = 75 kg), with a range of 149 to 183 (68 to 83 kg).Īlthough athletes commonly want to be leaner than the average person, heed this message: If you are striving to weigh significantly (more than 10 percent) less than the weight estimated by this guideline, think again. Men: 106 pounds for the first 5 feet of height, 6 pounds per inch thereafter (48 kg for the first 152 cm, 1 kg/cm thereafter).įor example, a woman who is 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) could appropriately weigh 100 + 30 = 130 pounds (45 + 14 = 59 kg), with a range of 117 to 143 pounds (53 to 65 kg).Women: 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height, 5 pounds per inch thereafter (45 kg for the first 152 cm, 0.9 kg/cm thereafter).This rule-of-thumb guide does not apply to everybody - especially muscular bodybuilders and football players. How Much Should I Weigh?Īlthough only nature knows the best weight for your body, the following guidelines offer a method to estimate the midpoint of a healthy weight range (plus or minus 10 percent, depending on whether you have large or small bones). This is an excerpt from Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook-5th Edition by Nancy Clark.
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