Eating Disorders and Proper Fueling For Athletes
My name is Devyn Cox and I am currently a dietetic intern and graduate student. I received my Bachelors degree in Nutrition/Dietetics with a Minor in Psychology from University of Nevada. I am a former athlete who has competed in wrestling, football, and powerlifting. Throughout the last few years, I have worked with a variety of athletes at the local and national level to optimize performance through nutrition.
Proper Fueling: Are you looking to improve your performance? To perform at a high level, you need energy and proper nutrition is essential for this. Athletes who consistently restrict food intake and do not consume enough nutrients are at risk for energy deficiency. Energy deficiency can be defined as not consuming the proper amount of nutrients for your body to remain healthy and perform well in competition. Poor nutrition can lead to negative effects on bone health, the immune system, growth and development, heart health, mental health, physical performance, muscle mass, and even serious health conditions. In female athletes specifically, energy deficiency can lead to issues with menstrual function as this requires sufficient body fat and calorie intake. As you can see, athletes that lose large amounts of weight and consistently restrict calories are not only putting their performance at risk, but more seriously their overall health.
Eating disorders and Disordered Eating: It is very common for wrestlers to go to extremes in order to reach a certain number on the scale. This can be dangerous both physically and mentally as negative eating behaviors develop. Disordered eating is defined as abnormal eating patterns that have negative effects on a person’s well-being. This can include avoiding entire food groups for no medical reason, binge-eating, feeling guilt or anxiety around eating, following strict food rituals, and obsessive tracking and weighing. An eating disorder is a psychological condition that is diagnosed based on specific criteria by a doctor. The most commonly known eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are characterized by more serious cases of the symptoms listed above and may include self-induced vomiting, laxative use, diuretic use, stimulant abuse, overly excessive exercise, and generally an irrational fear of gaining weight.
How are eating disorders treated? The best treatment for a person with an eating disorder involves a team approach that includes a dietitian, psychologist, coach/trainer, psychiatrist, and support staff (family/friends). Specific treatment will depend on the situation but can involve hospitalization.
How to properly fuel for sports: To maintain general health and perform well in competition, one must match energy intake with the energy demand. A registered dietitian or possibly another medical professional can help athletes develop a nutrition plan to achieve proper energy intake. “The Athlete’s Plate” is a useful tool developed by the United States Olympic Committee sports dietitians to help athletes design meals based on the training demand. “The Athlete’s Plate” illustrates strategies for consuming calorically dense foods to meet energy needs and varying the carbohydrate, protein, and fat content of meals based on the training demand. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy used during sports activities and can be used before, during, and after competition to enhance performance. Protein is utilized by the body for a variety of functions but mostly recovery and muscle building. Fats can also be used by the body to produce energy and are particularly important for proper hormone production. A nutrition specialist can determine exactly how much of these nutrients is needed for a person based on their height, weight, activity, and current health status.
Main Take Away: We should always keep in mind that everyone’s nutritional needs are different, and diets should be designed with a customized approach. Athletes are more active than the general population which means they have increased energy needs. Developing healthy eating habits can contribute to better overall outcomes immediately and provide a solid base for a healthy lifestyle down the road. If you would like to explore in more detail the topics discussed in this post reach out to a sports dietitian and/or sports psychologist.
Here is the link to The Athlete’s Plate. There are links to download your own copies of the handout. Also, Here is my professional email: devync@udel.edu and also the email of a local dietitian, Luke Smith, who was a Reno High Basketball Player: lukesmithdietitian@gmail.com, if you would like to contact us with any questions.