If you've been watching Dancing with the Stars lately you have probably seen a few of the contestants appearing a little bit lighter than when they first started with the show. First there was the image of Esther Anderson ribs protruding from her revealing outfit, and then there was Blair McDonough looking extremely "sick" as he lost between eight and 10kgs in less than two months. Both stars have been training about 20 hours a week, as well as keeping up with the other commitments, so it's no wonder the weight has been falling off them.
This weight loss is not an uncommon scenario by any means. Many athletes including NRL players, struggle to maintain their weight throughout the course of the season. Grueling training sessions, combined with long minutes on the field, mean players need to consume large amounts of food, at regular times throughout the day. This is not always possible for the players who suffer from a loss of appetite post game, who are too tired and sore to prepare any time consuming meals, and who lack the motivation to shop and cook. It's also likely that many of athletes and celeb come dancers, fail to realise the important role carbohydrates play in fueling their active bodies and ensuring weight maintenance is in fact possible.
To maintain weight, an athlete (or any person for that matter) needs to eat as many kilojoules as he or she is expending. If they are losing weight, then they are not eating enough food and it's likely that they are not making the best food choices either. Often the times of training sessions or sleep ins post-game can see athletes skip meals, while fatigue has many of them relying on takeaway foods or restaurants for their meals. These choices make maintaining weight extremely difficult.
For weight maintenance, it's important that an athlete follow a pattern of frequent meals and snacks so that high energy requirements are met. Relying on just two or three large meals a day is not enough to see high energy requirements being met. These eating patterns also do not make it possible to achieve the desired adaptations from training, as key nutrients are not being provided at the correct times i.e. pre- and post-training and competition. For the athlete to succeed with weight maintenance throughout the season, they need to be organised and disciplined at eating at regular intervals (5-6 times pre day), even if they don't feel hungry.
Meals and snacks need to be high in carbohydrate (the number one fuel when you're exercising), moderate in protein and low in fat. Often it's not possible to eat all the necessary kilojoules, so this is when high-kilojoule fluids such as flavoured milks, smoothies, liquid meal supplements such as Sustagen, cordials, fruit juices and sports drinks become handy. Fluids supply a compact form of kilojoules and nutrients, and are more easily consumed than large amounts of food.
It's also important to add extra kilojoules to snacks and meals. For example, sugar, honey or jam can be added to breads or cereals; smoothies can have added ice-cream, yoghurt, honey or protein powder; and avocado or other spreads can be added to sandwiches. Another option is too look for lower fibre foods. While it's important to meet fibre needs, too much can lead to fullness and gastrointestinal discomfort, which can stop athletes from meeting their daily energy needs. Choosing lower-fibre forms of breads and cereals is recommended occasionally.
Finally, it's important to remember that for weight maintenance it's about eating the right quantity of good quality food. It's not about pigging out on nutrient-poor, kilojoule-dense foods. Excessive kilojoule intake will promote fat storage, while a reliance on nutrient-poor food may result in nutrient deficiencies. Weight maintenance is about achieving balance in the food you eat.
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