Written by Michael Reavis Jr. MS, RD, LDN

Summertime for athletes comes with goal setting, possibly some relaxation, and maybe even increased training without competition. Many athletes have summer leagues or summer training but nothing compared to the regular season. During summer, some athletes may have been encouraged by their coaches to lose weight in hopes to improve their performance next year.

When a coach recommends weight loss, what they are often asking for is body composition change. And this key difference is what I focus on with my athletes.

Although, for some athletes weight loss could be part of their improvement process, it is not completely encapsulating what the coach often means to say. When a coach recommends weight loss, what they are often asking for is body composition change. And this key difference is what I focus on with my athletes. Weight loss can be a tricky subject and with athletes, it certainly is as well. They know they want to be a better athlete but also the allure of weight loss may be some desired aesthetic change, however at what cost?

So what is this difference? Let’s imagine our theoretical athlete loses the weight the coach recommended, whatever that number may be. The athlete feels fantastic for achieving these goals and starts pre-season excited to see their efforts put on display. But in the first couple of training sessions, their endurance is way down, they cannot assert their dominance on the field like they used to, and they overall have less impact on the team. I am not saying this is always how it goes, but often it can. Now the athlete has less of a chance of making an impact in their respective sport even with the weight loss. So was this weight loss beneficial, if it did not increase their chance of playing, improve their performance, or benefit the team? This is an important distinction I try to make early with athletes as we discuss this weight loss goal and change it to a body composition goal.

An athlete is much more than just the amount of lean body mass they carry.

We first need to define body composition. A simple description, and one many coaches believe, is body fat percentage or lean body mass percentage. Although this may give us some insight and a marker to use as we measure this goal, it is not completely encapsulating. Other important markers could be measured in strength/force out to weight ratio, training markers such as VO2 max, endurance tests, or other specific sport-related markers. An athlete is much more than just the amount of lean body mass they carry. Even though it is advertised that being at a leaner body status is preferable regardless of sport, it is just untrue. So where do I start when it comes to working with athletes on these changes?

Many athletes assume I am going to put them on a restrictive diet, where we cut all carbs, only eat one meal in the morning, or do something else they have heard from media outlets or their coach. Yet, this is not what we do, as this typically will not result in them becoming better athletes or playing a greater role on their team. We sit down, analyze their nutrition, and look for potholes where we can make changes that help them change body composition and sustain these changes in the season.

The first problem that I almost always see with athletes is not enough time to eat during the day, so most of their intake comes at night. Why? Simple, these athletes are training tirelessly during the day and summer typically means doubles for athletes. With this comes less time to eat, especially when they have other things outside of training (rest, work, school, family, etc). So what? They are trying to lose weight anyways. Won’t missing a meal will help with that? NO! Most athletes will feel insatiable in the evening, because of the high energy demands of the day. A hollow feeling is how some athletes explain this. Nothing satisfies them, even when they know they are going to bed soon. I have found a better goal to set or plan to lean into is food/fuel quality. Teaching athletes how to properly set up meals and do so regardless of where they are is an invaluable tool. It allows them to fuel, replete, recover, and promote body composition changes whether at home over the summer, on the road for competition, or at a training camp/school. 

We brainstorm a lot of breakfast and early morning options to fuel their training followed by post-workout ideas when they are running to work or elsewhere. This foundation allows their body to use energy efficiently during training and recover properly. This promotes increased lean muscle mass and maintained performance outputs. Prior to learning this, athletes often skip meals prior to their training and have an immense need to recoup energy later in the day. This leads to a high percentage of their intake at night vs. spreading intake out throughout the day to optimize training and nutrition changes. 

Most athletes need three meals and two or more snacks daily when you factor in training, weight lifting, mandatory meetings, and other responsibilities outside of just the energy needed to live. Focusing on the foundation and teaching long-lasting principles is one of the best places to start when it comes to increasing athletic performance and making body composition change. 

So main takeaway, start fueling earlier, whether you are an athlete looking to meet training needs or make a body composition change. Secondly, weight loss does not mean an increased ability to perform. And finally, nutrition can be complex so if you are an athlete looking to make changes and see performance benefits find a sports RD to help you personalize the goals above!