Weight Gain Tips For Athletes

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Why is it important for some athletes to gain weight? Gaining weight is important for some athletes because it may improve their performance in sports. Gaining weight may also increase an athlete's energy and endurance levels. Endurance is a person's ability to cope with hardship, such as running, swimming or biking over long time periods or distances. In gaining weight, you may also build muscle and be stronger. Being stronger may help some athletes better protect themselves in sports such as football or hockey. The best time to try gaining weight is during the off-season or at the beginning of the season.

What is the best way for an athlete to gain weight? Many times athletes eat high-fat, high-sugar foods to gain weight. High-fat diets are not healthy and may increase blood cholesterol (koh-LES-ter-ol). Cholesterol is a type of fat that is found in your blood. High blood cholesterol levels lead to heart disease. Athletes may also drink weight gain supplements (sup-lah-MENTS) such as protein shakes to gain weight or build muscle. Weight gain supplements alone do not build muscle and they may be expensive. A healthy diet along with regular strength training (lifting weights) builds muscle.

What is a healthy weight gain goal? A healthy weight gain goal is about one-half to one pound each week. Gaining weight slowly will help you to avoid gaining too much body fat. The amount of weight that you will gain depends on the amount of calories you eat and drink. It also depends on your exercise program. An exercise program that includes strength training will help you to gain muscle weight instead of fat. It may be harder to gain weight if being thin runs in your family.

What is a healthy diet for an athlete? The type of diet that you should follow is similar to the type of diet that any healthy person should follow. Eat a variety of healthy foods, and be sure to eat regular meals and snacks. The following are suggested amounts of the fat, carbohydrate (cahr-bo-HI-drayt), and protein you need each day. Your dietitian (deye-e-TISH-an) or nutritionist (noo-TRI-shun-ist) can tell you how many servings you should eat from each food group to get these amounts.

• Fat: Fat is important because it provides energy and vitamins that you need. You need at least 20-35 percent (about one-quarter to one-third) of your total calories to come from fat each day. For example, a man who needs about 2900 calories per day would need 725 fat calories each day. There are both "good" fats and "bad" fats in foods. Ask your caregiver for more information about "good" and "bad" fats, and about the amount of fat that is right for you.
  
  
• Carbohydrate: Carbohydrate is the main source of energy your body uses during exercise. The amount that you need depends on your total daily calorie needs, and the sport that you do. It also depends on whether you are male or female. In general, a person needs 6 to 10 grams (g) of carbohydrates for each kilogram (kg) of body weight each day. Talk to your dietitian or caregiver about the amount of carbohydrate that is right for you. To find your weight in kg, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. Then multiply this number by your carbohydrate needs. For example, a man may weigh 160 pounds and need 6 g/kg of carbohydrates per day. His weight in kg would be 73 kg. To calculate his total daily carbohydrate needs, multiply 73 kg by 6. This man would need about 438 grams of carbohydrate per day.
  
  
• Protein: Protein helps to build and repair muscle, produce hormones, boost your immune system and replace blood cells. The amount of protein you need is only slightly higher than the amount suggested for people who do not exercise. Endurance athletes (such as those who run, bike, or swim for long periods of time) need 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg per day. Athletes who do strength training (such as lifting weights) need 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg per day. For example, a 73 kg man who trains for and runs marathons would need about 88 grams of protein each day. People can usually meet their needs for protein by following a balanced diet. Some good food sources of protein are lean meats, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, peanut butter, and beans. Protein or amino acid supplements are not needed for weight gain if you follow a healthy and balanced diet. Talk to your dietitian or caregiver about the amount of protein that is right for you.

How can I add calories to my diet to gain weight in a healthy way?

• You need to eat or drink 500 to 1000 extra calories each day to gain about one-half to one pound each week. Your dietitian can tell you how many total calories you need each day to gain weight. Do not skip meals or snacks. You may need to plan time for healthy meals and snacks if you are very busy. Eat larger portion sizes (or second helpings) during your meals. The following are other ways to add extra calories to your diet:
  
  
  • Snacking. Carry healthy snacks with you. If you are not able to fit regular meals into your schedule, eat and drink healthy snacks and beverages throughout the day. Eat extra snacks during the day when you do not normally eat a snack. Ideas for healthy snacks include fruit yogurt, cheese and crackers, peanuts, English muffins, multigrain bagels with cream cheese and jelly, or bran muffins. Examples of snacks that provide about 500 calories are listed below:
    
    
    • Eight saltine crackers, one ounce of cheese, and one cup of ice cream.
      
      
    • One cup (8 ounces) of dry cereal with one cup (8 ounces) of whole milk, and one banana, plus one slice of toast with one tablespoon of peanut butter.
      
      
    • Six graham cracker squares with two tablespoons of peanut butter, two tablespoons of raisins, and one cup (8 ounces) of orange juice.
    
    
  • Eat healthy foods that are higher in calories.
    
    
    • Bread: Choose heavy breads such as honey bran, rye and pumpernickel instead of lighter breads such as white bread. Add peanut butter, margarine, jam, or honey for extra calories.
      
      
    • Cereals: Granola, Grape-Nuts® and Raisin Bran® are healthy choices and have more calories per serving than puffed rice or corn flakes. The serving size of a cereal is listed on the food label. You can also add more calories to cereals by adding nuts, raisins and other fruits.
      
      
    • Fruits: Bananas, pineapple, mangos, raisins, dates and dried fruit have more calories per serving than watery fruits. Some examples of watery fruits are watermelon, grapefruit, apples, and peaches. A serving of fruit is one medium banana or apple, one-half cup chopped or canned fruit, or one-fourth cup of dried fruit.
      
      
    • Vegetables: Starchy vegetables such as corn, carrots, and peas have more calories per serving than less starchy vegetables. Some examples of less starchy vegetables include green beans, broccoli and summer squash. A serving of vegetables is one cup of raw, leafy vegetables or one-half cup of cooked or chopped raw vegetables. Add margarine, almonds and cheese such as mozzarella for extra calories. Stir-frying vegetables with canola or olive oil will also add extra calories.
      
      
    • Meats: Cook chicken or fish in a small amount of canola or olive oil. Red meats such as beef, pork, and lamb have more calories but they also have more saturated (SACH-er-ay-ted) fat. Saturated fat is a type of fat that may increase blood cholesterol. When you eat red meats, choose leaner cuts. Some examples of lean cuts of red meat are round or sirloin steak, ground round, fresh or boiled ham, or center loin chop.
      
      
    • Beans and legumes: Lentils, lima beans, chili beans, bean burritos and other dried beans are high in calories. These foods are good choices because they also provide carbohydrates and protein.
  
  

What should I drink?

• You can add calories to your diet by drinking juice, milk, milk shakes, and instant breakfast drinks to your meals or snacks. It is very important to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration (dee-heye-DRAY-shen). Dehydration is a condition that results from not drinking enough, or losing too much body water. Dehydration can cause serious health problems, and even death. Athletes have higher liquid needs because of water that is lost through sweat during exercise. Athletes need eight (8-ounce) cups of liquids each day, plus 20 to 48 ounces (two and one-half to six cups) of liquid per hour of exercise. For example, if you do a two-hour bike ride, you should drink about one cup (8-ounces) of liquid every 15 minutes. This would amount to about 64 ounces (eight cups) of liquid in two hours.
  
  
• Always carry water with you (and drink it) on longer activities. You can wear a special bag or belt made to carry water on your back or around your waist. Drinking sports drinks for your liquid needs may be helpful for exercise that lasts longer than one hour. The best way to check if you are drinking enough liquids is to look at the color of your urine. Urine should be clear or straw-colored (very light yellow), with little or no smell. If your urine is dark-colored or smells strong, you may not be drinking enough.

Risks: You may add extra body fat if you gain weight too quickly. You may also gain extra body fat if you do not do strength training while trying to gain weight. Eating a high-fat diet to gain weight may increase your blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol leads to heart disease.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your diet. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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