Promotion of Healthy Weight- Control Practices in Young Athletes
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CLINICAL REPORT Guidance for the Clinician in Rendering Pediatric Care Rebecca L. Carl, MD, MS, FAAP, a Miriam D. Johnson, MD, FAAP, b Thomas J. Martin, MD, FAAP, c, d, e PromotionCOUNCIL ON SPORTS MEDICINE AND FITNESSof Healthy Weight- Control Practices in Young Athletes Children and adolescents may participate in sports that favor a particular abstract body type. Some sports, such as gymnastics, dance, and distance running, emphasize a slim or lean physique for aesthetic or performance reasons. Participants in weight-class sports, such as wrestling and martial arts, may attempt weight loss so they can compete at a lower weight class. Other sports, such as football and bodybuilding, highlight a muscular aInstitute for Sports Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; bDepartment of Pediatrics, physique; young athletes engaged in these sports may desire to gain weight University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; cDepartment of Pediatrics, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, and muscle mass. This clinical report describes unhealthy methods of Pennsylvania; dDepartment of Pediatrics, Milton S. Hershey College of weight loss and gain as well as policies and approaches used to curb these Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania; and eCentral Pennsylvania Clinic for Special Children and Adults, Belleville, practices. The report also reviews healthy strategies for weight loss and Pennsylvania weight gain and provides recommendations for pediatricians on how to Dr Martin drafted the report update proposal, conceptualized the promote healthy weight control in young athletes. initial manuscript, contributed to editing on the basis of comments from American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reviewers; Dr Johnson conceptualized and wrote the initial manuscript, contributed to editing on the basis of comments from AAP reviewers; Dr Carl revised the initial manuscript, contributed to editing on the basis of comments from AAP reviewers; and all authors approved the final manuscript. This document is copyrighted and is property of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors have Young athletes who participate in sports that favor a particular body type filed conflict of interest statements with the American Academy “ ” of Pediatrics. Any conflicts have been resolved through a process may express a desire to lose or gain weight. Athletes who participate in approved by the Board of Directors. The American Academy of Pediatrics has neither solicited nor accepted any commercial weight-sensitive sports, which emphasize a lean, slim physique, often involvement in the development of the content of this publication. seek to lose weight. In aesthetic sports, such as gymnastics, figure skating, Clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics benefit from and diving, athletes may believe they will be judged more favorably if expertise and resources of liaisons and internal (AAP) and external they have a lean body build. With other sports, distance running and reviewers. However, clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics may not reflect the views of the liaisons or the organizations cycling, for example, participants with a slim physique are perceived to or government agencies that they represent. have a greater ability to move the body against gravity if they weigh less. The guidance in this report does not indicate an exclusive course of Table 1 lists examples of sports that typically favor a slim/lean build. For treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking weight-class sports, including wrestling and martial arts, athletes often into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate. desire to compete at the lowest possible weight in the belief that lighter All clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics athletes have an increased strength-to-weight ratio (Table 2). automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed, revised, or retired at or before that time. Football and powerlifting are examples of sports that highlight a muscular physique (Table 3). Children and adolescents who participate in sports that emphasize strength and power often attempt to gain weight and lean To cite: Carl RL, Johnson MD, Martin TJ, AAP COUNCIL ON SPORTS MEDICINE AND FITNESS. Promotion of Healthy muscle mass to improve performance. Participants in bodybuilding may Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes. Pediatrics. seek to increase muscle mass and definition for aesthetic reasons. 2017;140(3):e20171871 – In their attempts to change body weight and composition,1 6 some athletes resort to unhealthy weight-control practices. These unhealthy Downloaded from www.aappublications.org/news by guest on September 28, 2021 PEDIATRICS Volume 140, number 3, September 2017:e20171871 FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS Carl et al https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-1871 September 2017 Promotion of Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes 3 140 Pediatrics 2017 ROUGH GALLEY PROOF TABLE 1 Sports That Emphasize a Thin/Lean Physique “ Dance The American Academy of Pediatrics inappropriate weight loss methods (AAP) policy statement Promotion can result in reduced muscle Cheerleading ” Cross country/distance running of Healthy Weight Control in Young strength, reduced performance in Cross-country skiing Athletes was published7, 8 in 1996 aerobic activities, decreased mental Cycling and updated in 2005. This clinical and cognitive performance, mood Diving Figure skating report replaces the 2005 statement changes, depression, compromised Gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic) and includes more recent evidence immune response, and changes Ski jump about the detrimental effects of in the cardiovascular, endocrine,– – Swimming dehydration and the benefits of gastrointestinal, renal, and 1 3, 6, 9 16 Synchronized swimming gradual weight loss as compared with thermoregulatory systems. Weight Loss Attributable to Dehydration TABLE 2 Sports With Weight Classes/Weight acute weight loss. Data on the effects Limits of collegiate and high school rule Boxing changes are also included. Crew WEIGHT LOSS Up to 67% of athletes involved Horse racing—jockeys in weight-class sports, such as Martial arts wrestling, boxing, and weight-class Weight-class football crew, attempt to lose weight acutely Wrestling Athletes may attempt to lose weight 4 with dehydration techniques. High to enhance performance, to qualify school and college wrestlers report TABLE 3 Sports That Emphasize a Muscular for a particular weight class, or to high rates of fasting, restricting fluid Physique change their appearance for a sport intake, and engaging in practices Baseball that emphasizes a lean physique. that increase sweating for acute Basketball Weight loss becomes a problem when 17,18 “ ” weight loss. This process, Bodybuilding athletes are inadequately hydrated Football (especially linemen) referred to as weight cutting, and/or when nutritional needs are Powerlifting allows competitors to weigh in at the not met. Table 4 lists healthy and Rugby lowest possible weight; most athletes Track (eg, shot-put, discus) unhealthy weight loss methods. Unhealthy Weight Loss subsequently attempt to regain weight by rehydrating between the weigh-in and competition. The Some weight loss methods can lead term hypohydration refers to the weight-control approaches may to serious physical and psychological state of suboptimal hydration, adversely affect health and, in harm. Additionally, certain weight and dehydration describes the some cases, can negatively affect loss practices impair athletic transition from a well-hydrated19 to performance. Pediatricians should performance and increase injury risk. a hypohydrated state. Examples have an awareness of safe and unsafe Weight loss may initially improve of dehydration techniques include weight-control practices so they can athletic performance because of an fluid restriction, spitting, vomiting, counsel young athletes and family increase in the strength-to-weight steam baths, saunas, using laxatives members appropriately. ratio. However, continued use of or diuretics, and wearing nonporous TABLE 4 Unhealthy and Healthy Weight Loss Methods Unhealthy Weight Loss Healthy Weight Loss Rapid weight loss Gradual weight loss Loss of >2 lb/wk Loss of no more than 1 lb/wk in growing athlete with excess body fat, 2 lb/ Muscle mass is lost wk in mature athlete Stimulant use to promote weight loss Weight lost is excess body fat, not muscle mass Exercise in excess of what is recommended for sport Exercise an appropriate amount for the sport Laxative use Diet is well-balanced and consists of ∼6–10 g/kg per d of carbohydrates, Diet pill use 0.85–1.7 g/kg per d of protein, and 1 g/kg per d of fat Vomiting Maintain euhydration Voluntary dehydration Preferable to lose weight in off-season Fluid restriction Caloric intake meets the energy costs of living, growth, and sport activities Diuretic use Spitting Enhanced sweat production Steam baths, saunas Exercise in nonpermeable clothing Downloaded from www.aappublications.org/news by guest on September 28, 2021 2 FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS Carl et al https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-1871 September 2017 Promotion of Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes 3 140 Pediatrics 2017 ROUGH GALLEY PROOF TABLE 5 Mental and Cognitive Changes Attribut - able to Hypohydration/Dehydration suits to increase sweat production. Decreased psychomotor function is