Body Fat Control and Making Weight

Body weight is a poor indicator of fatness in active people. Changes in weight can be due to fluid losses as sweat, food still being digested from the last meal, and changes in the level of muscle glycogen (every gram of glycogen is stored with approximately 3 grams of water). Since training, especially weight training, increases muscle mass, skinfold measurements are a better guide to fatness than body weight. When you are in heavy training, shifts of fluid and glycogen stores can result in daily weight fluctuations of around 2kg.

 The ideal weight for an athlete needs to take into account:

• their height and frame size;
• their natural body weight;
• scientific evidence for a competitive advantage by achieving a certain body weight or body fat; and
• an athlete’s own experience of how easy is it to achieve and perform at a new body weight or fat level.

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