I am fortunate to work with many talented young athletes and teams where performance is a strong focus. I enjoy seeing young athletes learn, progress and improve – but I am also acutely aware of the potential negative aspects of a high performance environment for kids and adolescents. I watched one of the ‘The Mighty Ducks’ movies over the weekend with my family and it was a great reminder of what junior team sport is all about – teamwork, friendship and fun (as well working hard, together!). Those who have an influence on junior athletes can play a role in either helping or hindering development and performance, and the importance of enjoyment should be given due attention, even (or especially) within an increasingly competitive environment.
Many junior athletes experience significant, and sometimes unbearable, pressure to perform. Pressure can come from various sources, both internal and external, with a focus on performing at their best, beyond basic genetic ability. This is where body composition (both muscularity and/or leanness) can become a focus, and for some this experience is far from fun.
Discussions around body composition – how much body fat or muscle an athlete has – and its impact on performance are an accepted part of professional senior sport. Fortunately, sports dietitians are no longer known ONLY as the ‘fat police’ in teams, and there is more of a focus on nutrition for fuelling, recovery, injury management and performance strategies. However team dietitian’s will still have a role in measuring, monitoring and setting goals with senior athletes around weight and body composition - it’s just not the priority focus that it was previously. In fact many athletes don’t like having measurements done and there are processes at many professional sporting clubs to support this. Thank goodness the days are (mostly) long behind us where player weight and skinfolds are posted up on the wall at AFL clubs alongside the 2km time trial results, in full view of all passers by. Naturally, in a competitive sporting environment, the first thing people want to know is who came first….or last. However, being the leanest or the most muscular person in a team does not necessarily translate to being the best player. This is particularly true for young junior athletes – in fact the role of body composition for sports performance at a junior level is often of very low significance.
Kids and adolescents are not just small adults and need to be acknowledged and treated as such.
The problem
Awareness at the elite level has improved over the years with regard to individualisation of body composition goals and recognition that it is just one of a number of factors that contribute to performance. However this understanding has not necessarily translated to junior ranks (although many clubs and sporting organisations are doing a great job in this area). Whether due to increased competitiveness in sport, impact of social media, or other factors, these can all have a significant impact on those individuals who are susceptible to having concerns around body composition and body image. Both boys and girls can be affected - don’t be fooled that this is only a problem for 15 year old females. Although discussing all of this does bring back memories of myself at that age (as pictured in my junior rep netball team) and dealing with my own stuff when it came to pressure to improve my performance, look a certain way and feel good about myself.
Why is it a problem?
Many factors can contribute to body composition and body image issues. Some are inherent to an individual, but we cannot ignore external factors such as media, social media, societal factors and culture, and pressure from peers, coaches, sometimes family members or others with influence.
‘Comparison is the thief of joy’- this quote always sticks in my mind when I think about teenagers these days who do a lot of sport. Comparison to images on social media and comparison to their sporting idols, as well as their team mates and opponents.
Realistic goals
I meet many adolescent males who want to be built like an elite AFL or NBL/NBA player - NOW! I would pretty much guarantee that adult elite athletes did not have the same amount of muscle mass or level of leanness when they were 16 that they do when they are 25 years old. We need to consistently remind young athletes of this. Bodies are designed to grow and develop throughout adolescence and teenagers develop at different rates. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is you. Easier said than done, but the goal is to get the best out of your own performance. Sometimes the anxiety associated with striving to achieve a body composition that is unrealistic at a particular age/stage can have a significant negative impact on performance and increase injury risk, which then increases the risk of young talented athletes dropping out of sport due to disordered eating or mental health issues.
IMPORTANTLY - junior athletes should not have weight or body fat measured as part of being involved with their sport. Many sporting organisations (including the AIS and AFL teams) now have clear policies on this, as measuring is generally not required for juniors and there are risks associated. There may be individual situations where a young athlete may work with a doctor and a sports dietitian (and possibly a sports psychologist) to discuss individual needs and goals, but this is private and individualised.
Too much focus on body composition
For many sports, you can’t get away from the fact that body size and composition has an impact on performance. For some sports, a bigger body size may be advantageous for performance – for example in basketball. As young athletes progress to higher levels and competition gets tougher, there may be a greater need to consider body composition, however great care should be taken with regard to sensitive messaging around body composition for junior athletes. A wide range of bodies can be elite competitors – it’s important to remember that.
Junior athletes need to progress according to their stage of growth. Young male athletes are often desperate to gain muscle mass, and although they feel like it is super important right now, there is really no rush. A smaller junior athlete may rely on their speed and agility as their performance strengths – just because team mates that may be at a more advanced stage of growth and have more muscle, this may not be the best goal for them. Goals should be tailored to individual needs and support existing strengths and genetic potential, and it can be beneficial to seek professional opinion and support, particularly when there are specific needs and sensitivities.
Nutrition for junior athletes
When an overall healthy eating strategy is adopted, with consideration of sports nutrition principles applied to training and competition (and individual growth stage and hunger!), body composition will often work itself out where it is meant to be. For those junior athletes who may need some extra support, an Accredited Sports Dietitian can assist individuals and their families to make nutrition choices to support their training, competition and day-to-day needs while also considering their growth, health and well-being.
Lisa has worked with individual junior athletes and teams for over 25 years and currently works with Basketball Victoria junior high performance programs. She also has two very active children who play a lot of sport!
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