Navigating the Weight Gain Dilemma: Should Sports Coaches Be Liable?
- Dawn Weatherwax, RD,LD,ATC,CSCS
- Mar 16, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 18
In the world of sports, the question of whether sports coaches should be held liable for the health impacts of their athletes arises when instructions to gain weight are issued. The importance of professional nutrition guidance in achieving lean weight gain and reducing body fat percentage cannot be understated. By exploring real-life scenarios and the impact of professional assistance versus independent efforts, the blog post sheds light on the benefits of proper nutrition resources in optimizing athletic performance and overall health.
Benefits of Gaining Lean Weight and Getting Leaner
As a Sports Performance Dietitian, I believe it's essential for athletes to understand their body composition and the benefits of gaining lean weight if they are serious about their health and future aspirations in the sport. Science guides the athlete on what their future goals could be and the sports performance dietitian guides the athlete nutritionally on how to get there based on the testing outcomes.
Case Study: The 260lb, 6'2 FB Athlete
Consider the case of a 260lb, 6'2 football athlete who was told by his coach to gain 20-30lb by the next season. The burden of this task fell to the athlete, who then had to navigate the complex world of sports nutrition. Without professional guidance or
testing, the athlete managed to increase his weight to 280lb, but with a significant increase in body fat (from 28% to 29.7%). This is a classic example of what can go wrong when athletes are left to their own devices.
Option Two: Professional Assistance and Testing
Now, let's consider what could happen with professional assistance and testing. The same athlete, starting at the same weight and body fat percentage, gains 20lb but only 5lbs shows up in the scale in 5 months. They also lost 15 lbs of body fat. The athlete's body fat percentage actually decreases to 21.9%, despite the weight gain. The athlete is stronger, faster, and healthier. This is the power of professional sports nutrition guidance.
Which Option Do You Choose?
The choice seems clear. With professional guidance, athletes can gain lean weight, improve their performance, and reduce their body fat percentage. But without it, they risk harming their health and performance. So, should sports coaches be liable if their athletes end up with higher body
fat after gaining weight without proper professional resources? It's a question worth considering.
Success Stories from Sports Nutrition 2Go & Dawn Weatherwax’s Sports Nutrition Academy
At Dawn Weatherwax’s Sports Nutrition Academy, we have had many success stories of athletes who managed to gain lean weight and get leaner. These athletes have gone on to perform better, set records, and even go professional.
Here are a few examples:
- An athlete who started his journey in high school gained over 40lb of lean weight, got leaner, and went on to play for Notre Dame before turning professional.
- Another athlete, dreaming of reaching the next level in basketball and football, gained 20lb, lost 10% body fat, and had a magical season, making his dreams a reality.
What Nutritional Resource Do You Use?
As sports coaches, it's essential to provide your athletes with professional nutritional resources. At Dawn Weatherwax’s Sports Nutrition Academy, we offer a easy, affordable, turnkey, nutrition plans to meet the goals of the athlete. With our guidance, your athletes can fuel, thrive, and dream. Remember strength coaches can ONLY educate and cannot customize without the correct medical credentials which are few with these qualifications. (Must contain at least ; RD or PhD after their names). LISTEN TO HIS FOOD FOR SPEED PODCAST
Transforming Dreams to Reality
It's important to know what the possibilities are and how to get there. Its important to maximize each day and each year because you cannot make up lost time.
Whether you're a sports coach or an athlete, remember that proper nutrition and testing is key to achieving your goals. With professional guidance, you can gain the necessary lean weight, reduce body fat
and enhance your performance. Always remember to fuel, thrive, and dream!
The Role of Coaches
So, should coaches be liable? In our view, if an athlete ends with a higher body fat after gaining the weight requested without proper professional resources, then the coach should bear some responsibility. Coaches need to understand their athlete's body composition and provide professional nutrition resources when setting goals for weight gain.
The Cheerios Team Challenge
In an effort to promote FUN, healthy eating habits among athletes, we've created the Cheerios Team Challenge. Participants are encouraged to enjoy Cheerios as a healthy snack alternative, helping to reduce fatigue, improve energy levels, and prevent stomach issues. This challenge has proven to be a great way to promote
a culture of healthy eating and boost performance among athletes. Cheerios and milk also make a great post recovery snack or meal! Join us for our Team Challenge. All that is needed is one bite! You can make it as fun as you want! Take a pic and #cheeriosteamchallenge @sportsnutritiontogo. It’s definitely a new sport worth eating!
Fueling Youth Sports
Proper nutrition is a critical part of youth
sports. It's essential to understand how much fuel young athletes need, what they should eat, and when. Proper hydration also plays a significant role in their performance and recovery. Join Dawn Weatherwax's Sports Nutrition Academy for comprehensive guidance on building a better student-athlete through nutrition and testing. This will optimize their growth, academic performance, and athletic ability.
@SPORTSNUTRITIONTOGO
Dawn Weatherwax's Sports Nutrition Academy www.DawnWeatherwax.com 513.779.6444
Sports Coaches and Athlete Nutrition: An Overview
This document discusses the role of sports coaches in managing the nutrition and weight gain of their athletes. It also explores the work of Dawn Weatherwax’s Sports Nutrition Academy, which provides professional nutritional resources and advice.
The question of whether sports coaches should be held accountable for their athlete's weight gain is raised.
There are benefits of gaining lean weight and becoming leaner. These include being stronger, faster, and gaining a competitive advantage.
Two options are discussed for an athlete gaining weight: without testing or guidance, or with professional assistance and testing. The latter is recommended as the healthier, more effective approach.
The document highlights several success stories of athletes who gained lean weight, reduced their body fat, and improved their performance with the help of professional nutritional guidance.
It also raises the issue of liability for sports coaches if an athlete ends up with higher body fat after gaining weight without proper resources and guidance.
The Cheerios Team Challenge is introduced as a fun and educational initiative to promote understanding of nutrition and hydration among athletes and teams.
It is advised to seek guidance from experts with RD, RDN, or CSSD credentials for specific nutrition advice.
FAQs: Gaining Weight the Right Way in Sports
1. Why do coaches ask athletes to gain weight?Coaches often believe more size = more strength. But without knowing an athlete’s body composition, weight gain can backfire. Gaining fat instead of lean mass can slow athletes down, increase injury risk, and harm long-term health.
2. What’s the danger in athletes gaining weight without professional guidance?Without an RD or qualified expert, athletes often gain too much fat, feel sluggish, and suffer preventable injuries. Worse, they may follow unsafe or outdated advice from TikTok, teammates, or forums.
3. How can I tell if my weight gain is healthy?The gold standard is to track changes in lean weight vs. fat using tools like a Bod Pod or muscle sound scan. Healthy weight gain includes increased muscle, stable or reduced body fat %, and better performance.
4. Can an athlete gain weight and get leaner at the same time?Yes—with the right fuel plan. We've seen athletes gain 15–20 lbs of lean mass while losing fat. It’s all about nutrient timing, protein intake, testing, and fueling based on your actual needs.
5. Should coaches be held responsible for harmful weight gain?Coaches mean well, but without proper support, athletes are at risk. That’s why schools and teams should always pair strength goals with registered dietitian-led programs and body composition tracking.
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