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Navigating the Weight Gain Dilemma: Should Sports Coaches Be Liable?

Updated: Mar 17


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
Who is your trusted resource?
? Body Fat "I would like you to gain 20-30lb by next season
Football athlete 260lb, 6'2

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.


Provide professional nutrition resources with request
Does your sports coach know their athlete's body composition

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


Option One: Gaining weight per coaches request
Just Ate! Gained 20lb but 10 was only lean.

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

Option One Start at 260lb end 2265lb
Sports Nutrition Professional Guidance

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

Geh a higher body fat or gain lean weight and loe body fat
Which Option Do You Choose

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.

Gained lean weight & got leaner was 30lb lighter but 25lb stronger. He got the starting position & keeps going!
Fought for a Starting Position

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



Gained over 40lb o flean weigt and got leaner! Notre Dame went Pro!
Started his Journey in High School
Gained 20lb, Lost 5% body fat, faster, stronger, academically strong, a Great Season Season!
Football wth Big Dreams!
He wanted to know how to get to the next level.
Dreams to a Reality
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

Whye Created: Lack of understanding the value of nutrition and hydration!
Cheerios Team Challenge Just One Bite! Pic & Tag #Cheeriosteamchallenge @sportsnutritiontogo

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


Cheerios team challenge  The new sport worth eating
Thank You!

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.


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