| Any sportsman knows that no matter the actual sport | | | | depression can result in weight gain and a loss of |
| being played, the shape of the athlete determines | | | | leanness. This is because depression causes people to |
| whether the team wins or losses. This is why for an | | | | overeat and to throw caution to the wind as far as |
| athlete, being in tip top shape is of primary importance. | | | | diet. They also lose focus of balancing the diet. A |
| Many athletes know that lean body weight is ideal for | | | | healthy emotional support system such as a family |
| optimum performance regardless of the game being | | | | can also help in keeping the athlete focused |
| played. In many cases, athletes discover that after a | | | | Adequate sleep |
| period of time without proper exercise their body | | | | A lean body cannot be maintained without proper |
| weight begins to increase. In order to maintain a lean | | | | sleeping habits. An athlete must ensure that he or she |
| body weight, an athlete must undertake a number of | | | | is getting at least 6-9 hours of sleep a day. Studies |
| steps which we will examine next. | | | | have shown there is a correlation between weight |
| Exercise daily | | | | gain and sleep patterns. People who sleep less tend to |
| In order to maintain peak sports performance, an | | | | gain weight while people who sleep more tend to be |
| athlete must exercise daily. This need not be rigorous | | | | leaner. |
| exercises but can be simply jogging or working the | | | | Some sports do not require a lean body. These include |
| bench press for 15 minutes. This ensures that the | | | | sumo wrestling, rugby and American football. In these |
| muscles are kept toned and the fat is kept at bay | | | | sports, athletes can get away with possessing a |
| Watch the diet | | | | higher than average body mass and some athletes |
| An athlete who desires to keep his body weight lean | | | | are reported to weigh more than 300 pounds. Others |
| must not succumb to his bestial appetites as far as | | | | such as heavy weight wrestling and boxing also |
| natural cravings for food. He or she must carefully | | | | require the athletes to have a high BMI but this is |
| watch what they eat to ensure that the diet is | | | | because of the nature of the sport. All in all, a lean |
| balanced and has the right mix of fiber, protein and | | | | body has a lot to do with performance when it comes |
| carbohydrates. | | | | to sports such as tennis, soccer, track and field, |
| Keep a positive world outlook | | | | aerobics and swimming. |
| Research has shown that emotional states such as | | | | |
