Athletes are regularly engaged in very strenuous activity that can put a lot of tension on the body and brain. While it’s never a good idea for an athlete to compete with eating challenges, due to this strenuous level of activity – it does happen. If an eating challenge is present in an athlete, it can put the athlete at great risk for a whole host of health challenges that can affect the body in a variety of ways. It can even mess up an athlete’s brain balance and the functioning of their neurotransmitters, which will impact both their daily life and how well they play on the field.

It’s difficult to speak candidly with athletes who are losing too much weight and voice your concerns, because they are not looking at their body in a rational way due to the brain alterations an eating challenge may cause. They honestly think that all this weight loss will contribute to them becoming a better athlete, which really isn’t the case. Athletes involved in sports that are independent are at a higher risk than those who play in teams. This risk is not only potentially crippling to the body – but to the mind. Your brain works with an intricate balance that can easily be thrown off by unusual eating behaviors.

Olympian Cathy Rigby came forward to say that she has battled some eating challenges for more than 12 years, and as a result suffered two instances of serious episodes. Stories like these that make it to the public are important, as they can deter other athletes from repeating these behaviors. By deterring them from these behaviors, you can make sure that they’re mental well-being is in normal range.

Part of the problem is a culture that prizes thinness and outer beauty versus other inner attributes. Combine this push for thinness with the vigor of competition, and this places athletes in the high risk group for developing an eating challenge, or an over aptness for perfection, which may honestly not be attainable.

Part of the judging process for some sports involves how an athlete appears, like in figure skating or karate, where some points can actually be awarded for appearance. Judges can be harsh, and if athletes perceive they have lost a competition because they were not up to par physically, then it may set them up for eating challenges. Although both genders in sports are at risk for an eating challenge, there are higher instances of this in women than in men. While more women than men often have these eating issues, both are capable of feeling the impact of this lifestyle on one’s brain balance.

Similar to a judgment on one’s appearance in sports, there are sports that currently have a weight requirement. Sports like wrestling, running, boxing, swimming, and bodybuilding fit this description. Coaches and athletic associations can help by advocating for lower-end limits on weight, by emphasizing the athlete’s ability as the most important factor, rather than just winning a game. They can also require their athletes to get adequate nutrition and make sure that their brain balance remains intact.

Nutrition can come in the form of wholesome foods with health and brain supplements that may potentially support a fill in the gaps. HCF supplements may possibly be an excellent source of nutrition that has no calories and supports the attributes that are beneficial to athletes. An athlete who’s happy, calm and focused is more likely to win, and HCF supplements could help with that.


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