Being able to block and tackle in collegiate football is important for a teams success. The larger and more physically powerful the defense is, the better off they will be. Coaches have begun urging players to gain weight and bulk up in order to win, but it has taken a toll on their health too. The Journal of Athletic Training recently put out a study of 70 NCAA football players and 34 of them had three or more risk factors of metabolic syndrome. A big concern with this was high amounts of bad cholesterol levels, which can lead to diabetes and heart disease. As a college football player myself, I need to make sure the weight I gain is lean muscle mass and not unwanted fat.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113113959.htm
Very true, football players these days are overweight, but some are at a great weight and strength. These players that are generally at risk usually are either the OL or DL players and those players need that weight to succeed at their positions. It is the ugly truth of the game of football...
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important issue to address. It's difficult for athletes when they are pressured to meet to a certain weight requirement, especially when the benefits are great for the sport. However, many of these guys arent aware of the health risks of eating anything and everything to bulk up. It's important to continue to eat a balanced diet and stay away from saturated fats.
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