In the intense world of wrestling, Sophomore Chase Morris was faced with the challenge of making weight for his wrestling match. He had put on weight due to overeating and decided to sweat off those last few pounds in a hurried attempt to meet the required weight for his match. He layered himself up, piling on three hoodies, two T-shirts, two pairs of sweatpants, and set off on a frantic sprint that lasted for 30 wearying minutes.

The intensity of the exercise was so extreme that it pushed him to the limit, resulting in an unavoidable and unpleasant consequence: he threw up in his efforts to shed those four pounds within the tight time frame. Chase found himself in a tough spot during the actual wrestling match. He was exhausted, slow, and incapable of performing at his very best.

Often, athletes are required to follow a certain diet, face limitations on what they can consume, and struggle to find time to eat. Athletes may be required to eat or avoid certain foods so that their performance improves. For example, they are told to have less sugar and no energy drinks. Instead, they are told to maintain a healthy diet during the season by eating more protein or drinking more water.

Limitations on a player’s diet are put in place to help athletes maintain their health and improve their performance. These restrictions ensure that athletes are properly hydrated, have access to the right nutrition, maintain a good fitness level for the sports, and are able to manage their weight.

However, although these restrictions are beneficial, they can sometimes have a negative impact on athletes. For instance, they may take unhealthy measures to meet the strict requirements and maintain their desired weight, which can lead to problems related to eating habits.

Junior Ella Quick from the dance team feels some girls have a misconception in their minds regarding eating healthier due to which they make unhealthy choices.

“I would say sometimes girls take it as don’t eat and then you’ll become slimmer or you’ll become more healthy. They think it’s going to make you better and be able to lift more, be able to jump higher,” Quick said.

Weight management is a crucial aspect in many sports, especially in wrestling. Wrestlers must maintain their weight within a specific range to compete in their designated weight class.

“When you make a really big mistake that’s when you start to see the extreme come out like overeating or under eating. Some people would skip meals. During this season, wrestlers definitely watch their calorie intake, how much they are eating, how many pounds of water they are drinking because water weighs a lot, and how many calories, protein, carbohydrates, stuff like that is being consumed.” Morris said.

This isn’t the only problem that affects the eating habits of athletes. Many of them have very hectic schedules due to which they are unable to find time to eat proper meals.

Junior Autumn Bravo from the cheerleading team believes that the sport requires a demanding schedule due to which their eating habits and overall well-being are affected.

“Practices and games definitely impact how we eat because we don’t really have a lot of time to eat. We’ve definitely seen a decrease in our appetite. It’s hard to eat when you’re so used to not eating in the morning and not eating at night sometimes. It affects our mood,” Bravo said.

Eating Disorder Hope reports that 42% of high school athletes experience some form of disordered eating. This can happen because of a variety of factors, such as the pressure to maintain a healthy weight, achieving a certain level of fitness, and managing an overly demanding schedule.

Athletes often face numerous obstacles that leave them with little time to focus on maintaining proper nutrition. These obstacles create consequences and challenges that can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, injury, decreased performance, and mental stress. In the long run, these unhealthy measures and outcomes can negatively impact an athlete’s physical and mental well-being and ultimately hinder their success in their sport.