Work on body composition goals without putting your health or your performance at risk.
Many athletes have goals around weight or body composition: building muscle for a strength sport, making a weight class, or feeling better in their sport. These goals are worth discussing openly. But there is no single ideal weight or body-fat percentage for a sport. Successful athletes in the same event vary widely, and body composition is only one factor in performance.
The bigger risk in sport is often eating too little. When food intake does not cover the cost of training, the body cuts back on other functions. This is called low energy availability. Over time, it can lead to REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport): hormonal and menstrual changes, bone stress injuries, frequent illness, low mood and stalled performance. It affects athletes of every sex, level and body size.
Whether the goal is losing fat or gaining muscle, the safest changes are gradual and planned around your training.
Losing fat
Best in the off-season or a lighter training block, at a pace that protects your training.
Gaining muscle
Muscle gain is slow, and depends on training as much as on food.
Every method has error. Pick one, use it under the same conditions each time, and focus on the trend.
| Method | What it tells you | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Scale weight | Total body weight only | Changes day to day with fluid, food and stored carbohydrate; says nothing about muscle or fat |
| Bio-impedance | Estimates of fat mass, lean mass and body water | Affected by hydration, meals and recent exercise; best for trends under the same conditions |
| Skinfolds | Skinfold thickness at set sites | Reliable for trends with the same trained measurer; converting to a body-fat percentage adds error |
| DXA scan | Fat, lean and bone mass, by body region | The most precise option, but costs more, uses a small x-ray dose and still needs consistent conditions |
| Performance and well-being | Whether the change is actually helping | Often the most useful measure of all |
No single sign proves it, and many are easy to dismiss. A pattern is worth raising with your healthcare team.
Often the first to appear, and the easiest to explain away.
More training with less to show for it is a classic pattern.
Changes in mood and thoughts about food matter as much as physical signs.
Goals are built around how you train, feel and perform, not a number on the scale or a body-fat target.
Every method carries error. A trend measured with the same method, under the same conditions, says more than any single reading.
Planning early, with gradual change, is safer than rapid cuts through dehydration or severe restriction, which carry real health and performance risks.
For athletes who are still growing, the focus is on fuelling growth and training, not on weight loss.
Pediatric nutritionWORKING WITH YOUR DIETITIAN
Before any goal is set, we look at your training load, eating pattern, health history and signs of low energy availability.
If a change makes sense, we plan its timing and pace, and how to protect your training and your health along the way.
Follow-ups track energy, performance and recovery and, when useful, body composition with the same method over time.
There is no single target. Athletes in the same sport vary widely, measurements carry error, and pushing towards a number can harm health and performance. We look at how you train, recover and perform, and use measurements as one input among others.
Gradually: about 0.5 to 1% of body weight per week at most. In a study of elite athletes, the slower pace preserved muscle and strength better than a faster one. Faster cuts tend to cost muscle, energy and performance.
Not necessarily. For many athletes, structured meals, portions matched to training and regular check-ins work better and are less stressful. Short-term tracking can help with guidance, but it is not right for everyone.
Combine a strength program designed for it with eating a little more than you need, protein at every meal and enough sleep. Expect slow, steady progress; a dietitian can make the extra food practical.
We can talk about it. The first step is to check whether a change is needed and safe. If it is, we plan it at the right time in your season, at a gradual pace, while protecting your training.
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It describes what happens when too little energy is left for the body’s needs after training: effects on hormones, bones, immunity, mental health and performance. It is preventable and treatable, especially when caught early.
No. It can be a useful reference point, but it is not required. Many goals can be tracked through performance, energy, recovery and how your clothes and equipment fit.
This page is general information, not individual advice. Your needs depend on your sport, health and goals.
Start with a free initial consultation, in person in Ottawa or Gatineau, or online anywhere in Ontario and Quebec.