A recent article in the online Wall Street Journal reported that there have been several new contracts with rather large baseball players. Strength and power are the best words to describe some of the best MLB hitters. Therefore, it is necessary for these players to have a good bit of weight on them. However, too much weight and where that weight is coming from can be a problem...
According to the WSJ article, "Ron Noy, a New York-based sports orthopedist, said weight inevitably increases stress on lower extremity joints, such as hips, knees and ankles, as well as the lower spine. The force across these joints increases up to eight times their weight during competition, so more weight means a higher likelihood of meniscus tears, hip labral tears and impingements."
It is important for these players (and all athletes) to pay attention to the types of calories they are consuming. No matter what their calorie needs are, their diet should consist of a wide variety of lean and clean foods in order to enhance training, improve overall performance, and most importantly ensure optimal health.
Yankees pitcher, CC Sabathia "pledged to return to the Cap'n Crunch-free diet that allowed him to slim down before the 2011 season. 'I just need to go out and be healthy and try to do what I can to be up there for every start for this team,' he said. 'For me, that means losing weight, so that's what I'll do.'"
Read the full Wall Street Journal article here:
WSJ Baseball Article
