Post by Banana Cat on Aug 16, 2012 7:39:34 GMT -5
Body Fat Restrictions for Football Players
This issue has been in the back of my mind for some time. After rewatching the Playmakers series that ran on ESPN some years back recently, it's now in the forefront of my mind. One of the episodes of Playmakers dealt with weight for linemen and when a player dipped below a certain weight he fell in the depth chart. Many teams want big guys on the line to clog up either side. The Playmakers episode in question also went over the health risks of being huge though, to include heart disease and diabetes (what a great show, wish it was still on).
My family line has a history of heart disease and diabetes and weight is the biggest factor a person can take in controlling your risk factors. So far my relatives have not been controlling their weight and so they are on heavy medication. For myself, I'm middle aged and keep my weight under control and exercise regularly, but one day I'm sure those risk factors will hit me eventually.
Watching the Lingerie Football League (LFL) the last few years, you can't help notice that all the girls are in shape (even on the line). They market the game for sex appeal as well as athletics after all. They are definitely sexist in doing so, but it does get you thinking when you see the outdoor leagues with girls on the line that are way overweight. The LFL games go just fine if everyone is on a level playing field as far as being in shape and a huge presence up front isn't needed.
The average adult body fat ratio for men is between 15-18% and for women between 22-25%. Athletes are lower of course, but there is little evidence of any benefit when men drop under 8% and women drop under 14%. For men over 25% and women over 32% body fat there is a dramatic correlation with illness and disease.
Considering all of the above, my proposal is for the NFL to make a change in the future as far as an athletes body fat. This would have to be a gradual change as you can't do this overnight. The average career of linemen (who are the heaviest players in the game) is 4 years. There are already college players with serious weight issues. So any fair changes should be targeted to be implemented 10 years from now so that future players can ready themselves. In 2022, the NFL should have a rule where players have to be below 25% body fat or they cannot play. You could go even further and have it at 20% by 2027.
Heavy NFL players are likely to die before the age of 50. The life expectancy in the US is 78 right now (82 in Japan). Getting NFL linemen's weight down is sure to increase their lifespan, and maybe even their playing careers in the far future.
Just something that was on my mind. What does everyone else think?
This issue has been in the back of my mind for some time. After rewatching the Playmakers series that ran on ESPN some years back recently, it's now in the forefront of my mind. One of the episodes of Playmakers dealt with weight for linemen and when a player dipped below a certain weight he fell in the depth chart. Many teams want big guys on the line to clog up either side. The Playmakers episode in question also went over the health risks of being huge though, to include heart disease and diabetes (what a great show, wish it was still on).
My family line has a history of heart disease and diabetes and weight is the biggest factor a person can take in controlling your risk factors. So far my relatives have not been controlling their weight and so they are on heavy medication. For myself, I'm middle aged and keep my weight under control and exercise regularly, but one day I'm sure those risk factors will hit me eventually.
Watching the Lingerie Football League (LFL) the last few years, you can't help notice that all the girls are in shape (even on the line). They market the game for sex appeal as well as athletics after all. They are definitely sexist in doing so, but it does get you thinking when you see the outdoor leagues with girls on the line that are way overweight. The LFL games go just fine if everyone is on a level playing field as far as being in shape and a huge presence up front isn't needed.
The average adult body fat ratio for men is between 15-18% and for women between 22-25%. Athletes are lower of course, but there is little evidence of any benefit when men drop under 8% and women drop under 14%. For men over 25% and women over 32% body fat there is a dramatic correlation with illness and disease.
Considering all of the above, my proposal is for the NFL to make a change in the future as far as an athletes body fat. This would have to be a gradual change as you can't do this overnight. The average career of linemen (who are the heaviest players in the game) is 4 years. There are already college players with serious weight issues. So any fair changes should be targeted to be implemented 10 years from now so that future players can ready themselves. In 2022, the NFL should have a rule where players have to be below 25% body fat or they cannot play. You could go even further and have it at 20% by 2027.
Heavy NFL players are likely to die before the age of 50. The life expectancy in the US is 78 right now (82 in Japan). Getting NFL linemen's weight down is sure to increase their lifespan, and maybe even their playing careers in the far future.
Just something that was on my mind. What does everyone else think?