New Study Warns: Avoid Under-Informed Coaches
Finding a coach has never been easier. Open Instagram and you’ll find thousands of people offering training, nutrition, and wellness coaching at your fingertips. The problem: the label 'coach' isn't a protected term, meaning anyone can use it regardless of whether they have qualifications or not. So, finding a good coach may actually be harder than ever.
While many coaches may have good intentions, finding one who truly knows their stuff is crucial for your safety and success. Now, a new study has proven that better-informed coaches lead to better and safer dieting for athletes. No shit, Sherlock.
The Study
The aim of the study was to figure out whether the nutritional knowledge of elite coaches impacted athletes understanding of food and impacted their health. Researchers from Korea decided to look specifically at combat sports, where nutrition plays a vital role in necessary weight loss practises for athletes to hit specific categories.
'Inaccurate nutritional knowledge can result in inappropriate weight loss, which can worsen the physical condition, leading to poor performance and hindering weight reduction,' they wrote.
Extreme dieting and weight loss for athletes can also lead to malnutrition, dehydration, kidney problems, a loss of muscle mass, bone density issues and nutrient deficiencies – getting the right information is vital. Weight loss aside, the correct nutrition is important for improving performance for professional athletes where every 1% improvement counts.
Published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, the study looked at 22 coaches and 88 of their athletes. It tested the nutritional strategies of both groups by sending them detailed surveys with 88 questions on food and diet knowledge. Athletes also recorded all their meals for three days and everyone was interviewed about their diets. Researchers then divided coaches into 'high-knowledge' and 'low-knowledge' groups, depending on how well their strategies matched the recommended advice found in scientific literature.
The Results
Athletes trained by more knowledgeable coaches understood more about nutrition themselves and used healthier weight-loss strategies. The researchers also found:
There were 12 high-ranking coaches and 10 low-ranking coaches.
Athletes coached by high-ranking coaches ate fewer carbohydrates (659g vs 715g), more protein (248g vs 211g) and higher fat (147g vs 129g).
High-ranking coaches scored 63.17 out of 88 on the nutrition questionnaire, compared to 52.98 scored by low-ranking coaches.
Athletes coaches by high-ranking coaches scored 53.39, compared to 46.77 by those coached by low-ranking coaches.
Athletes with higher-ranking coaches attempted weight loss less frequently than those with low-ranking coaches.
Athletes with higher-ranking coaches dieted for longer than those with low-ranking coaches.
What This Means For Us
Having a well-informed coach can make a difference. That may sound obvious, but there are lots of coaches out there who seem to care more about the before and after photo they can share than your health.
Even though this study looked at elite coaches who are qualified to do their jobs, many of them still showed a lack of nutritional understanding. As well as impacting their athletes performance, it meant their athletes also took on less nutritional knowledge themselves. Previous research has shown that having independent understanding of food leads to better choices, performance, strength and body composition in athletes. Give a man a fish, and so on.
More importantly, though, it showed that high-ranking coaches guided athletes toward healthier, more effective weight management in so far as longer, slower diets that were done less often. Less-informed coaches, on the other hand, opted for rapid methods of weight loss and did them more frequently, a practise that is not as sustainable or healthy.
The Bottom Line
When choosing a coach, find one who cares about educating themselves and you on. Your performance and longterm health will benefit.
For fitness coaches, look for: An accredited REPS level 3 personal trainer who has continued their education after qualification, and most importantly: has real testimonials from successful clients. This can be difficult to decipher on social media, however, checking real client feedback and qualifications is vital.
For nutrition coaches, look for: A registered nutritionist or dietitian who also has real testimonials from past clients. While 'nutritionist' isn't a protected title, you can search for registered ones, here.
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