GCSE Physical GCSE Physical EducationEducation

Optimum WeightOptimum Weight

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

By the end of this lesson pupils should:

Optimum weight and why it varies according to height, gender, bone structure and muscle girth

How optimum weight can affect performance and participation in physical activity

Optimum WeightOptimum Weight

Optimum is defined as the ‘most favourable’ or ‘best’.

Most sports people get to know the weight at which they perform best and try and stay as near to that weight as they can.

Optimum weight can also be found using the BMI Index

Factors Affecting Optimum Factors Affecting Optimum WeightWeight

Many factors affect optimum weight, such as:

Height Gender Bone structure Muscle girth Genetics

HeightHeight

How would height affect optimum weight?

HeightHeight

Taller people are usually, although not always, heavier than shorter people

GenderGender

How would gender affect optimum weight?

GenderGender

Men and women have a different body composition

Men tend to have more muscles and larger bones

Therefore males and females have different charts to find their optimum weight

Bone StructureBone Structure

How would bone structure affect optimum weight?

Bone StructureBone Structure

Everybody has a different bone structure, sometimes referred to as frame size

Height cannot determine a persons bone structure

Comments such as ‘broad shoulders’ and ‘thick wrists’ refer to the bone structure of a person

Muscle GirthMuscle Girth

How would muscle girth affect optimum weight?

Muscle GirthMuscle Girth

As with bone structure, people naturally have different muscle girth

In most cases, muscle girth increases with training

Because muscle weighs more than fat, some BMI index charts will show a performer with a large muscle girth as being overweight

GeneticsGenetics

How would genetics affect optimum weight?

GeneticsGenetics

Body weight and shape are largely passed on through the genes from parent to child

The body composition of a performer is bound by genetics, but with training, can be changed

Optimum Weight in SportOptimum Weight in Sport

The optimum weight for a performer depends on the sport they are competing in, this is why different somatotypes are suited to different sports

Rugby and horseracing are examples of performers needing completely different optimum weights in order to perform at the highest level

Losing WeightLosing Weight

Many people need to lose weight to reach their optimum weight

In some sports, such as boxing and horseracing, it is necessary to lose weight quickly in order to ‘make’ the weight they are fighting or riding at

Learning Objectives Learning Objectives (Revisited)(Revisited)

By the end of this lesson pupils should:

Optimum weight and why it varies according to height, gender, bone structure and muscle girth

How optimum weight can affect performance and participation in physical activity

Thank youThank you

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